WHILE appreciating the duck liver ravioli with black truffles over a business lunch today at the Mandarin Hotel’s Tivoli, I met Hershey, a waitress with a communications degree from the University of the Philippines. She was being wooed by former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Josue Bellosillo to pursue law studies at the Centro Escolar University, of which he is now Dean of the School of Law and Jurisprudence. She kindly declined, citing her preference for her alma mater.She immediately reminded me of another hostess with the mostest, Nadine, a manager of this week’s subject restaurant, 2nds. 2nds has taken up the space of the old Mag:net (of rockeoke memories) at Bonifacio High Street at the Fort Global City. Nadine could give any of today’s local actresses a run for their money, with her Julia Roberts smile, waif-like figure, and standing at what seems to be 7 feet tall when you look up from your table as you nibble on their bacon chicharon. “How’s everything?” she asks, not annoyingly, as is the case sometimes with other restaurants where servers whom you know don’t really care ask the question every opportunity they get, as trained by their superiors.
“Why is this restaurant named 2nds?” I asked Nadine. “Well, it’s because we’re on the second floor, and because we want you to come back for seconds,” she explains, laughing at their being so cliché. But a quick perusal of the menu makes you think that the name could also be because the chef’s creations make you take a second look. Calling their cuisine “comfort food,” the chef showcases a second take, his own, at old favorites.
The main course offerings include kaldereta, but it is made of lamb; adobo, but with beef ribs; pork chop, but marinated in pineapple and soy; sinigang, but using seabass; and salpicao, but using angus beef. The chef, Mikko Reyes, a young talent formerly with the Executive Dining Room of the Asian Development Bank, is apparently on a mission to be the Professor Higgins—or shall we say Edward Lewis (Richard Gere in “Pretty Woman”)—of contemporary Filipino comfort food choices. As Higgins and Lewis made great beauties even more beautiful with refinement (and better clothes), Reyes has set out to make old favorites even better with extraordinary ingredients.
Possibly because of the expat influence, Reyes seems to prefer subtle flavorings, as opposed to the louder flavors of usual comfort food, especially of Filipino fare. The cooking is not bland, mind you, just refined. The French onion soup has a very compact broth but the cheese is the more tempered Emmenthal instead of the usually stronger Gruyere. The gambas is not spicy from chili or garlic but with the use of chorizo. It’s for the slow eater, the kind who chews longer to savor his food.
But the twists are definitely worth at least a peek. Both the adobo and kaldereta have very tender meat that makes you definitely appreciate the dish. But you do need to take a second look: Is this really adobo? Is this really kaldereta? The character of the classic is maintained only through the sauces.
There are also some intriguing items, such as the Bacon Chicharon. It is more bacon than chicharon, really. This one makes you searching for the classic chicharon. I guess in this department, the original cottage industry version can’t be beat.
But for the Western side of the menu, the execution is very satisfactory. The beer battered fish and chips is light with the subtle yet ideal hint of that beer batter. The chicken lollipops have a fun, crunchy exterior but made oh so pleasurable with the accompanying side of blue cheese. And the mac and cheese is just beautiful: It is not creamy but instead allows the various cheeses—emmenthal, cheddar and blue—to take the lead. A drizzling of potato chip crust adds texture but it’s the sharp cheddar cheese that makes the dish shine.
The restaurant caters to restaurant lovers of every age: On a Tuesday night, I caught two long tables of international school students, in their five-inch heels and very short shorts or on a Sunday morning you may catch a long table of happy seniors. Otherwise you are sure to find couples on dates or yuppies on a business lunch.
The restaurant has interiors in hues of camel and brown, offering a subtle elegance, following the cue of the chef’s menu. What isn’t subtle is the owners’ appreciation for single malts, the restaurant’s WiFi password. The restaurant offers an extensive selection that includes the more common Glenfiddich to the harder to find Bruichladdich. If not for the menu, this is worth a second visit to 2nds.
2nds. Bonifacio High Street. 2/F Wumaco Bldg. 1, Quadrant 3, 9th Ave. Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City, Metro Manila. Tel. 846-5293. Reservations recommended. Major credit cards accepted. Wheelchair accessible via elevator. Casual chic. Open everyday 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Whisky bar open until 1 a.m. |
