Ebun hatches a new look

Like any experienced, high-priced plastic surgeon will tell you, a nip/tuck is much better than a full-on facelift because you’ll come out looking like an improved version of yourself (or, as many recipients of successful surgeries say, like a just-came-from-an-amazing-vacation you) instead of, say, Jocelyn Wildenstein or Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas.

Well, last June, Ebun, the restaurant in Greenbelt 3 fronting the mall’s open courtyard and mini lake-size fountain, took – how shall I put this delicately – a vacation. About six months ago, Ebun owners Maritel Nievera, Rikki Dee and Ricco Ocampo decided to put a new spin on the restaurant’s whitewashed look.

The establishment closed shop for roughly a couple of months or so to renovate. The original interiors resembled something straight out of the New York restaurant scene: Whitewashed walls and furniture were reflections of the prevailing trends when Ebun opened. A raised platform on the side, with long tables and bench seating, stood against a mirrored wall while the adjacent wall was filled with shelves decorated with all sorts of eggs (a play on the restaurant’s name, a Kapampangan term for egg), from ostrich to your regular grocery variety and knickknacks. Naturally, every piece came in the same ecru shade.

Tired of the white theme, the people behind Ebun decided to give the place a little nip/tuck. And the results were dramatic. Under the guidance of Ocampo, all traces of white were removed. The mirrored and shelved walls were retained. Only this time, the mirrors were given an Art-Deco treatment with gray frames stenciled on each mirrored panel, while the shelves (and everything on them, including the eggs) were given a dousing of yellow paint.

The old tables and chairs were traded in for modern bamboo-style seats in black, silver benches and mirrored tables. The legs even had bamboo etchings on the mirrors running down the table’s sides. Larger tables came in black with rounded moldings resembling turn-of-the-century Victorian styles, a pretty chic contrast to all the modern pieces in the room.

Managing director Rikki Dee, who has restaurants like Kai, Kitchen and Krocodile Grill under his belt, calls the revamped look modern Filipino. The mix of oriental and continental elements combines to create a look not unlike our republic’s lineage: an amalgamation of cultural components taken from native ancestors, colonizers and overstaying visitors.

The room’s showpiece, surprisingly, is the lighting fixtures. Large overhanging chandeliers of thin black-gray disks – in keeping with the new theme – never fail to grab attention. "They’re made of capiz," says Dee proudly of the light pieces, aware that the clever use of traditional Filipino materials in such a modern way is sure to draw admiration. (It certainly did mine.) Placed in direct line of the air conditioner, the shells sway with the (synthetic) breeze and make a gentle tinkling sound.

"We wanted a look that reflected what we were about," he says. "When were thinking of revamping Ebun last year, we just wanted to go in a wholly different direction." Looks-wise, the establishment appears to be brand-new again, a new joint sure to be frequented by the young and the wannabe-young, but the main decorative elements of the place were retained and given a light dusting off and a new coat of paint.

Diners have responded enthusiastically to the change, filling almost all the seats during lunch on weekdays (so much so they have to turn away latecomers) and providing brisk business during dinnertime on weekends. It’s not just the looks that have kept people coming (and staying) – the prices aren’t bad either. For an establishment with such trendy interiors, the prices and servings are surprisingly generous.

The Kapampangan menu, divided into entrees, appetizers, desserts, and merienda, has dishes that average about P150 per serving. And the portions aren’t sample size either. "You’ll spend about P250 per person," claims Dee. For a Greenbelt establishment, that’s certainly a treat. But keeping price points affordable is standard practice for Dee who, along with his wife, cut his teeth in the restaurant business with food court stalls and easy-on-the-wallet brasseries.

Full of down-home un-intimidating fare like tokwa’t baboy (P80), sizzling tofu (P80), sinigang (about P160-P220, depending on the type) and okoy special (P90), Ebun is all about authentic Kapampangan cooking.

"Kapampangans take their food seriously," says Dee, who isn’t from Pampanga but has taken numerous trips to the province to sample all it has to offer – dining-wise. "My wife and I have tried everything there, from the little carinderia next to the train tracks to the famous restaurants of the region."

The cooks at Ebun haven’t meddled with the Kapampangan recipes. There’s a respect for the traditions of the region that’s difficult to find in Manila. No fancy fusion dishes here. Dee turns his nose up at the notion of combining techniques from different countries with local fare.

The buntot ng baka for the kare-kare (P220), for example, is slow-cooked in a large crock-pot over a charcoal fire. Allowing the meat to simmer at a slower rate brings out its natural juices, making for a more potent broth. "Cook it over a gas stove and you’re rushing the cooking process," he notes. "You won’t get the same flavor." Same with the kare-kare sauce. The peanuts are roasted and ground by the in-house cooking staff. None of that peanut-sauce-from-a-jar nonsense.

"At Ebun, we cook everything from scratch," he adds. There’s a simplicity in cooking that’s admirable here. When you order, only then is the food prepared and put together. (So allow the staff ample time to prepare it – this isn’t some local version of McDonald’s.)

No doubt you won’t find gatang kuhol (P100) at your neighborhood fast-food eatery. Furiously boiled to cook and then gently steamed in fresh gata, the snails are tasty. It’s a nice dish to start the meal with and it’s fun to eat.

House specialties include Claude’s fried hito with buro (P100), deep-fried boneless catfish served with slightly sour pickled shrimp (it’s an acquired taste but lovely with the fish’s flaky flesh) and mustard leaves. So diners have the option to wrap the fish, along with a good dollop of the buro, or eat it with rice. The ginataang tilapia (P150) is tender and flaky, gently simmered in gata and dressed with a green chili or two on top, though it holds no heat. Sisig ni Mely (P180), a recreation of Pampanga’s famous version, can be served sizzling or cold. The cold version isn’t cold at all though, it’s served wrapped in a banana leaf – just like they do in its original incarnation.

Everybody’s morcon (P180), a Kapampangan stalwart, is not unlike embotido for the unenlightened. But cooked in achuete oil, it’s much more flavorful and hearty.

Another must-try is the tapang damulag (P130), served all day, from the Altanghap section of the menu. A complete meal (it includes garlic rice, burong mustasa, salted egg, and tomato) along with viand of choice (there’s tocino, beef tapa and tinapang bangus), the damulag stands out because it’s actually carabao.

Normally considered tough meat, Ebun seasons and tenderizes the local meat for a softer, slightly chewy texture. Closely resembling tocino, because of its red color, the flavor is slightly sour and rather robust.

Much of Ebun’s dishes are for gourmands as well as gourmets. Good old delectable Kapampangan dishes in a new, modern Pinoy setting.

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Ebun is located at Greenbelt 3, Makati. For reservations and inquiries, call 757-4791.