Creativity with local produce elevates this new tasting menu

Chefs Chele Gonzalez and Carlos Villaflor recently created a new 10-course tasting menu at Gallery by Chele based on their philosophy of curating local produce and creating dishes inspired by Philippine traditions. Then the chefs apply their own modern techniques and global palates to showcase our native ingredients’ best qualities, often to stunning effect.

A Gallery by Chele tasting menu is a journey that always starts physically, by taking a short walk to the open kitchen to receive your “Welcome” bite and drink, in this case a small spring roll and dragonfruit kombucha that they ferment for three days and bottle. Fizzy and bright fuchsia in color, the kombucha beautifully preserves the tart-sweet flavors of the antioxidant-rich fruit.

Then we proceeded to Chele’s rooftop garden, now lush with native greens, herbs, and edible flowers like blue pea that are used in Gallery’s dishes and drinks. There a young Spanish chef gave us a green tart that represents their philosophy of organic horticulture.

The next two bites, Fresh, consist of a deconstructed ukoy with tiny, crispy shrimp on top of a meringue base, followed by a guava sorbet that serves as a palate cleanser but also cuts the richness of uni, sea urchin so fatty it’s like foie gras from the sea. This mélange was just one example of how surprising flavors and textures are a hallmark of Gallery by Chele.

Chele called the next two bites “Home” because it boasts the flavors of home: crunch from a tapioca cracker contrasts with the fleshy crispness of fruit, accompanied by a fish-filled croquette rich in umami.

For Scott, there was a deconstructed tinola — a fave Pinoy dish rebuilt from the ground up, with layers of lemon and foam and chicken stock. Here chef Chele manages to evoke tinola, while inviting us to reimagine it.

“Signature” is based on two Filipino dishes Chele loves: sisig and kare-kare. Gonzalez’s playful take is a sisig squid-ink taco (Scott’s had a burst of pork flavor), and a kare-kare ball (Therese’s was made of jackfruit with homemade bagoong sauce; Scott’s had beef).

After this generous slew of bites came the first course, Sashimi Kinilaw, where the smokiness of the fish and saltiness of the roe was balanced by the bright tartness of yuzu.

Bikini Bottom was inspired by the Bicolano way of infusing everything with coconut milk, so it features cold gata ice cream with the warm butteriness of crab, the crunch of wing beans, and melds sweet flavors with the saltiness of the sea. With so many contrasts and such complexity, this brilliant dish was one of our favorites.

The new menu has a wine-pairing option, of course. Scott opted for a glass of 2016 Chateau Escalette Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec blend from Cotes de Bourg. Therese had the full non-alcoholic beverage pairing, and among the excellent mocktails, Purple Haze stood out with its lavender hue from syrup made with blue pea harvested from the garden.

Next came an Oyster Omelette with a special card instructing us on how to eat it. First fold the perfectly runny eggs over oysters prepared three ways — fresh, grilled and fried — and you’re supposed to eat it in that order. What a marvelous, novel way to enjoy it.

Chefs Chele and Carlos love global food, so the next dish was inspired by jjigae, a Korean stew whose broth is flavored with gochujang or other spicy sauces.

While Scott’s was served with chorizo (the spherical egg inside opening up upon biting, releasing new flavors), Therese’s had abalone, enoki and king oyster mushrooms in a very well seasoned broth with mild spice that was good to the last drop.

A Florencia mocktail with lemongrass and banaba teas sweetened with sampaguita syrup tamped down the gentle heat.

For her main, Therese had Dorado fish, a wow dish with its velvety beurre blanc and a sour hit of green papaya. (A refreshing Spritz cocktail with a sprig of rosemary nicely swept away the salinity of the fish.)

For his course Scott had BSTK, a familiar staple transformed into a beef tenderloin cube paired with ube mash and house-made latik butter. On the side, slices of wagyu pastrami, brined for 10 to 15 days and cooked another six hours (chef Chele is always seeking the “holy grail” of pastrami, Katz’s Deli in NYC), are served on a bed of custom-made pastrami rice — actually adlai that’s buttery and savory, elevating the meats even more.

Dessert One was Tropicale, melt-in-your-mouth coconut wafers propping up a lovely fruit salad with basil oil to keep things interesting.

This went great with Therese’s coffee cocktail — a swoosh of cocoa sugar decorating the lip of her glass.

Dessert Two was Silken, a vegan plate of miso, mousse and nibs made from local chocolate, and crispy milk skin — we loved the play on textures and unusual miso flavor.

Dessert Three was “Tradition,” Chele’s now-famous creamy cheesecake bibingka on a tiny charcoal grill.

For each dish they create, chefs Chele and Carlos do thorough research and experimentation in their Studio Lab. For us, the complexity, thoughtfulness and sheer creativity of this new tasting menu cements Gallery by Chele’s place as one of the most exciting, inventive places to eat in the Metro.

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Gallery by Chele is located at 5/F Clipp Center, 11th Ave. corner 39th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, tel. 0917-546-1673 or book at reservations@gallerybychele.com.

Six-course tasting menu is P4,400, 10 courses for P5,500; vegetarian six-course is P2,700 and 10-course is P3,500. For more, visit www.gallerybychele.com .