Antonio's Chef Tony Boy Escalante Brings His Ilustrious Cooking to Makati Pop-Up
For just two weeks, the chef is transforming the Sub-Zero and Wolf Makati showroom into his playground.
(SPOT.ph) A master of his craft paired with the right tools make for an unstoppable force. For a chef of Tony Boy Escalante's caliber, a parallel can be drawn with the premium-quality appliances of Sub-Zero and Wolf furnishing his kitchen. And for two weeks, we get to see this very pairing in action as the chef and owner of the Antonio's Group of Restaurants brings his cooking to The Table, a two-week pop-up open just until June 10.
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Chef Tony Boy Escalante of Antonio's at The Table by Sub Zero and Wolf
You can think of The Table as a pop-up restaurant of sorts, located at the Sub-Zero and Wolf flagship showroom at The Residences at Greenbelt, Makati. Decked with sleek Sub-Zero refrigerators; Wolf's stainless-steel ovens and cooking ranges; and more of the brands' luxury kitchen appliances, the cozy-elegant space houses a communal table in the center where guests get to wine and dine away as plates come in fresh from the open kitchen.
The plates in the lineup similar to that on the Antonio's menu with their chic sensibility, continental underpinnings, modern touches, and occasional use of Filipino elements. Make no mistake, these are new dishes only available for the pop-up. Escalante partnered up with Good Food Community, a social enterprise that supports small-scale farmers, operating via the community-shared agriculture model. The enterprise provided some of the produce used in the dishes here.
Discs of the crackly-crisp Shrimp Cracker, dotted with aioli, kicks things off on a captivating, crisp note. A trio of bites follows: Emulsified Oysters, served on oyster half-shells with a dollop of Nomad caviar; tartlets of Smoked Herring, jazzed up with ikura; and the lush Foie Gras Cornet, its inside bursting with buttery foie and embellished with raspberry pearls on top.
Tartare of Maya Maya—which has succulent cubes of fish, velvety coconut, sweet peppers, and coriander oil before being blanketed by a Benguet passionfruit-tamarillo “veil”—introduces lightness and brightness to the party. That is, until the team brings out the Flame-Torched Toro—a Mediterranean-leaning number where a subtly smoky, succulent wad of the fish is amped up with a cloak of kalamata olive sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and al-dente pearls of fregola.
To neutralize palates, we're served the Benguet Taogtog Berry Granita—we’re all for the tang and subtle menthol-y note that the taogtog berries contribute. The main of Tajima Striploin wows shortly after, what with the bold, burly character of the Australian beef paired with beans and peas; a zingy pepper sauce; and a buttery round of pumpkin-potato gratin. Antonio’s housemade ice creams (don't miss the Whiskey Dates Pecan variant), paired with their rainbow of a toppings bar, concludes the meal.
Seats go for P6,500 per head with an additional wine or whiskey pairing option available at P2,200 per pop. There are two seatings per night (6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.) and slots are limited—the venture only runs until June 10th after all. Go on, give Antonio's a call at 0939-752-3291 or 0939-916-2169.
Sub-Zero and Wolf are brands of professional-quality, luxury kitchen appliances.
The Table is at the Sub-Zero and Wolf Showroom, G/F Manila Tower, The Residences at Greenbelt, Makati City. For inquiries and reservations, contact 0939-752-3291 or 0939-916-2169, or visit The Table's website.