A bold new oyster bar by the founder of koomi
Famous satirist, essayist, poet, and author Jonathan Swift once said, "He was a bold man that first ate an oyster." How about a man that opens an oyster bar?
John-Michael Hilton is a bold man for opening his first venture into bars. Salt & Ice, an oyster cocktail bar at Uptown BGC, is Hilton's dream project. Hilton is the entrepreneur behind Koomi, the Australian yogurt drink brand that sprouted 100 stores across the Philippines.
Hilton said in a conversation over cocktails, "When I opened Koomi in Roxas, I drove to Aklan to spend the night with oyster farmers. It was there I discovered that we had good oysters. And, I felt that there was a need to support local farmers."
He added, "At the start, we would do 100 kilos a week. Now we do about 500 kilos a week." Listening to Hilton talk about Salt & Ice, his passion for food and beverage is obvious. But his pulse for what the Filipino market wants is impressive. Oyster bars are popping up everywhere in Manila, from Wantusawa in Poblacion to Oista Oyster Bar in San Juan.
From part-time job to full-time passion
When asked why he opened an oyster bar, he shared his journey: "I was born in Zamboanga. Then I moved to Sydney, Australia, when I was six months old. But I moved back to the Philippines in 2016. At first, I worked in my father's businesses from sardines, medical distribution, and real estate property. I worked with them for years. But in 2019, I decided I wanted to do what I love daily. So I started my own F&B company, Visum Ventures."
Hilton said he started working in hospitality at 13 years old for two reasons: “financial independence, and the second reason, as a young boy, I was really shy. Being in hospitality, you need to speak to people. It helped me come out of my shell. I've done it all, from events, restaurants, and cafés. Before even working, I thought I would be an accountant. But I just fell in love with F&B."
A menu that’s more than instagrammable
With Visum Ventures, he is no longer that shy teen but a confident leader. "I started with three staff less than three years ago,” he says. “Right now, we've got about 880 staff. We have amazing talent in the Philippines. And we all know that Filipinos are known for hospitality worldwide. I was lucky enough to be able to hire the best people."
At Salt & Ice, Abigael Quilal-lan, the operations manager, brings years of experience from local and international bartending competitions. She and a team of bartenders made the signature cocktail list, where every cocktail delivers drama to your table.
There's an extensive list, but the ones worth a try would be: Rogue Waves Cocktail (yuzu, mint, peach, and bourbon with a strikingly colorful and edible image of waves in the Japan Sea), Nought Rusty (peanut butter, bourbon, and peanut brittle) and a drink from the secret menu, Mike's Drink (spiced rum, Aperol, pineapple and macadamia).
Even a simple oyster is given a creative spin, whether you choose Freshly-Shucked (on the half-shell with a dash of vinegar or house-made Sriracha sauce), Tempura-Style (Japanese-style fried oyster with wasabi mayonnaise and ponzu sauce), Mornay (crumbed oyster with Napolitana sauce and mozzarella cheese), Oyster Spinach & Malunggay (baked oyster with spinach, moringa and cream cheese), Oyster Bacon and Cheese (baked oyster with bacon, cheese and honey) and Oyster Kilpatrick (baked oyster with bacon and Worcestershire sauce).
Other dishes worth trying would be Sea Urchin Pasta made of fresh sea urchin on white wine and cream reduction, topped with salmon roe. This dish is a rendition of a risotto that Hilton makes at home. And for dessert, it's hard to beat a Ferrero Rocher Sundae, made of ice cream, chocolate brownie, Ferrero Rocher chocolate, and crushed almonds.
The world is Hilton’s oyster
From drinks to dessert, there is boldness to Salt & Ice's approach to the restaurant experience. "This is our first bar concept,” Hilton says. “But I have eight more rolling out in the next five to nine months." When asked if he could list the concepts, he didn't even flinch, "Yes, of course: an Australian wine bar, whiskey bar, Japanese bar, Asian bar, Tiki rum bar, tequila bar, martini bar, Indian-inspired bar."
Beyond the Instagrammable, Hilton's goal is to deliver an experience. It's like slurping a fresh oyster. It's an experience of tasting the saltiness of the ocean but the sweetness of its flesh.
In hospitality, competition is fierce. But, just like an oyster, businesses can be hard to open, but once opened, they’re good. And if one is lucky, there may be a pearl inside. Hilton may have just found one in Salt & Ice.
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Salt & Ice is on the Ground Floor of Uptown Parade in Uptown BGC Taguig, open Sundays to Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Thursdays to Saturdays 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. For information, call 0969-141-4688 or visit Facebook Salt and Ice Bar Ph, Instagram @saltandiceph.
