It’s a pain to say goodbye to places we love, but goodbyes don’t always last forever. Sometimes, they just change for the better.
Such is the case for Aaron Isip’s Balai Palma and Keith Curitana of fan favorite Los Tacos who just finished a two-night collaboration with restaurant and natural wine bar Bibio.
Both mark a comeback and a beginning. One in the form of Isip’s Kasa Palma and another in (hopefully more) pop-ups and collaborations for the teams behind Los Tacos and Bibio.
Kasa Palma brings the tropics and refined island flavors to Poblacion
Kasa Palma may be on the same street as its predecessor but its new location ushers in an air of change for the restaurant. The concept was supposed to be based in Palawan but a change of plans instead brought the island vibe to the big city.
The new residence (fully planned and designed by head chef Aaron Isip) is a tropical respite with warm tones, white pebbled terrain, and beachside feels. The restaurant is divided into three areas: the porch bar, the main dining room, and the al fresco a la carte area.
The main dining room is located inside the converted home. It houses an open-concept kitchen, a few tables on the first floor, and three private dining rooms that serve parties as small as seven, to literal parties that serve as many as 20.
For the degustation menu, the standouts are savory ube in three textures with caviar, pusik with batwan fruit broth, foiesilog, and purple sweet potato ice cream with grated frozen foie gras.
Prior to opening Kasa Palma’s doors, Isip used to operate out of his home kitchen—quite literally. Balai Palma, even during its operation, was the chef’s private home. With Kasa Palma, he doesn’t have to take his work home with him and gets to play with his industrial kitchen and let his creativity run wild.
Seafood and uniquely island ingredients are the star of the show. For the degustation menu, the standouts are savory ube in three textures with caviar, pusik with batwan fruit broth, foiesilog, and purple sweet potato ice cream with grated frozen foie gras.
There’s a perceptible purpose in each component of the dish. In the purple sweet potato ice cream, the foie adds salty richness that helps enhance the rest of the dish’s sweetness. In the savory ube, the espuma adds an airy, savory texture. And it’s all delicious.
It’s no secret that Isip is a chef to look out for, but with a new larger space, we can expect bigger and tastier things.
Bibio and Los Tacos’ collaboration is fermentation and taco heaven
Many of us are probably mourning the end of Curitana’s M Bistro pop-up, but Los Tacos isn’t going anywhere. The cult favorite taco joint recently collaborated with natural wine bar and fermentation-forward restaurant Bibio for a two-night event.
The collaboration came by way of a casual conversation between Bibio partner Justin Apolonio and Curitana. Curitana mentioned that it would be fun to collaborate on a menu, which resulted in the event.
Working with Bibio’s head chef Mianne Manguiat, the team curated a menu that featured all the flavors both restaurants are known for. The evening’s fare presented a perfect balance that played to each chef’s strengths—with Manguiat’s ferments and Curitana’s modern take on Mexican fare.
The collaboration came by way of a casual conversation between Bibio partner Justin Apolonio and Keith Curitana.
Two items in particular stood out in the sense of embodying the true spirit of collaboration between the chefs. These dishes were the striploin taco (which was made with Bibio’s signature striploin and a dark and rich mole sauce from Los Tacos) and the horchata bread pudding.
The bread pudding is one of Bibio’s signature desserts. Typically served with lemon curd, the topping was switched out for a light and fluffy horchata whip finished with lime zest. It’s the dish that tastes most like the fruit of both chef’s labors.
“Actually, it was very easy,” says Manguiat on working with Curitana.
“Yung first R&D pa lang namin, sobrang swak na. We were coming up with the same ideas. All my ferments and all of his sauces, nag-jive talaga. Even the dessert. I said we have bread pudding, and he said ‘We have horchata!’ okay let’s combine it!” she adds.
While the pop-up only ran for two nights, we’re sure that Bibio and Los Tacos have more in store for us. It’s only a matter of time.