Review | The Black Pig

Black Pig, Black Sheep, Blind Pig ... toward the end of 2013, all these new black and pig restaurants opened. Quality restaurants too.



I hardly ever go to the State of Alabang. Our ancestral home is in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Alabang is the same distance but in the opposite direction. Even the craving for Yushoken ramen has to be postponed and a pitstop specifically scheduled on the way to Batangas (on a rare trip) or back.

But Black Pig has become quite the destination restaurant. On my second visit, the table beside ours had guests all the way from Quezon City telling the owner they were lucky traffic was not bad that day.

In fact it's worth the trip. Not because of the charcuterie board that starred in many an Instagram during the Christmas season - there's Terry's and Santi's and even Gourmet to Go for that - but because of the creations of their chef import Carlos Garcia (yes, their chef has the same name as our former president).

Black Pig's charcuterie board boasts of lomo, cebo, salchichon. I asked the waiter to name which was which on my first visit. Horrors - he made up a list that didn't match his audio-visual. I told him to go ask the chef and he 'fessed up.

We were the last to leave on my first visit so I kind of held up the chef on his way out, playing the enthusiastic customer. A few facts about him: he is from Spain but he worked in London and was convinced to move here by another partner of The Black Pig surnamed McDonald (for real - though I think it's spelled MacDonald) whom he met in London. I have more info from that convo but I am withholding that for the official review in Sunday Inquirer Magazine this March.

But what struck me most about the chef is that he is a real, honest to goodness chef who goes to market himself to find the perfect produce. (He goes to Seaside and Farmers.) "It's interesting how you base your menu on seasons because here, we are used to having only two seasons," I ventured. "Pffft! Of course you have seasons (not just two)! You can tell the seasons by the produce," he explained. So sometimes they will have avocado; other times no.

Another thing that will blow you away is his plating. Every plate that is bussed out of the kitchen seems to be a work of art. And the chef, with his work, reminds you that this kind of art is the only kind that also uses one's sense of taste.

I instantly remembered my lunch at The Ledbury in Nottinghill in 2012, when it was named one of the Top 20 Restaurants in the World by Restaurant Magazine, on a trip to London for the Worlds 50 Best Restaurant Awards. Compare the plating of this appetizer from The Ledbury ...

The beautiful plating at The Ledbury in London

 ... with this appetizer from The Black Pig.

The beautiful plating at The Black Pig in Alabang

This chef is really bringing to Alabang nothing less than London haute cuisine. Paying Skyway toll is far cheaper than a plane ticket to London. Best of all, you can enjoy all this in jeans!

But more than style, the chef also makes sure that the dishes have substance. The visual extends to the gustatory. The terrine, for instance, with its pistachio nuts, will make you smile. And it's not your usual terrine - it's made of pork. The chicken has super crunchy skin - I wanted to ask for extra skin - it's like chicken chicharon.
 



This egg is also heavenly BUT it may come out of the kitchen less than perfect. On two visits I experienced yolks that were not runny as they should be. Fight for your toll fee and the prices demanded by the restaurant and ask the kitchen to do it right - they will oblige.

Then there's the pork belly bulalo. Warning: if you are looking for Pinoy-style pork belly and bone marrow, don't order this.

As a FILIPINO used to bone marrow in all its soft, gooey glory - a blessing we usually take for granted - you might complain about the bone marrow because it's not what we are used to. I admit my initial reaction as well was, "Nasaan ang utak?!" But then I realized, Come on - this is not Bakahan at Manukan. And at least three restaurants - Antonio's, Cirkulo and even Grace Park - already have roasted bone marrow. Here it is baked with oregano and cheese. So you just have itty bites. It's different ... but I realize you need to step back, breathe, close your eyes ... and appreciate the chef's art!

Truth be told, art notwithstanding, crispier pork skin would have been appreciated on the pork belly, though.

For dessert, by all means go for the chocolate praline mousse. It's just like the Louis XV in Enderun (and I guess in Monaco!), my favorite before they changed its shape into a circular cake. Here it is in the original form - like a stick.

Louis XV doppelganger

They also have a veranda where you can smoke and drink and appreciate the recent "cold" weather. There is also beer on tap - though I did not try - instead went for a sangria and Rioja.

The restaurant as yet is by no means perfect. The kitchen still has some misses - and one of the longest soft openings in Philippine restaurant history - and the waiters still need to memorize and appreciate what they are serving. But they have the essentials down, Garcia and MacDonald clearly know what they want, and they are definitely on the right track. If they keep it up - and get those eggs right - the Black Pig may well be on its way to being named one of the best restaurants of 2014. 

The Black Pig
Commerce Center, Commerce Avenue cor East Asia Drive, Filinvest, MuntinlupaLandline +63 2 808 1406 or +63 917 846 2674

Closed on Mondays

Open Tuesday to Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 6:30 pm. to 11:00 p.m.

Wheelchair accessible through elevator
Major credit cards accepted
Reservations recommended

Basement parking available
Around P4,000 ++ for a group of 3 with wine.