MANILA, Philippines — At Filipino restaurant Tatatito, the well-loved Pansit or noodle is made special with the addition of an ingredient that is not often used.
Flakes of salmon tinapa and crispy fish skin are topped onto the already flavorful plate of Bam-i, the pansit variety popular in the Visayas.
It's not the only dish that is served in the Tatatito way. Rice can be had inside a bamboo, like those in documentaries where the rice is cooked inside the fragrant, wooden vessel preferred by campers and even native Filipinos and our ancestors.
Apart from the beloved classic rice, their rice can be had in more interesting flavors. Imagine taking in a spoonful of rice infused with the indulgent flavor of the Pata Tim or the aromatic Tinola.
Tatatito is a dining destination in Makati that likes to put its own version or make a "play" for some of its offerings, said Isay Illustrisimo, MC Wilson Corporation's associate marketing manager.
The Pancit Bam-I Salmon Tinapa is one of the more playful dishes and the holiday offering at the two-storey Makati restaurant.
It remains true with the brand's name, Tatatito, which is a play on the Filipino phrase "Tara dito," that calls on someone or somebody to come to a certain place or is a sort of invitation to partake.
Apart from the Bam-i, other holiday additions are the Crab Relyeno, a sure Instagram-worthy dish of crab stuffed with crab meat, garlic longganisa and egg. It is topped with crab meat floss, green onion and garlic for extra crunch. Three dips, Ginataang Santol, Lapu-Lapu sauce and Suka Pinakurat, add aditional layer of flavor to the already umami-laden seafood fare.
For dessert, Tatatito also introduced its take on the popular ube by incorporating it into the classic buko pie. Their Ube Buco Pie is a more balanced take -- not overly sweet -- on the favorite pasalubong treat. Served in personal sizes, the dessert marries the restaurant's handcrafted ube with tender buko meats. The buttery streusel topping adds in another texture, but thankfully does not add any sweetness to the dessert.
Apart from these, they also offer familiar Filipino dishes from different regions such as Inasal and Kansi, which are both heirloom dishes of owner Reagan Tan.
Guests at the Makati restaurant will be pleased to dine in because they are basically getting the three-in-one treat. Apart from its traditional and modern Filipino food, Tatatito also offers pastries from Honeybon. Beside the restaurant is one of the 16 branches of Gringo.
Diners in Tatatito will feel generally like dining at their own home with its furnitures and fixtures accented or made from rattan, native woods and featuring images of the solihiya and the banana leaf.
All three restaurant concepts are under MC Wilson Corporation, owned by Tan, a mechanical engineer who took up culinary and pursued his passion for good food. His wife, Aileen, loves pastries, thus, Honeybon, was conceptualized. Apart from the three concepts, the restaurant group also owns Tokyo Bubble Tea.
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