Uni Arroz Caldo (Photo: Instagram / @hapag.mnl)
Cover Uni arroz caldo (Photo: Instagram / @hapag.mnl)

Two years after opening their inspired modern Filipino concept, chefs John Kevin Navoa and Thirdy Dolatre admit to newfound maturity and culinary discoveries that they eagerly applied to their new menu

It is always a tough task to write about a restaurant like Hapag. Yes, it is easy to say that the food was good— it truly was. Braving the trek down EDSA Northbound and navigating the side streets of Project 4, Quezon City is a testament to the allure of the thought-provoking Filipino cuisine coming out of their open kitchen. Even before they were counted among Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant’s Essence of Asia Collection for "preserving culinary traditions, honouring authentic flavours, and providing a vital link to their communities,” a pilgrimage to Hapag has always been part of my culinary to-do list. Clearly, I arrived at the restaurant ready to love it, and I left that evening convinced and impressed. But, why?

See also: How Are These Chefs Pushing The Boundaries of Filipino Food?

Tatler Asia
The Hapag Manila Team (Photo: JV Rabano)
Above The Hapag Manila team (Photo: JV Rabano)

What makes it so difficult is that the experience was so complex and multi-sensorial that I would not know where to begin. Hapag has been open for more than two years, so this is not an introduction. In fact, so much has changed since co-owners and chefs John Kevin Navoa, Thirdy Dolatre, and Kevin Villarica started serving their food that they then described as “Filipino food in its highest and purest form.” Most noticeable is that they are currently down by one man—Navoa and Dolatre are leading the team as Villarica focuses on his growing family.

See also: Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Reveals Its New Top List: Essence Of Asia 2021

Tatler Asia
Tinupig na litson manok  (Photo: Instagram / @hapag.mnl)
Above Tinupig na litson manok (Photo: Instagram / @hapag.mnl)

So much has happened over the past couple of years that change and growth are truly expected. Navoa admits that their style has in fact evolved. “I think the food has drastically changed,” observes Navoa. “The time we opened, the food was very straightforward and just flavorful. Now we incorporate a lot of fermentation. From lacto-fermenting, making homemade shoyu, all sorts of misos, pickling, and even growing mould on food. Maybe more technique and research is done now than ever before.”

This fascination with fermentation is utilized well and applied throughout their ten-course tasting menu as they open strongly with a fragrant fermented black rice sourdough. One gets to play with flavours from the start as we spread house-made butter with Palawan honey on the bread alternately with fermented purple potato halaya embellished with curly sprinkles of Malagos La Rosita cheese. The inihaw na sugpo sa miso is simply miso-glazed grilled prawns if not for the vegetable and pineapple-labuyo jams that add dimension, and a perfectly-executed buro Kapampangan (fermented rice with fish or shrimp) that lends its intense umami to the grilled seafood.

See also: Essence of Asia 2021: Loving Local Elevated 4 Filipino Restaurants Onto The Global Scene

Tatler Asia
Snack box (Photo: Instagram / @hapag.mnl)
Above Snack box (Photo: Instagram / @hapag.mnl)
Tatler Asia
(Photo: JV Rabano)
Above LuzViMinda (Photo: JV Rabano)

The crowd favourites are still there, like the fun "snack box" that encases their bite-sized interpretations of popular Filipino merienda (afternoon snack) fare such as a tostada-like Ilocos empanada, a champorado and tuyo croquette, and a soy caramel kutsinta flavoured with their homemade kadios shoyu. Laing— a Bicolano dish of taro leaves stewed in coconut milk, fermented shrimp paste, and chilis—is presented as crispy balls topped with pickled mangoes, then wrapped in foraged wild herbs before consuming.

The LuzViMinda starter is a mainstay but is something open to reinterpretation which the chefs do every so often. Dolatre describes it as “three small bites inspired by the flavours of the three island groups of the Philippines. Here, we get to highlight each island's produce and make a representation of each island through small bites. Our goal for this course is to showcase the diversity of our cuisine and highlight the best of our local produce.” Luzon is represented by a beef tartare with fermented mustard seeds and pickled gamet (local seaweed); the oyster napoleones with smoked eggplant ensalada and kadios miso glaze showcases the best of the Visayas; and Mindanao’s finest is portrayed on a seaweed cracker topped with crab salad, alavar sauce, pineapple palapa jam, and Davao pomelo.

See also: Filipino Food—How Can We Go Further? Margarita Forés, Chele Gonzàlez, And More Speak Out

'gallery right' 'gallery right'
'gallery right' 'gallery right'
Photo 1 of 3 Chef Thirdy Dolarte (Photo: JV Rabano)
Photo 2 of 3 Chef Kevin Villarica (Photo: JV Rabano)
Photo 3 of 3 Chef Kevin Navoa (Photo: JV Rabano)

When asked what he has learned since they opened Hapag, Dolatre candidly says: “I personally think that the important lessons I learned—which took me a very long time to learn—from the past two years of running Hapag is being selfless and valuing others first.” For their customers, he continues, “by giving them an experience that is way beyond just food and service.” They have since mastered how to practice restraint when needed while ensuring that guests leave happy and satisfied. Perhaps here lies the rationale behind the genius salu-salo course that serves three “main courses” (duck “estopato,” steamed grouper with miso, and a 24-hour grilled pork belly with secret “Sprite” sauce) to be shared with a generous side of white rice. On most days— if not every day— this is how Filipinos eat. It is a communal experience that enables our love for variety and encourages the interaction we often crave, especially over a good meal. It is a distinct personality of the cuisine that a “small bite” can never embody.

See also: The Food Evangelists: Meet The People Promoting Filipino Cuisine Across The Globe

Tatler Asia
Squid Ink Laing Stones (Photo: Instagram / @hapag.mnl)
Above Squid ink laing stones (Photo: Instagram / @hapag.mnl)

In a restaurant like Hapag, it is easy to get lost in the colourful narrative that accompanies the food and the techniques and processes that go into each dish. Creating a meal that is meant to provoke and incite deep thought is a journey very few chefs are willing to make these days, and much respect goes to these men and women who manage to find inspiration even in the bleakest of times for their industry. But, what I appreciated most about what Navoa, Dolatre, and their team are doing in QC is that beneath the quirk and the flash is still Filipino food in its highest and purest form. It is a food culture that is deeply infused with its people’s resilience and adaptability. And, in its very core is a level of maturity that seeks improvement and growth.

Perhaps this is why it's so difficult to write about restaurants like Hapag—because it is as much about the food as it is the people behind it. It is about them growing to love and understand their food culture enough to mindfully improve where it is needed and to accept what cannot be changed. It is the kind of nuances that will be lost in prose. And this is why the only way for you to know if you will love Hapag as much as I did is if you go and experience it yourself.

NOW READ

Metiz Restaurant's Chef Stephan Duhesme Re-Interprets Filipino Food

Why Is Filipino Cuisine One Of The Richest Food Cultures In The World

Filipino Cuisine: Do We Really Need International Recognition to Push the Industry Forward?

Topics