Rockwell's 12/10 Is Giving Dessert the Omakase Treatment

(SPOT.ph) Homegrown spot 12/10 has long been the stuff of Friday-night hangout heavens. Serving playful Japanese-esque bites and sips in a dimly lit atmosphere, the contemporary izakaya (originally from Guijo street, Makati before relocating to Rockwell) has mostly only ever been open for dinner—and oh, are evenings spent in their premises always a fun and eye-opening ride. In recent months, though, 12/10 has started opening in the earlier hours of the day on selected days, showing a novel side to the establishment—with exclusive bites (including a short yet literally-sweet tasting menu!) and sips to boot.

Also read:
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Hit up Rockwell restaurant 12/10 during the day for these exclusives:

“The idea [to open at daytime] came to mind [so we could] still do something during the day without disrupting dinner flow [which entails] a lot of preparation,” shares 12/10’s Gab Bustos. From Thursdays to Saturdays between 1 and 5 p.m., you can walk into their premises and while away the afternoon over their a cup of joe (or two) and their daytime omakase.

Whereas their space displays a more brooding demeanor come night time, during the day you get to see a completely different side of their personality. The sunlight from outside illuminates their interiors, showing off the vibrant colors of the liquor bottles on their bar shelves and paintings on their walls. It’s not a complete 180-degree turn, though; there’s still the same relaxed, convivial chatter from their diners and warmth from their team that makes it easy to feel right at home.

You can catch 12/10's new espresso program over at their bar within this schedule; the team brews up a diverse range of coffee drinks spanning your essentials, as well as more offbeat numbers and spiked options. Consider the Nut Hugger (P320), where the robustness of espresso is lent creaminess by oat milk, brightness by lime, and an aromatic sweetness by orgeat syrup on the bottom. Should you be in the mood to, y’know, get in the mood, the Cold Brew Negroni (P380) is your best bet, what with coffee Campari and clarified orange joining forces with the coffee.

With a recently opened pastry section also now at 12/10, they’ve also recently debuted a Dessert Omakase (P1,250/person) also available from 1 to 5 p.m. from Thursdays to Saturdays. It takes after the idea of omakase in that it features a number of small dessert courses, done the 12/10 way—i.e., with the same balance of tastes and textures; advocacy of local produce; and Japanese-style spunk (with classic French techniques) similar to their savory offerings.

You’re eased into the voyage by way of the Tart, which has a taho-esque filling of silken tofu, boba, and kinako in crisp a black-sesame shell. The team then perks up the taste buds with the Frozen Yogurt—a nigiri sushi-like confection that’s decidedly bright thanks to beet, lime, and wasabi for welcome zing. Served cold, it’s best picked up using chopsticks and consumed in one bite—which delivers a crisp-creamy sensation that’s hard not to obsess over.

The French Toast is on the slightly more substantial side, coming in two parts: a bowl of French toast and white peach pieces hugged by a maple-sweetened cream, shielded by a thin sheet of ash lengua; and a small plate of piece of Buttermilk Fried Sweetbread scented with thyme. Your best bet is to take the french toast first and relish in its creamy-fruity character, then pop the savory veal sweetbread (a totally underrated offal, BTW) as a reverse palate cleanser of sorts.

In the Sorbet, the nuttiness and yeasty tinge of corn and sake, respectively, come together into a smooth scoop surrounded by nutty alfalfa sprouts (just a touch for texture), crisp cereal, subtly spicy sansho, and jelly. Finally, the Soufflé—tinged with dark chocolate, coffee, and almond—is where 12/10 shows their respect to tradition, what with their no-fuss, no-frills take on the classic French dessert.

Soon 12/10 will also be introducing Sando, or Japanese-style sandwiches available during the day—which also harkens back to the days of Panko Pussy, the delivery-only spinoff the team ran during the pandemic. The Menchi Katsu variation—with a crisp-juicy fried meat patty in between their soft, springy milk bread (baked in-house!)—is well worth looking forward to.

It’s been a whirlwind of close to eight-and-a-half years for 12/10—which first opened on Guijo street in 2014, closed the said outpost for "hibernation" in 2020, and finally reopened in a new location in Rockwell in 2022. But just when you think you've seen everything there is to see with the non-traditional izakaya comes the opportunity to get to know 12/10 in a new light—literally in that you see their premises lit by the sun’s rays, and in how they give other food and drink the 12/10 treatment. It's as eye-opening as it is refreshing.

12/10 is at 8 Rockwell, G/F Lopez Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City. For reservations and inquiries, visit 12/10's website. For more information, check out 12/10's Instagram page.

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