How Secret Menu's Shrimp Dumplings in Mala Cream Sauce Came About

(SPOT.ph) Attention, UnionBank credit card holders: You just have a few more days to get the popular Pilya’s Kitchen Shrimp Dumplings in Mala Cream Sauce (P430) via Spot and Esquire’s Secret Menu campaign. Guess we can credit its bestseller vibes to two things: 1) the fact that it’s inspired by a dish from the favorite food reality show series Culinary Class Wars which is followed by many foodies; and 2) the dish is really good. 

While in the Netflix show the now viral dish Mala Cream Dimsum was created by Korean chef Jung Ji-sun—"Dimsum Queen" she's called—the Pilya’s Kitchen version called Shrimp Dumplings in Mala Cream Sauce is by Filipina Chef Kriza Palmero who’s been doing spicy dimsum and noodle dishes at The Grid’s Stall #11 since 2021. Palmero’s dish is crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-inside shrimp dumplings sitting on a house blend Mala cream sauce that has a quick zing of Sichuan peppercorns.

Also read: Secret Menu: The Grid Kicks Off Spot's Exclusive Dining Campaign

How the Shrimp Dumplings in Mala Cream Sauce came about 

“It's no secret how this dish came about,” Chef Kriza tells Spot. “When I saw the [Culinary Class Wars] episode, I immediately knew it was something I wanted to recreate. I already had all the basic components in the kitchen - mala sauce and dumplings!” The Pilya’s dish went thru several revisions so Palmero can get as close as possible to the one seen in the show. “But I guess no one will really know if I did,” says the chef, ending her sentence with a laughter emoji.

She knew she was making her Mala Dumplings for foodies—exactly the kind of people who are fans of Culinary Class Wars.

“I just didn't expect it to be such a hit that people will line up for it,” Palmero offers. “Now it has a following that even if they didn't watch the show, they are intrigued by it. I'm truly humbled and it just makes me want to push even more. Hopefully, I can come up with more exciting dishes in the future.”

The Shrimp Dumplings in Mala Cream Sauce of Pilya's Kitchen will be part of the Spot Secret Menu only until Sunday, December 22. So hurry up and visit The Grid at Powerplant Mall and and get your hands on it. Go straight to the Pilya's Kitchen stall, let them know what you're having, and hand over your UnionBank credit card. An order costs only P430. 

Secret Menu is exclusive to UnionBank Credit Cardholders. Available from December 14, 2024 to January 14, 2025.

Terms and Conditions apply. Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-208495, Series of 2024. Union Bank of the Philippines is regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas https://www.bsp.gov.ph