Try this new pop-up: Miko Calo at Shangri-La Makati

Supported by her impressive classical French training, technique remains at the heart of what she does. Calo mentions that she credits her approach to gastronomy to the unforgiving standards of the Robuchon kitchen.

Upon your visit, start off with bites from her bar menu (where you'll find cocktails by Arcadius Rybak) like her trio of sablés. First is a black pepper and pecorino sablé that’s salt-forward with just the right hit of spice; seated beside it on the dish is a cacao and black bean madeleine sablé with a more serious and bitter profile. The taba ng talangka sablé stole the show; sweet and umami notes from the crab essences peak through elegantly and are complemented by the lusciousness of the buttery dough, further enlivened by dashes of salt. 

Another snack worth ordering are her beignets inspired by Butuan shakoy, but this time sprinkled with salt and sugar, served with a sweet, savoury and slightly tangy onion jam. 

Calo reminisces and revisits her father’s kinilaw, through a refreshing chilled oyster dish that perfectly kickstarts the night. It’s dressed with a punchy coconut vinegar that is smartly infused with the fragrance of kabayawá, combined with the pulp of tabon-tabon steeped in coconut milk, then poured over air-flown David Hervé fine de claire oysters from southwestern France. 

See also: New Japanese restaurant in BGC: Kei Maki

Her pull-apart brioche feuilleté is laminated, much to our buttery delight, and glazed in sticky maple. This crunchy, gooey, and fluffy mouthful is served with a garlic, shallot and chive butter which brings a welcomed savoury touch to the bite (while you may want to order more, restrain yourself!). 

The egg and cepès dish is soul-soothing and very textural too, making for a wonderful mouthfeel. A silky 64-degree soy-marinated cured egg sits atop earthy, nutty sauteed mushrooms and a creamy potato purée. With a dash of wasabi, and topped with crunchy potato strings, this plate keeps you craving for more. 

See also: Inside the re-opened M Dining + Bar: What’s new?

Calo’s heartier proteins are cooked to perfection and are not overworked. Each shines brighter due to her stellar dressings. The sauce-work is fabulous; you can feel how much skill has gone into developing deep yet edited flavours. The duck magret is miso-cured and served with braised leeks, pickled red radish and a gastrique made of foie gras de canard from Périgord. The gastrique makes you think twice; it's reminiscent of something familiar, Mang Tomas to be exact, but taken to a whole new level. Calo roasted the liver over live coals for the smoky scent that marks genuine homemade lechon sauce, then simmered it with caramelised shallots and sugar cane vinegar from Pampanga, eliciting a heady liquid filled with personality.

She continues to show off with her Ibério presa dish that's cooked gingerly with hints of smoke from the grill, and served with a bell pepper and lemongrass purée, grilled eggplant and pickled garlic. Spring onions, atsal bell peppers, lemongrass, garlic, and purple onions are tossed with rendered pork lard, then are roasted, blended, ground, and run through a fine sieve to produce this outstanding purée (which deserves to be completely wiped off your plate). Fragrant, piquant, sweet, warm, and earthy the bell pepper-lemongrass purée is one recipe that I'll recall fondly and should feature in her menus to come as one of her signatures.

See also: Tatler talks to Gordon Ramsay about his new restaurant in the Philippines

The sweet endings available on her à la carte menu showcase fruits and chocolate, ensuring that there is something for everyone to delight in. From a chocolate namelaka with hazelnut praline, chantilly and crocanti, candied orange peel and patê sablé, to a creamy, pleasantly imposing cheese mousseline balanced with sweet grilled pineapple, rosemary, and apricot jam, we can confirm that dessert is a must-order. 

“My cooking will always be grounded in French technique,” says Miko. “But I also want to cook food that I enjoyed as a child and still enjoy today. How I see things and experience the world will always be as a Filipino.” At her pop-up, that is exactly what you will indulge in, a menu not bound by cuisine, but one that has been strained through Calo’s uniquely Filipino sieve. It's a distillation of her life experiences, carefully put together into beautiful bites, filled with purpose and character. This is only the beginning. As Calo finds her footing during her first proper foray into this new cooking style, one that has made her feel free and like herself again, we eagerly join in on the journey. From what we’ve tried at Tatler Dining Kitchen and this pop-up, we can tell that the next chapter will be fruitful as she continues to experiment and find her stride. 

NOW READ

A Dom Pérignon trip to Bali with Tatler Dining

Inside Davao Food and Wine Festival 2024: Chefs, bartenders, and artisans to know in Davao City

Tasting menu at Your Local held in partnership with Cold Storage Seafood for GenSea fundraiser