Sauma by Don Colmenares only cooks with produce from Negros

We talk to chef and owner Don Colmenares about his private dining concept, Sauma

“It’s actually not a restriction but more of a challenge. A fun challenge,” says Don Colmenares when asked about his self-imposed limitation when it comes to his food in Sauma, his private dining restaurant in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental. The province is actually beaming with so much fresh produce waiting to be discovered and appreciated that what may seem like a restriction should actually be a standard to be followed. And only a fool would think otherwise.

If you think about it, Don is actually showing everybody how it’s done. Before deciding to finally open Sauma, he and wife Kim thought of exploring the entire island—from Sagay and Sipalay, up to Kanlaon then back down to Bacolod, all the way to Dumaguete too—to see the items they could work with and get some inspiration from as well. What they ended up with was a treasure trove of ingredients, including fruits and vegetables endemic to the island, seasonal seafood like hamachi, black cod and langoustines, plus different types of native pig, chickens, and duck too.

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Above Ceviche de peixe | Sauma, Negros by chef Don Colmenares

Ceviche de peixe | Sauma, Negros by chef Don Colmenares

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“There’s 7 hectares run by a good friend Kiko Torno who grows the most amazing seabass that can simply be served as ceviche. [There are also] organic vegetables, fruits and pigs from Fresh Start Organics by Chin-chin Uy. He would sometimes just call me on a random day to check a new variety of something and challenge me to develop a recipe using that certain ingredient. [We also get] uni from the local fishermen of Sipalay and the Montenegro beef from Bais. These are just some of the local people we have been working with that I can say are as passionate as us.”

He discovered pears from Kanlaon that looked like and rivalled those that come from France. Wagyu beef from Negros Oriental that match any USDA brand you could buy on the island, and also local figs grown on his family’s very own farm. “We love using ingredients that no one else on the island uses because of how seasonal they are,” says the chef. “What more can I ask for? Why do I need to look for ingredients anywhere else or feature any other ingredients that cost an arm and a leg to fly in when everything is literally here.”

Above Chori toast | Sauma, Negros by chef Don Colmenares

Chori toast | Sauma, Negros by chef Don Colmenares

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Back in early 2018, he opened a casual Asian bistro, Berbeza, in Bacolod. But it became a casualty of the pandemic and was forced to close after three years. During this downtime, he fulfilled his role as a Municipal Councilor of Hinigaran, a town in Negros Occidental, and in terms of cooking, conducted a feeding program that he and his wife did for their constituents. They also gave free cooking lessons for livelihood programs in certain barangays in the town. Growing up in a family that loves to entertain, the itch to cook for people and express his creativity never went away. He did so whenever friends and family visited their farm. His tasty efforts were always rewarded and recognised with them urging and convincing him to open his own place. The couple finally gave in last November 2023 when they rolled out their first degustation. Sauma, which literally means “in the farm”, officially opened to the public March this year.

Above Blue crab spaghetti | Sauma, Negros by chef Don Colmenares

Above Wagyu rendang | Sauma, Negros by chef Don Colmenares

Blue crab spaghetti | Sauma, Negros by chef Don Colmenares

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Colmenares changes his menu every month and features a variety of cuisines but never without a Filipino touch. His iteration of the popular Negrense stew Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka (KBL) came as tender bits of baby ramo meat covered with jackfruit espuma and sprinkled with kadios-batwan powder. There was a quail egg tucked inside a ball of moron and presented as a mini scotch egg, and a stuffed chicken wing with batwan béarnaise sauce. We ripped into a piece of sourdough brioche from Sienna bakery topped with the famous Luzuriaga chorizo and tuba jelly and then took a bite of some twice-cooked Wagyu short plate with a Cerveza Negra reduction. A decadent blue crab spaghetti with crab fat butter and roasted tomato oil was served, as well as a powerful and a beef rendang with fermented chilli sambal and ginataang mashed potato.

Above Don and Kim colmenares of Sauma, Negros

Don and Kim colmenares of Sauma, Negros

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Apart from his tasting menu, Sauma is gearing up for more attractions, including an asador that allows for more grilled dishes as well as villas where guests can stay. They will also offer a “hacienda life” program for people who would like to experience life in the province. “It’s a barangay-based program that also involves the local people in our area where our guests can experience what we Negrenses enjoy. So far, our carabao-calesa tour, fish-what-you-eat and sugarcane tours have been a big hit for our foreign and Manila-based guests.”

For inquiries, contact Sauma at @sauma6106 in Instagram. They only accept pre-bookings and reservations. Strictly no walk-ins.

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Sauma: A restaurant that only cooks with produce from Negros