QC's Matador Has Wines for Drinkers of All Levels and Thoughtful Bites Too

2/F F7 Building, 49 Scout Rallos, Quezon City

Instagram: www.instagram.com/matadorwine

(SPOT.ph) The Scout Area in Quezon City has become a destination for craft cocktails, with bars like ReCraft and Flora serving up some of the most creative and delicious mixed drinks in Metro Manila. Now, the partners behind those two bars have opened a new place; this time for people who are more interested in getting a good glass of wine.

Matador takes a pretty simple approach to introducing people to wine. Rather than overwhelm diners with a lengthy list of wines to choose from, they’ve broken down their selection to three basic categories. The first is Tradition (P390/glass), which leans towards wines that offer straightforward, classic flavors. The second is Courage (P490/glass), featuring bolder expressions that might offer an element of surprise for someone who hasn’t ventured much outside the world of classical wine. Finally, there’s Artistry (P590/glass), where they offer a selection of wines that might get experimental.

Once a category is chosen, they’ll offer up the options within said category. There might be four or five options per category, usually involving a red, a white, and a sparkling wine, plus one of two other selections. The wines were chosen by Matador’s General Manager Iza Juano, who has years of experience working in Singapore’s F&B scene.

To give an idea of what this is all like, a selection from “Tradition” might be a sparkling wine from France, a classic pale fizzy drink that tastes of white fruits. “Courage” might get you a Pinot Gris sourced from New Zealand, offering the bigger bouquet of flavors that one might get from a New World wine. “Artistry” will feature something like a funky natural wine made with as little human intervention as possible, producing a beverage that will push the boundaries in terms of flavor. The staff is there to help people make choices, often giving some background information on where the wine is from, what the style typically tastes like, and what makes this particular expression special. 

Matador puts a lot of focus on food, as well. In fact, their space makes room for two bars: one that places diners in front of the wine servers, and another one that has diners right in front of the open kitchen. Their menu tries to blend Spanish and Japanese approaches to cuisine. As of this writing, Matador’s menu isn’t quite complete yet – they’re aiming for over twenty dishes in total, including heftier options like paella – but their current menu of small plates and tapas is already a strong indication of what the direction the restaurant is going. 

A pair of croquetas on the menu might be the clearest expression of the fusion of styles. They have an option filled with edamame, and another with shiitake (both P380). Both use a base of velvety smooth potatoes which are then given a boost of Asian umami through the traditionally Japanese ingredients.

The Brie Tempura Toast (P380) takes the creamy French cheese and coats it in crunchy tempura batter, creating an interplay of textures. The tapas menu is rounded out by a pair of crostini: one topped with smoked salmon and caviar (P460), and another with tomato and Jamon Serrano (P420). 

Among the small plate options is the Potato Silk (P560), which is a bowl of very creamy potatoes with an equally creamy egg topped with fried shoestring potatoes. It is a crazy, very satisfying dish that feels like something a high end chef put together in their kitchen after a night of heavy drinking. A more refined option is the Negra Temaki (P480), a neatly composed dish that fashions squid ink rice into something akin to a Japanese hand roll. Every component just manages to shine through in this fascinating mix of textures and briny flavors. Those looking for something to fill up on might be served well by the Sakura Ebi Udon (P520), a bowl of thick wheat noodles with shrimp that sticks to the ribs.