Cover Where and what to eat according to Sabina Yulo (Photo: Unsplash / Paul Esch-Laurent)
Where and what to eat according to Sabina Yulo (Photo: Unsplash / Paul Esch-Laurent)
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Find out what restaurants Sabina Yulo loves, and what her favourite orders are too
This is Foodie Finds, an article series by Tatler, chronicling where and what to order according to the food-obsessed. Through Foodie Finds, we ask our epicurean friends to share their favourites, from new restaurants, to repeat orders, frequented haunts and insider tips too.
I myself have never understood non-foodies. How can one not be swept away by flavours, spices, aromas and all the cultural nuances and memories that come with every bite? Dining is an experience meant to be savoured and is even more fun when shared with loved ones. Dining around a table means sharing, conversing, bonding and learning. In fact, food can tell you so much about a culture, and can most definitely help you get to know someone on a deeper level.
Here, we learn more about Sabina Yulo, founder of a body acceptance community Hi Smithy! and owner of clothing brand Kaddadía. Both of these unique concepts were developed to empower people to celebrate their naturally fluctuating bodies, something Yulo feels very strongly about espousing and embracing. “Outside of the body acceptance space, I love eating and talking about food,” she shares.
When not travelling the world in search of her next great bite, she is scouring the metro, eager to tick off more items from her foodie checklist.
Read on to find out where and what Sabina Yulo eats:
See also: Flavours of My Youth: Jeramie Go, chef and owner of Pilgrim, Davao
Above Foodie Finds with Sabina Yulo
Foodie Finds with Sabina Yulo
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What are your go-to restaurants for a casual bite?
I crave so many restaurants (mostly casual). So, I have a growing list of places that I want to try or revisit—a lot of which are casual bites. Those at the top of my list right now are:
Cafe Breton: My go-to orders are the egg casserole, to share; The Don Quixote for my savoury crepe which has chorizo, onions, tomato, cream; and I custom make a dessert crepe with condensed milk and will sometimes add mangoes.
Kenji Japanese BBQ Restaurant: I love easy-to-eat high-protein meals. My non-negotiables here are the beef tongue, yukke (raw marinated beef), and kenji rice bowl (which comes with a sweet sauce, tempura flakes, and fried egg).
Krapow: I was a regular customer at Krapow since they were still a takeout-only concept cooking out of an apartment kitchen. It’s where I discovered my favourite kind of noodle dish, kuay teow kua gai. I like their homemade bouncy kway teow noodles, pan-fried till crispy at the edges with a runny egg, and chicken breast for protein.
What is your go to restaurant/s for a special evening?
Lusso is a classic for my family. Our regular orders are: barquillo cylinders with chive mousse, truffle luxe fries with an extra order of truffle cream sauce, and the lobster roll.
Toyo Eatery: I’ve been going here ever since 2017 and it’s been a pleasure to watch them grow each time I visit. I love everything about dining with Toyo. Beyond the food, the restaurant’s ambience, the team’s obvious passion for their work, and the unique, playful dining experience make Toyo one of my top picks when I want to go out for a special meal.
What is your go-to restaurant/s for a family meal?
I’m the type to order several dishes for sharing, as opposed to ordering one big dish for myself, so for family meals I like to go to places where we can order different menu items to taste.
People’s Palace is a place where I love to order a lot for sharing. They have too many hits and I want them all! My usual orders are the shrimp pad Thai, son-in-law eggs, chicken pandan, crispy catfish salad, and fried bagoong rice.
At Grace Park I almost exclusively order the appetisers—I get the Mushroom Field, fried squash flower, chorizos in a blanket, and tuna kinilaw. From the starters alone, I’m happy!
I also recently tried the newest Made Nice menu and was so happy. All their appetisers were great, so I suggest going as a group to share. I’ve gone a few times already and I can never skip the “Pekeng” duck, steak tartare, and halibut!
What are your top new restaurant finds and why? This can be a new restaurant or a new order you chanced upon from a tried and tested favourite.
I recently tried Automat and enjoyed my experience so much that I was telling my friends how excited I was to eat there again while we were still eating. I loved the tikoy palabok!
I also finally got to try the pinikpikan noodles from Del Union and have been craving it ever since. I love a well-cooked noodle dish and this was perfect. The noodles had the perfect bite!
I never got to try Hapag in their original spot but when I tried their pancit negra in their Balmori pop-up it was love at first bite. I was happy to find out that the dish was available at their newest concept, Ayà, where I also tried their adobo liver mousse which I absolutely devoured. Other dishes I tried and want to come back for are the sinuglaw and kilawing baka!
See also: What makes a great cocktail menu? We ask Asia’s top bar owners and mixologists
What do you think is an underrated restaurant and why?
Mien San: I’m not sure if this is underrated because it’s an old-time favourite in their area and understandably so. I’m very picky with noodle dishes because they are so easily overcooked and that alone ruins the entire dish. Mien San does their noodles very well. I get their beef with tendon dried noodles and oyster pancake.
L’Opera in BGC: I’m always on the lookout for a really good spaghetti pomodoro. It’s a simple dish, but it’s rare to have one actually worth ordering. When an Italian restaurant has a good pomodoro sauce, it’s good in my book! L’Opera is my go-to for pomodoro. Their carbonara pizza is also a winner!
Hossein's: Everyone has their go-to for kebab rice meal. Houssein’s is mine! The lamb chelo kebab kubideh with extra garlic sauce and the fried ox brain is my favourite combo. I also grew up eating their roti chanai!
See also: New Japanese restaurant in BGC: Kei Maki
What is your favourite brand to order cakes from and what is your go-to order?
I love cakes and will make any occasion a celebration just to order a cake. My top favourites right now are:
The Daily Bakes’s chocolate crunch cake. It’s made up of three layers: chocolate ganache, moist chocolate cake, and a hazelnut praline crunch. You can eat it straight from the fridge but what I love doing is microwaving my slice for about 10 seconds so that the ganache melts and covers the cake with this thick, decadent chocolate sauce. Since it only gets microwaved for a few seconds the praline stays crunchy which is perfect for texture!
I also enjoy Oh Its Manuela’s cereal milk tres leches cake. It's only available on her bake days.
Another great one is the El Born signature Basque cheesecake!
And of course I can’t end this question without mentioning my lola’s cakes—her best seller is the (Baby Yulo) strawberry shortcake but my personal favourite is the coffee crunch.
What is your favourite restaurant/s for take-away and what do you order?
My most recent takeaway fixations have been:
Kimpura for their spicy tuna sashimi, Angus rib-eye (medium rare), and coffee jelly with tempura flakes.
Fariñas Ilocos Empanada for The Super Special—double egg, double longanisa, and vegetables. I like to tell myself it’s a good way to get my vegetables in...
Tiong Bahru for their roasted Hainanese chicken with rice and soup always hits the spot too!
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About
Isabel loves to learn, and see things from different perspectives. Connecting with people and engaging in new experiences to broaden her horizons is what inspires this storyteller, keeping her constantly curious, and excited for what's to come. An absolute love for all things F&B ignited a hunger to devour content from this world and keeps her jumping into tasty adventures around the globe. From the beauty of simple bites, to nuanced fine dining tasting menus, street food, and the art of entertaining, the multi-faceted nature of the dining experience is something she can't get enough of. A good cup of coffee or a glass of wine paired with a dash of witty conversation is a quick way to win her over. This editor loves travelling, food, music, skincare, fitness, and is only friends with people who love dogs. Guilty pleasure?: Binge-watching TV shows and movies she has already seen.
Work
Concept creation is the name of the game and branding takes centre stage in Isabel's day-to-day schedule. From producing shoots, conceptualising bespoke projects for our partners, relationship management, to cooking up features and events for Tatler Dining, this editor is a tried and tested foodie at heart. She mainly writes content for Tatler Dining, engaging in captivating discussions with restaurateurs, chefs, producers, and food enthusiasts to tell must-know stories. Aside from that Isabel manages Tatler Dining's flagship events like Off Menu, or Cocktail Festival and puts together the Tatler Dining Guide, our annual listing of the best eats around town.
Follow her on Instagram @isabelvmf.
