Cover Seared seabass with red curry risotto from Tandem in Legazpi Village
Seared seabass with red curry risotto from Tandem in Legazpi Village
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Chefs Mikee Lopez and Alex Tan stay true to their mindful approach to cooking while offering diners more room for choice in their Legazpi Village restaurant
When chefs Alex Tan and Mikee Lopez opened Tandem last year, they had always been clear on their commitment to preparing a sustainable menu, even one that is inclusive to a variety of dietary requirements, all while applying innovative treatments to their vegetable produce to adhere to their zero waste philosophy. Sounds like a mouthful, but a year into their venture, and this tandem continues to prove that sticking to their guns tastes delicious. To widen their reach even further and change things up, Tan and Lopez have decided to switch from a degustation offering and focus on serving an à la carte menu that allows more freedom of choice for their guests.
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“It’s less of a commitment,” winks Lopez, whose borderless cuisine reflects a compact selection of starters, pasta, mains, and desserts reflective of their diverse skill set and flavour preferences. She emphasises the importance of making vegetarian dishes just as appealing and satisfying as meat dishes, highlighting the versatility of vegetables. “Oftentimes, the vegetarian or plant-based options in restaurants are just lesser versions of the usual offerings,” she points out. “Like, the kitchen will simply remove the protein and present it as the vegetarian option. There really is not much thought put into it.”
Chicken liver mousse from Tandem in Legazpi Village
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Tandem offers an aromatic and texturally varied carrot and smoked yoghurt salad as well as a tasty garlic, tomato focaccia—both of which can stand toe-to-toe against the crowd-pleasing chicken liver mousse with apple balsamic glaze or shrimp toasties topped with their house-made XO sauce. There are countless dishes which serve as solid proof that putting more thought and effort into utilising vegetables can make show-stopping, memorable vegetarian dishes that any meat lover will eagerly relish.
At Tandem, it would be remiss for the duo to not flex their pasta-making muscles—in fact, selling delicate and fresh farfalle and tagliatelle pasta help get them through the pandemic. Luckily for us, they rolled out an array of scrumptious pasta dishes, demonstrating not only their technical know-how but also their confident handle on seasoning these beloved Italian-based dishes. Their gnocchi is uncommonly large, thick, but incredibly fluffy and comforting. Each bite was pillowy and enhanced by a fragrant, herbaceous basil-mustasa pesto and thick shavings of Parmesan shards. It almost eclipses the impressive squid ink garganelli with mussels and tapioca crackers if not for the latter’s flair for the dramatic with its play on colour and texture.
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Gnocchi with basil-mustasa peso and candied cashews from Tandem in Legazpi Village
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When ordering mains, let us stress that the sambal rice is a must, and it will surely go with any of the main courses, and complement them. too Meant to accompany the chicken pyanggang made distinct by a burnt coconut curry, the fried rice also paired well with the scene-stealing roasted cabbage dressed in quinoa and lemon vinaigrette. A beautifully seared local sea bass offers a surprising twist with a creamy risotto spiced with red curry. Cap it all off with any of their three desserts, but the chai ice cream with spiced berry coulis, honeycomb, and brown butter streusel is beyond inspired and elegantly balanced.
Peanut butter and jelly beignet from Tandem in Legazpi Village
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For now, Tandem is serving dinner only but is looking to open for lunch come April, and maybe even weekend brunch in the future. Perhaps they will go back to offering a tasting menu for dinner on weekends. We will have to wait and see, but what is assured is that Lopez, Tan, and the team will continue to work together to execute the kind of food that they are happy to serve, which is the kind their family, friends, and guests are eager to consume.
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Jaclyn Clemente Koppe is a food and lifestyle writer, as well as a consultant to some of the country’s beloved food and beverage brands. Her passion for food and drink is only surpassed by her devotion to her family, most especially to her soulmate, Pepa the poodle.
