Purple Yam - Malate

We will be hearing a lot more about Amy Besa, wife of Romy Dorotan, and main overseer of Purple Yam in Malate, as she will be featured presenting recipes that incorporate her research on how the Galleon Trade, and our ties with Mexico, influenced Philippine cuisine, at the upcoming Madrid Fusion Manila 2016 edition happening April 7-9. A special menu in eight courses commemorating the Galleon Trade was originally presented for the members of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce (La Camara de Manila) and friends. The restaurant, which seats about 30, is a stunningly short distance from the nexus of culinary and nightlife activity that was the Nakpil-Orosa neighborhood; it is Besa's childhood home, built and lived in probably from the '50s onwards. The first course my date and I first tried was a tapa-tocino salad duo, the tapa simply airdried, and the tocino, sugar cured the way one might do at home. It was accompanied by ferns, humble sayote shoots, water cress, and again fresly pickled achara. The second course recreated Mexican tamales using local duck braised in ancho chiles (ancho chiles being Mexican); ground cassava and ube were combined together and steamed in banana leaf as a base for the duck. Beautiful. Two other courses that struck me were the paella with grilled squid, chorizo and crab claws combining two heirloom rice grains from the Cordilleras: Tinawon and Ominio. Tinawon, which is round, sort of like bomba rice, is already being used in Arrozeria, while Ominio, is violet and glutinous in texture, and much harder to source. The flavors of this dish matched the conceptual depth that framed it, much the same way Besa and her husband had tackled the tamales. Now, it has been said that Purple Yam's cooking is too mild, bland, or even tasteless. While it may be true that their cuisine may not be seasoned to typical restaurant or hotel standard, I believe it is a conscious effort to unmask natural flavors while adopting a more cautious, more health-oriented approach to Filipino cooking. For instance, the chicken adobo, marinaded in mango vinegar and dried red jalapeno, looked like it had been seared to create texture on the chicken skin, then baked to bring out flavor and preserve the firmness of the chicken flesh; gone was the oiliness and extra saltiness one knows is in adobo sauce. But the flavors were all there. There were other touches that struck me - from the bugnay sorbet palate cleanser in the middle of the meal, to the richness of the ingredients in the halo halo (carabao milk leche flan, the butterscotched bananas), to the smooth, rich guyabano, mangosteen, and avocado ice creams that were part of the dessert smorgarsbord punctuating the end of this graceful meal. We were accompanied by Spanish guests, food writers, academics and intellectuals, and the communal nature of this dinner allowed us to meet new people and rekindle friendships. Amy Besa was there to look in on us and chat about the food, as well as the house, her husband, and her restaurant in New York. Whatever may be said about Purple Yam's approach can be ascribed to matters of taste. As my dad has always said, "De gustibus non est disputandum," which means "there's no accounting for taste." I believe there's a lot to say about less being more, if less is what it appears to be; but there is no doubt in my mind that Besa and Dorotan craft well-considered menus. A visit for a sit-down meal, on weekdays or for their weekend brunches, is well recommended for culinary enthusiasts and seekers of authentic flavor; do look out for their special menus to make the most of this private kitchen experience.

We will be hearing a lot more about Amy Besa, wife of Romy Dorotan, and main overseer of Purple Yam in Malate, as she will be featured presenting recipes that incorporate her research on how the Galleon Trade, and our ties with Mexico, influenced Philippine cuisine, at the upcoming Madrid Fusion Manila 2016 edition happening April 7-9. A special menu in eight courses commemorating the Galleon Trade was originally presented for the members of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce (La Camara de Manila) and friends. The restaurant, which seats about 30, is a stunningly short distance from the nexus of culinary and nightlife activity that was the Nakpil-Orosa neighborhood; it is Besa's childhood home, built and lived in probably from the '50s onwards. The first course my date and I first tried was a tapa-tocino salad duo, the tapa simply airdried, and the tocino, sugar cured the way one might do at home. It was accompanied by ferns, humble sayote shoots, water cress, and... read more

PURPLE YAM MALATE is the local branch of the popular Purple Yam Modern Filipino Restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. It was founded in 2007 by Amy Besa and Chef Romy Dorotan of Cendrillon fame in Soho. Its name was inspired by the owner's love of ube. :) The Malate branch is only open on weekends for by-reservation private dining -- dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, and brunch on Sundays. The owners describe their restaurant as a "serious dining" establishment (as opposed to a fine dining one). The opening of Purple Yam is sure to create a buzz among the foodies in Manila and hopefully usher in the revival of Malate. Rache and I brought the boys with us to try the Sunday brunch during their opening weekend. Here's what we think... Purple Yam is located at Amy Besa's ancestral home built in 1949, along the famous J. Nakpil Street in Malate (near Casa Armas). The entire house is air-conditioned, with a seating capacity of 24, and renovated with homey Filipino interiors. There's a special private room that you can reserve for 10-12 people. The room features a Botong Francisco piece and various memorabilia owned by the Besa family. The set menu changes every weekend, depending on what's freshly available, but they retain the bestsellers in the selections. The initial menu is a curated list of some of the favorites from Cendrillon and Purple Yam in NYC. ✮ Cured Tuna & Tanigue with ✮ Soft-boiled Organic Duck Egg (Victoria, Laguna), Native Greens, Green Mango Salad. I like the combination of the talbos ng kamote, local greens, and asim from the green mango. We love the soft-boiled organic duck egg -- so soft and malasa that the boys devoured them immediately. The tuna is cooked gravlax-style -- a little bit raw, chewy but tasty. I enjoyed the boys' leftovers. :) ✮ Old-fashioned Ginger Ale by Standford & Shaw Brewing Co. RJ Ledesma introduced us to ginger ale and we've loved it ever since. We like the freshly brewed one from Salcedo Market at P200/bottle, and they serve it in Purple Yam! :) The service staff is still young and unsure, but they are very helpful and friendly. Pandesal Slider with Pig Mascara and Kesong Puti (Shahani Farm, Pangasinan). This is like lechon cheeks bagnet pandesal, which is something different, but we've tasted better combinations. We love the kesong puti though. ✮ Sorsogon Bay Crabcake with Green Papaya Salad. You can really taste the crab meat flavors that go really well with the sourness of the green papaya, and a bit of umami from the taba ng talangka. It was interesting to see this natural iodized salt in nipa leaves container displayed in the sala. It's from Camara's property in Danacbunga, Zambales. (Trivia: Amy is a Camara (momside) and the property is now owned by her cousin, Philip Camara and his wife, Ching Roxas Camara who owns a sustainable and organic farm in Zambales.) In Purple Yam they let the flavors of the ingredients speak for themselves. Iodized salt is served on the side if you'd like to add a bit more saltiness to your food. ✮ Kalabasa and Buttermilk Pancake with ✮ Grilled Tocino marinated in Achuete Virgin Coconut Oil. The pancakes and grilled tocino are really good individually, but don't seem to work well when combined. Best to eat them separately, or save the grilled tocino for when the tapa and rice arrive. ✮ Banana Chutney, ✮ Langka Chutney, and ✮ Casuy Honey from Palawan. These are the best pancake sauces ever! I recommend mixing the banana and langka chutney, then adding the casuy honey for the best Filipino pancake experience. Bottled versions of these sauces would be a hit in Manila. :) In between courses, the boys enjoyed playing around in the long couch. ✮ Beef Tapa with Dulong & Garlic Fried Rice. The beef tapa was homemade and very flavorful, but a bit bitin because it's sliced thin. They serve Milagros rice from Ventura Farms in Cagayan, fried with garlic and tultol salt from Guimaras, shaved table-side. It was educational for the boys to see tultol. Kids today are very lucky to experience different artisanal products and flavors. (Trivia: The tultul is the block of salt from Guimaras which traditionally is used to wipe the block of salt on rice as viand -- poverty food. People put them in their pockets as a ready substitute for viand.) ✮ Dalandan with Coconut Sugar. Instead of ginger ale, you can order fresh dalandan juice with coconut sugar. Bitters are extracts from flowers, roots, shoots, and herbs. The scientists of Shoots & Roots have put together different flavor profiles from different regions in the world: Demon Flower, Mt. Apo, ✮ Chai Jolokia, Indigo Saffron. I must admit, this is the first time I've tried Bitters from Shoots and Roots and discovered the flavor dimensions they add to desserts and cocktails. My favorite is the Chai Jolokia. :) You try the different bitters by placing some drops on your hand and licking them. This way, you know what kind of bitter you prefer. Nipa Lambanog, Watermelon Ice, and Bitters from Shoots & Roots (P150). I ordered a special Filipino cocktail from Nipa Lambanog, Add Bitters from Shoots & Roots: Demon Flower, Mt. Apo, Indiogo Saffron, Chai Jolokia The cocktail was OK. The watermelon flavor overpowered the alcohol and bitter flavor. It's probably best to order this cocktail at the start to stimulate your appetite, or as a palate cleanser in between courses. ✮ Organic Tapuy (from Conner, Apayao)... I love tapuy from the Cordilleras. Purple Yam's uses organic V&R rice wine, with just the right alcoholic kick. ...with Ginger Ale and ✮ Kamias Pop by Ian Carandang. The tapuy is mixed with ginger ale and stirred using a special kamias popsicle. The combination is good but I still prefer drinking the tapuy on its own as a digestive, and use the popsicle as a palate cleanser in between courses (the boys loved the kamias pop!). ✮ Chocolate Ice Cream (Subasta, Davao), Don Papa Rum, and Chai Jolokia Bitters... I love this dessert of homemade ice cream using chocolates from Subasta in Davao, with Don Papa Rum, and the spicy-bitter flavor of the Chai Jolokia. :) ...with Stanford and Shaw Homebrewed Ginger Ale. Who would've thought that ginger ale and chocolate ice cream could work as a float? I prefer savoring the ice cream first then adding the ginger ale a little later because it melts the ice cream quite quickly. For kids and pregnant women, they serve Champuy Ice Cream. Sarap din! :) Bibingka sa Galapong (Milagrosa rice, Ventura Farm, Cagayan Valley). The bibingka was a bit hard. I prefer the fluffy, softer version. I do like the grilled saba with nipa syrup from Paombong, Bulacan, topped with a bit of pomelo to balance the flavors. Make sure to bring your copy of "Memories of Philippine Kitchens" before going here. :) Romy puts his signature illustration of crab or fish, and Amy writes the dedication. Before we left, we got a pleasant Wild Lychee Dessert surprise from Castilla, Sorsogon. :) It tasted like longan, with a big seed in the middle and a delicate jelly. Amy Besa and Chef Romy Dorotan, with Neal Oshima & daughter. Congratulations, Purple Yam Malate for a successful opening weekend! :) Sunday Brunch costs P1,500/head and we got billed P1,500 for the 3 boys plus 12% service charge. All the drinks and desserts are included in the set menu price, except for the Watermelon Nipa Lambanog cocktail, which was added at P150/glass. I love PURPLE YAM MALATE's unique take on Filipino Food and their passion to push the boundaries of what's possible with 100% locally sourced ingredients. It's an educational farm-to-table concept restaurant, with each ingredient telling the story of the farm it came from, while celebrating the farmers who produced it. I like their clean style of cooking--just letting the flavors of the ingredients speak for themselves. I also like that they leverage ingredients from the owners' home provinces of Pangasinan and Irosin, Sorsogon. Reminds me of a similiar cooking style during the dinner with the Noma chefs. I was amazed by the bitters from Shoots & Roots, the iodized salt in nipa leaves container, the shaved tultol, and kamias pops! It was nice learning more about our usually taken-for-granted local ingredients. Eating here made me feel more proud of our Filipino food heritage. It's like eating Filipino Food coming out of a Doreen Fernandez book :) The Filipino drink collection was also really good, with playful mixes of Ginger Ale, Nipa Lambanog, Organic Tapuy, and Don Papa Rum. Some main dishes didn't have that "oomph" and were overshadowed by the desserts and cocktail drinks. Diners looking for that umami flavor from salt and artificial flavoring may find the food lacking. Also, I don't agree with some combinations like pancake with tocino or the tapa with the vinegar from Ilocos. You can opt to wait a few months when the menu will be more polished, but it's best to reserve now so you can check out what would probably be one of the most in-demand restaurants of 2014. :) Congratulations again to Amy and Chef Romy for a well-thought out, curated, truly Filipino concept! ourawesomeplanet.com

PURPLE YAM MALATE is the local branch of the popular Purple Yam Modern Filipino Restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. It was founded in 2007 by Amy Besa and Chef Romy Dorotan of Cendrillon fame in Soho. Its name was inspired by the owner's love of ube. :) The Malate branch is only open on weekends for by-reservation private dining -- dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, and brunch on Sundays. The owners describe their restaurant as a "serious dining" establishment (as opposed to a fine dining one). The opening of Purple Yam is sure to create a buzz among the foodies in Manila and hopefully usher in the revival of Malate. Rache and I brought the boys with us to try the Sunday brunch during their opening weekend. Here's what we think... Purple Yam is located at Amy Besa's ancestral home built in 1949, along the famous J. Nakpil Street in Malate (near Casa Armas). The entire house is air-conditioned, with a seating capacity of 24, and renovated with homey Filipino... read more

Yam yam yam! mmmm... yam yam! '