Chef Tatung's

The interiors of Chef Tatung's, a specialized Filipino restaurant tucked in the quiet suburbs of Taguig. Photo by Josephine Arce

These days, it's hard to find a unique dining experience in Manila. All we have are a rehash of the same, tired, and old recipes, or franchises of global fastfood chains that taste the same wherever you go. As a result, it's easy to become jaded when it comes to local food.

But a certain restaurant is changing all that, an elegant joint tucked in the middle of a genteel neighborhood, surrounded by acacia and bamboo trees away from the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila. Time and again I had to remind myself that I am still in the developing megapolis of Taguig, and not in the peaceful provinces of Baguio or Tagaytay. It could be the pleasant weather, but I think it's interiors of the restaurant, with its rich browns and warm woods, and antique Filipino furniture.

The restaurant is Chef Tatung's, a specialized place run by the effervescent chef who shares the name of his restaurant. What began as a home-based affair in Quezon City that served a small group of friends and neighbors became a full-blown business, serving dozens of guests at a time. Today, it owns its space at the Acacia Estates, Levi Mariano Avenue, Brgy. Ususan, Taguig City.

The extensive collection of Filipino food at Chef Tatung's. Photo by Josephine Arce

I was able to try his Sunday buffet with some friends from When In Manila. We were overwhelmed by the staggering number of Filipino food, an impressive array of choices that spanned the many islands of the Philippines. There were his staples: the lumpiang ubod in flavored crepes, the honey-glazed slow-roasted lechon belly, lechon Cebu, the warm Tsoknut chocolate cake, and the pichi-pichi with quezo de bola.

What my plate looks like when I go to a buffet. The lechon Cebu is on the lower-left hand side of the plate, and it is a revelation

Now, my strategy in buffet dining has always been to get a little bit of everything, that way I can take in everything without getting full. But my experience at Chef Tatung's was different. As soon as I had a bite of the lechon Cebu, I found myself scrambling for more. I think I had three servings of the dish, and I patiently waited for the waiters to bring more of the stuff. The meat was succulent and juicy, and the skin had a satisfying crunch that exploded in my mouth. The dish did not come with any sauce, but the second I smelled the faint whiff of lemongrass, I knew I wasn't going to need one. It was a favorite among the When In Manila team and we eagerly waited for replenishments.

The rest of the meats had a satisfying consistency. Turns out that Chef Tatung prepares everything from scratch, and uses traditional methods. That's why when you take a bite of the honey-glazed slow-roasted pork belly, you're getting the actual experience of a dish that was cooked in a brick oven for six hours.

The poqui poqui "lasagna." Photo by Josephine Arce

In Chef Tatung's, there's no space for preservatives or additives. He stays true to heirloom recipes and does not reinvent it or deconstruct it, opting instead to glorify the original way the dishes were cooked. However, the poqui poqui did get a new face. Chef Tatung turned it into a kind of lasagna, adding a thick and delectable layer of cheese on top of the grilled eggplant. It was heavenly, it was sublime, it was something I had over and over again.

Another dish that received a "westernization" was the lumpiang ubod in flavored crepes. Now, we've always enjoyed our lumpiang ubod in the traditional flavorless wrapper but Chef Tatung updated this by wrapping the coconut pith, vegetables, and tofu in a pandan, ube (purple yam), and egg crepe. The wrap only hinted at the ube, thus not cloying your mouth with sweetness but preparing you for the playful delights the chef will present you with during the main course.

If you're not sure what kind of adobo to get, get the adobo sampler to try all the choices

Chef Tatung is also known for his adobo sampler, a dish consisting of four variations of the classic Filipino dish. Chef Tatung serves it individually, but because of the number of variants, he has decided to put it all on one plate (with dividers, of course), so that guests can try a bit of everything and decide which one to get.

The adobo sampler is composd of the yellow chicken adobo, derived from the Batangas way of cooking with it with ginger; the chicken-pork adobong Ilonggo with annatto seeds and liver; the lengua adobo with olive oil, roasted garlic, and green olives; and the adobo Bisaya, which was marinated in garlic, vinegar, and bayleaves, and slow-cooked in lard. This last one is my favorite.

Desserts!

Perhaps the highlight of the meal (any meal involving me, actually) are the desserts. In keeping up with Chef Tatung's Filipino theme, the dessert table provided the best offerings. Now, these aren't just your regular desserts slathered with sugar. These are probably the richest and creamiest desserts I've had. The leche flan was a revelation, served frozen, and it was the creamiest I've ever had. The warm Tsoknut chocolate cake was good, too, but I quickly forgot about it when I had the pichi pichi with quezo de bola.

I'm not really sure how to describe it because I've only tried the pichi pichi Amber offers and I love it, especially with cheese. But Chef Tatung takes it on a whole different level. The pichi pichi itself is soft, almost fluffy, and like eating a cloud. But when you add the richness of the melted quezo de bola, it provides an interesting texture that made my eyes roll in delight. I'm not sure how many plates I had, but suffice to say that the waiters replenished the dessert twice after I started hoarding.

Chef Tatung's is that restaurant that provides good food and a good atmosphere. Its almost-hidden location makes it an ideal place for intimate meals with loved ones, and the interiors can add drama to any meal. The place can seat a hundred people but it feels cozy. For the best experience I suggest the Sunday buffet, so you can try all of the chef's best dishes amidst a calm and relaxing day.

Otherwise, the restaurant is open daily for ala carte meals from 11AM-11PM.

How to get to Chef Tatung's

What I've been doing lately.

Last April, I accepted a copywriting position at a public relations agency where my godsister works. I felt it was time to leave human resources after doing it for a year, as HR can be quite repetitive and therefore, tedious. I felt like I didn't belong in the corporate world, which I thought was too rigid.

It's funny, the story of how I applied in PR. I was going through a phase, which you could call a quarter-life crisis. I was confused with what I was doing with my life. I felt unhappy with my career and my personal life. I felt I needed a change of pace and environment, so I asked my godsister Sophie if there were any openings in her office. There was one for a writer, but like everything else, she'd get back to me. Being the indecisive person that I am, I'd suddenly set my mind on sticking to my HR job when she'd invite me for an interview. There was the fear of the unknown, and my two projects with The Philippine Star and When In Manila. Rigid as the corporate setting may be, the schedule's not as crazy as PR.

This cycle of cat-and-mouse, of me wanting to apply but having to wait, then hearing news after I decided to stay, happened three times until I finally realized that my lack of spontaneity and fear will not get me anywhere in life. I should take more risks and if I fail, it'll make for one great story over drinks. It also humbled me that this position waited for me for three invitations in the span of five months. As they say, opportunity knocks but it does not beg. I grew some balls, showed up for the interview, and was hired.

Three months in and I can say that PR is for me. Of course, writing has always been a breeze. But I think what I love the most about is that every day is a new day. I get easily bored and I always need a new thing to fuss over. On top of writing PR, I have also handled media relations and endorser relations. Just recently, I assisted in a media interview and became the photographer.

Yes, it is true that there are no working hours in public relations. Often I find myself working into the night, and sometimes bringing my work home and in the weekend. It can be very busy, too. One time, I was in Makati in the morning for a press launch, then I had to go to San Juan to brief the San Beda Red Lions for another press launch we were having the following day. In between, I was making dozens of calls and sending hundreds of text messages to the celebrity endorsers and their managers to coordinate for the next day's event. I also had to write that week's column for Star and wake up at 5AM for the event.

Strangely, despite my busy schedule, I find myself having more time to pursue other projects. I once thought that I would have to give up Star, but instead I am getting more gigs. My theory is that I love my job so much that I still have energy to do other things after work.

Below are some of my sidelines besides being a PR all-arounder:

The Philippine Star Supreme

My presence at Star is still going strong. I've been writing non-stop for almost two years, and though my space Supreme Picks has been a constant, lately I've been inspired to make other pitches.

When In Manila

I had a sort-of falling out with When In Manila when I started in PR because of my busy schedule. Most events happen during weekdays and sometimes my work stretches until the early evening. But the busiest part of PR is over since my two largest accounts had their expo and media launch, so my hands are a little free to accept invites. My return to When In Manila is a feature on the I Love Kusama exhibit at the Ayala Museum on Monday. I'm also planning to pursue my idea of covering the art scene in the country.

 The Culture Trip

This project is new. The Culture Trip is a London-based website featuring cultural events around the world, and they agreed to let me contribute essays on Philippine culture. My first piece will be about a certain Filipino artist who is making waves internationally by joining this certain art show.

Voyeur

This is by far the project I'm most excited about. One morning, as I woke up, I decided to start a zine. Just a small, independent zine with a small circulation. My inspiration is Andy Warhol's Interview, which was informative yet light, with a slight irreverence. I've always been fascinated with people and this zine, tentatively titled Voyeur, will be a series of interviews with interesting people, mixed with critical essays by some of publishing's great thinkers. I'm going to publish it quarterly and will have themed issues, with September being fashion. It's progressing quite well, and I have a great team on board who's just as excited as I am to run it.

Bikram yoga

I finally signed up at Bikram yoga Alabang this month. We do their PR so as a deal, we get free classes. I finally had the courage to join, and I just had my second class this Thursday. My first one didn't go so well. I felt incredibly dizzy and felt like vomiting, and I think it's because I wasn't hydrated enough. In my second class, I made sure to hydrate and take occasional breaks, so I was only slightly dizzy (I pee a lot so I lose a lot of liquids, too). I can already feel my paunch getting smaller, so I'm pushing for three or four classes a week. On days I won't do Bikram, I'll be doing hatha at home. I just downloaded this amazing app called Yogify, which is pretty intense.


I'm clearly going overboard with my projects, but I'm so passionate that I find the time to do all these things. Now if only I can commit to maintaining this blog.... That should be one of my projects.