Sinantolang Liempo, Bibingka With Shrimp Salad: What to Try at Offbeat's ArteFino Pop-Up in Rockwell

(SPOT.ph) Food is, in many ways, art—or at the very least, a delicious medium of creative expression. This year’s run of the annual ArteFino Fair looks to be emphasizing this connection: they’ve opened the doors to the first ArteFino Lounge at the Chef’s Table at Balmori Suites, Rockwell, and enlisted the cooking chops of Offbeat Bistro, led by chefs Angelo Comsti and Don Baldosano.

The ArteFino Lounge, open just until August 3, welcomes the team of Offbeat as their dining partner over the course of their run. “We were asked if we wanted to tie up with [ArteFino],” Comsti tells SPOT.ph. “And of course for me, to be affiliated with ArteFino—[as] champions for heritage—for sure, it was a yes from us.” 

Originally from Ayala Triangle Gardens, the restaurant brings to Rockwell a number of bestsellers, as well as newcomers to discover. You’ll want to expand your Offbeat order repertoire with the Boquillos (P400), long, thin spring rolls filled with pork, potato, and raisins, inspired by a dish Comsti’s mom would make for him on the regular; the Bread and Butter (P350), or beef fat kababayan with taba ng talangka butter as its partner-in-crime; and the Sigarilyas Egg Salad (P400), where slivers of wing bean lend crisp-tender contrast to eggs and tinapa mayo. 

Baldosano and Comsti reimagine Italian vitello tonnato in the new Lengua at Tinapa (P700), replacing the traditional veal and tuna sauce with oxtail and tinapa mayo, respectively. They then make a case for the unexpected-delish pairing of pork, munggo, and ginataang santol in the Sinantolang Liempo (P950)—pro tip, both are fantastic with their house chili (available upon request) that’s also infused with munggo. By no means conventional is the Putiramisu (P500), as it hides a surprise layer of sago and Choc Nut in between layers of barako-soaked broas and whipped kesong puti.

Present in the selection of old Offbeat faves available at Rockwell are the Monghe (P580), which has the meatloaf in cube form, breaded and deep-fried to a crisp and served over toyomansi cream; and the Bibingka (P620), a more savory-leaning expression of the rice cake with shrimp salad, smoked queso de bola, cured egg yolk, and a salted egg sauce. They’ve also happily brought over the Fried Chicken Inasal (P450)—killer stuff with the Garlic Sinangag (P420)—as well as the Mamon Tres Leches (P450) drizzled with savory-sweet patis caramel. Pours of craft beer from Boondocks Brewery Co. are available for pairing with Offbeat’s plates.

“This collaboration is ideal because, like ArteFino, we celebrate local craftsmanship through immortalized heritage recipes,” say Comsti and Baldosano in a statement.