At New Manila’s Qui, Asian Flavors Breathe Life Into a Post-War Home

Qui Pan Asian Brasserie 
14 Castillas Street, Valencia, Quezon City
Contact: 0917-867-8811
Facebook: www.facebook.com/quimanila
Open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday

(SPOT.ph) When it comes to our own local fare, every region and every household has their preferred—we dare say “championed,” even—version of any number of dishes. You can argue about it until you’re blue in the face or swear that your tita makes it better than any restaurant (and many of you have!), but the truth is anti-climactic, undeniable, and lovelier by far: We are richer, culturally, for the thousand iterations that we have.

And, sure, there are some dishes that are just done better at home or at your nearest turo-turo, but Qui Pan Asian Brasserie—Qui, for short—isn’t looking to compete with them. Instead, the New Manila gem takes what you love about Filipino food as it exists within the Asian framework, and dials it up to critical mass. While some foreign references are more obvious than others, the execution across the board is largely the same: strong flavors you can mix and match to create some kind of delicate balance, whatever direction you choose to go in.

Also read: 
Papillon Emerges in Salcedo Village With Your Next Southeast-Asian Craving 
Pacific Bay Eats Does Great Private Dining at Their Hidden Pasig HQ

What to Try at Qui Pan Asian Brasserie in Quezon City

The Food

Would it be a brasserie without a solid drink to start? The gin-based China Doll (P260) is a fruity, lightly spiced number even a novice drinker can dial. We’re becoming wary of all these cocktails that read like juice (these are the dangerous ones, but you knew that) so if you’d rather err on the side of caution, the nearest non-alcoholic equivalent can be found in Eastern Sunsets (P160). Either way, an opening drink also calls for a great starter; the Pork and Shrimp Dumplings (P370), Qui’s hybrid creature that has clear roots in wontons, gyoza, and tortellini—talk about international. On paper, it sounds pretty arbitrary, but the thicker, al dente noodle-dough wrapper holds the tender filling together while soaking up the herbs and chili oil. We also love the nod to the inexpensive but wildly popular shui jian bao of Taiwan, with a little crispy bit that all but beckons you over to eat it.

The Steak and Watermelon Salad (P405) is a wonderful way to get your greens and proteins in at the same time, delivering bursts of different flavors and textures as you eat. The rounded sweet-sourness of the Ilocano vinegar reduction builds a bridge between the cherry tomatoes and chunks of watermelon, while giving a bright edge to the bites of steak and slivers of radish.

Skewers are making a huge comeback in indoor establishments, and Qui isn’t missing out on that wave. The Asian BBQ Platter (P730/petite; P1,280/grand) is a variety of satays and grilled gorgeousness with seemingly no end of sauces to customize your experience. It’s basically brought the sea to the street vendor, and then the street vendor to you, with all the glory that entails. This spread comes with a generous side of crumbly salted egg and some mild ensaladang talong, because of course.

The Mango Smoothie Bowl (P325) is touted as dessert, and it does very much serve that purpose—we see this velvety mingling of fruity, tart, and that little bit of puffed-rice crunch being especially amazing next year, when summer just begins setting in again and you can still sit comfortably out in Qui’s al fresco. However, we can’t help but also recommend it as a more over-the-top version of a palate cleanser between dishes. (Yes, we have a problem. No, we’re not going to do anything about it.)

What We Recommend

Sisig and nachos can be a combination that, for some, feels a little obvious; for others, it may sound too indulgent. But the Krapow Sisig Nachos (P390) are definitely neither of those things. There’s just enough cheese to pull the sisig together without layering on too much richness, while the mishmash of chips—nachos and two kinds of kropek, thank you—are a simple but genius move that may put this appetizer a head above the rest. And to cut through any lingering fattiness, we like the pandan-citrus notes of the Lola Amore (P120) mocktail.

Speaking of which, we have to talk about the Kare Kare Stone Pot Rice (P760) or die trying. The menu says “fork-tender” to describe the beef, but the reality of it is softer; the gentle snap that remains in the Japanese rice makes it reminiscent of risotto, but that peanut sauce binds everything into a cohesive bite, spinning what you know about kare kare on its head. And that’s all before your server reminds you that you haven’t touched your in-house bagoong—that’s how good this is.

East and West continue to meld together throughout the menu, but one must-try is the Showstopper Lamb (P990), so called for obvious reasons. It’s all the things you want in a classic roast or leg of lamb—easy to pick at, with a strong whiff of spices and just the right amount of salt to bring out the best in it—and much more, thanks to the scallion flatbread, pickles, roasted vegetables, and yet another array of sauces that allow you to make every bite different if you really wanted to. It sounds like a family affair, but we think that a food-loving pair could take this down with minimal resistance. You’ll love this when the holidays roll around again; it’s got that warmth you want when the temperature drops, but without all the stress of your own food prep.

But for every showstopper, there’s a show stealer, and Qui’s is the Fluffy Suklati Mousse (P380/petite; P490/grand). One of the servers comes and assembles the dessert for you tableside, and it’s exactly the kind of thing you want to get a video of. More importantly, though, the mousse itself is a deep, dark, bittersweet thing, almost exactly as the Kapampangan cocoa was meant to be; even when offset by a neutralizing whipped cream, this is a dish that demands the diner’s attention through flavor alone. If you’re strong enough, we’d pair this with the equally punchy Old Benjamin (P340), made with Don Papa and Bacardi Black—clearly a love letter to all the dads who taught their kids how to outdrink their friends behind mom’s back.

All that’s not to say that the Puto Bumbong Basque Cheesecake (P430) isn’t a dessert to watch out for in its own right. Like the sisig nachos, it sounds like some kind of fantasy food hybrid, but translates into reality even better than you’d think. It’s got just enough sweetness that you know it’s dessert, and a certain level of richness to remind you that attempting it at home is futile. It rounds itself out with this hit of saltiness that makes you forget all about the time-honored Filipino tradition of the last bite of shame—some of you would fight your loved ones for the last bite of this cheesecake, it’s that good.

From Launches to Lunches

The choice to break away from mall culture was a major one, but it appears to have been the right one. The place feels like it’s safely tucked away, the way one’s own home would—which makes sense, given that the family who owns the property used to entertain in this house. Little clues of its history stand out; the stairwell feels like the way up to your lola’s card table, while the ceilings retain the hand-molded artistry of an era long since passed. “The [owners’ family] actually gathered here to watch the moon landing,” says Stephen Panlaqui, co-founder of Qui, “and the nook you pass by when you enter is where the matriarch’s chair used to be, so the grandchildren could line up and greet her with pagmamano.”

Not only is the spirit of the house’s former life still very much present. Castillas is also not exactly a sleepy residential street—at least, not anymore. It’s only relatively quieter, given that it’s under 150 meters away from N. Domingo; both the location and the decor thrum with the energy of a kinder time, while settling into the modern age with a practiced sort of ease. “We’ve poured our hearts into creating exactly that,” adds Panlaqui. “This journey has been about more than just food. I guess it’s really about what food can do, like making memories or inspiring people to dream bigger. The decision to go pan-Asian rather than strictly Filipino felt right, because in a way, that’s who we are.”

The interiors, in their own way, match the eclectic nature of the menu. The terra-cotta color of the first-floor tiles and the deep velvets and gold accents of the second floor don’t quite come from the same family, but together give off that in-flux vibe, moving Qui between centuries and aesthetics. Even the VIP room, though deliberately set apart, feels like it’s still very much in tune with the rest of the space. It’s that oddly specific combination of lolo’s office and a speakeasy owned by a man you don’t want to cross—who could just as well be the same lolo.

We throw the word “reimagined” around a lot these days; it’s becoming harder than ever to truly be something new. But there’s something calm and casual, yet celebratory about Qui. The familiar dishes and the intimate yet removed energy of an ancestral home provide a solid base, but it’s all the extra steps—from the founders’ travels to the eager staff—that make it really shine. Rather than reimagining, Qui seems to be about remembering; they should be, because anything you order is going to be hard to forget.

Photos by Majoy Siason

Hey, Spotters! Check us out on Viber to join our Community and subscribe to our Chatbot.