(SPOT.ph) Name aside, it’s not easy to capture what Sunae Asian Cantina is all about in just one genre or cuisine. We’ve seen them whip up fresh takes on Asian classics—be it by updating the presentation, remixing the formats, or even crossing cultures and melding different cuisines from across the Asian continent and beyond, in such a way that still turns out mellifluous overall.
But what are labels when it all boils down to damn good, hearty food that delivers full-on flavors? Definitely consider a revisit as soon as you can, too. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the Chef Christina Sunae-owned establishment’s come out with additions to the menu in line with the eponymous chef’s recent visit to our own shores.
Also read: Sunae Asian Cantina’s Chef Blurs Cultural Lines In and Out of the Kitchen
These are the new dishes to try at Asian restaurant Sunae in BGC:
Sunae Asian Cantina is a lively spot anytime, but this particular week was a special one. After all, Chef Christina herself—who has Korean-American roots and has spent part of her life living in the U.S., the Philippines, and Argentina—was in Manila to launch fresh and flavorful dishes that would refresh the Asian restaurant’s lineup. Exciting as it was for their regulars, it was a hectic time for the chef and the rest of the Sunae team behind the kitchen.
She had been working nonstop that week, she tells us, and was due to hold a special brunch that Sunday. With events left and right, the chef’s schedule was packed and things were hectic in the kitchen. The chef had also recently launched a cookbook—more on that later. Bustling as the restaurant was, Chef Christina makes her way to our table, white apron on and her hair up into a bun, and pulls up a seat for a momentary break with a glass of Aperol Spritz in hand. The author, herself facing deadlines and having just come from another shoot earlier that day, could only raise a toast in agreement.
With its effervescent and sprightly character, the Aperol- and Cinzano Prosecco-based beverage pacified our exhaustion—especially taken in tandem with what they dub the Tiger Cracker. Here, rice crackers—rice paper sheets that are fried, rendering the edges wrinkled and the surface slightly bubbly—get a feisty topping of fried tofu, noodles, a hoisin-peanut sauce, sriracha, and fresh herbs for zing. Sunae admits the dish was created as a way of repurposing broken sheets of rice paper they had in the kitchen from making summer rolls. But pick them up and take a bite—be it as a canape or even folded like a taco—and all elements mingle in the mouth, with the crackers adding an airy-crisp character to its zingy garnishes.
It’s safe to say Chef Christina has a penchant for fashioning new creations out of what others would consider scraps and forgotten bits. Such was the case with the Tiger Crackers, as well as the Lemongrass Barbecue—where a lemongrass- and ginger-spiked pork mince mix is molded onto lemongrass sticks, a la Indonesian sate lilit. The chef admits it was similarly concieved of as a way to make use of leftovers of the plant they had in the kitchen. “We make all our curry pastes homemade, so we only use the bulb part [and] had the stick left over,” she explains. “I was like, ‘I don’t wanna throw them away, so… why don’t we make pork skewers [and] make it Thai-style?’” The meat delivers a juicy, spiced bite with the citrusy murmur of the lemongrass; give it a dip in their special nam pla prik-esque sauce to amp up the umami even further.
As Filipino food holds a special place in her heart, Chef Christina recently came out with The Kusinero Filipina cookbook—her own tribute to Filipino cooking which she explains to be a “cultural journey of the Philippines.” Showcased in the book are snippets of Filipino daily life and how this is reflected in food, with photos of Philippine households, markets, streets, and so on as captured by Argentinian gastronomic photographer Eduardo Torres. Also included, of course, are Filipino recipes; these mostly lean on tradition, but some also feature Chef Christina’s distinct spins in the way they do them in her restaurants “which are less traditional.”
Beyond more popular fare like adobo and sisig—not that there’s anything wrong with those—the cookbook covers lesser-known regional dishes from around the country, including sinigang kambing from Cotabato as well as the Sunae Tamal, a variation of which they’ll also be serving in the restaurant come October. Their take on Caviteño savory steamed cake veers slightly from its classic iteration with its spiced pork-curry filling, but with a rice- and coconut milk-based masa embracing the meat and the scent of banana leaves imbuing the filling, it’s every bit as homey.
Since opening this BGC outpost in 2020, Chef Christina shares that she’s more keen on going the exploratory route. “I’m just doing other things. I just want to do other dishes now.” In particular, she channels her fun side in the Burnt Cabbage—a decidedly non-traditional (and nevertheless chef's-kiss worthy) vegan dish where plants are no mere afterthought. A half-head of cabbage is charred on the outside, which lends a subtle smoky aroma and brings out the natural sweetness of the veg. From there, a creamy peanut sauce adorns its bottom and sides; a smattering of fresh herbs and chilies bring color and pizzazz to the whole. Forget whatever misconceptions you have about veggie dishes (it’s 2022, people); there’s no shortage of zip and zing on this plate.
Chef Christina has since flown back to Argentina, where she heads Asian tapas spot Apu Nena and Filipino restaurant Cantina Sunae. There’s no forgetting her roots, but there’s also plenty of room for experimentation. “When I do go back, I go back to old traditional dishes, and then I do a retake on them.”
Sunae Asian Cantina is at 2/F View Deck, One Bonifacio High Street Mall, Bonifacio Global City. For more information, check out Sunae Asian Cantina PH's Facebook page.
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