MANILA, Philippines – Ask a chef the place their culinary inspiration comes from, and plenty of could recall a childhood dish tied to a heat reminiscence, a mom’s regional specialty, a mentor, or a avenue meals vendor they met on their travels.
For a lot of cooks, inspiration is borrowed from a particular place, an individual, or a fleeting second with a everlasting influence.
However for Chef Francis Tolentino, inspiration comes from one thing extra elemental: the bottom we stand on, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the earth beneath our ft.
At Taupe, positioned in Bonifacio World Metropolis, Tolentino channels the “parts” in his third tasting menu. Newly acknowledged by the Michelin Information Philippines in October, Tolentino is hovering with post-award satisfaction but retains his ft firmly grounded, anchored by Taupe’s imaginative and prescient of balancing creativity with conventional strategies and a deep respect for native substances.
The weather are additionally his compass, drawing from the smokiness of fireplace, the lightness of air, the circulate of water, and the slowness of earth.
“I wished to go deeper into the basics this time round. Air, water, hearth, earth. How does every one affect the best way we prepare dinner and style meals?” Tolentino instructed Rappler.
“It wasn’t nearly utilizing these parts as inspiration however about discovering steadiness between nature and method. I requested myself: how can we rework an ingredient whereas nonetheless respecting its essence? That turned the muse of the menu.”
Tolentino embraces trendy culinary strategies corresponding to dry-aging, fermentation, smoking, and freezing. However for him, dry ice isn’t only for dramatic impact, neither is tableside blowtorching a mere efficiency. These strategies are deliberately chosen to disclose the standard depth of every ingredient he champions — from calamansi snow, fermented guava, to charcoal-burnt meringue.
Taupe doesn’t scream high-quality eating to the purpose of intimidation. Catch Tolentino on the marble counter within the entrance of the cross, overseeing his line cooks as they calmly and coolly add the ending touches to the course. Right here, he’s in his aspect, setting every dish beneath the warming lights with confidence and ease. Chef is correct beside them, sharing amusing or informal banter together with his workers.
Grounded by the previous, fueled by the long run
As Tolentino’s first high-quality eating idea heads towards one other yr, the Filipino chef has discovered that high-quality eating isn’t simply concerning the meals — it’s about constructing belief with the friends.
“I’ve discovered that they arrive again not just for the dishes however for the story and the expertise. Shifting into our third yr, I wish to be extra assured in our identification whereas nonetheless pushing myself and the crew to evolve. The lesson is: keep grounded, however don’t cease transferring ahead.”
Tolentino had been working for informal eating, bars, resort kitchens, and cafés up to now earlier than deciding to pursue high-quality eating in 2024. He knew that he nonetheless wished to rejoice Filipino flavors and substances, however with a worldwide method. Years of touring throughout Asia and the West supplied the trendy culinary strategies, however his love for the Philippines retains the center and soul of every ingredient on the middle of every menu.
His childhood days within the province of Nueva Ecija, the place he paired suman or sticky rice with grilled pork, nonetheless discover their method in his dishes. The identify of his restaurant, Taupe, reveals the mindset behind the meals.
“Taupe is my canvas, the place I categorical my ardour for elevating Philippine substances into an artwork kind. It’s a spot the place the love for my homeland’s produce and my favourite international flavors come collectively to create culinary masterpieces,” he stated.
The Michelin dream
With the Michelin Information lastly recognizing eating places within the Philippines, Tolentino is ecstatic. Taupe was awarded Michelin Choice recognition, placing Tolentino’s philosophy on the map, the place acquainted substances are given a recent however refined and heat method.
“It’s an enormous deal as a result of it places our meals tradition on the worldwide stage and highlights the expertise, ardour, and laborious work of so many Filipino cooks and restaurateurs,” he instructed Rappler.
“I believe this can have a huge effect on tourism. Meals has at all times been an enormous a part of our tradition, and now, extra folks would possibly journey right here simply to expertise our eating scene.”
He instructed Rappler that together with his dishes, he desires folks to think about it as consolation meals at its core, past the progressive iterations and complicated displays. Meals that’s nothing too gastronomically alien or extravagant, however dishes that friends wouldn’t thoughts ordering à la carte one other time.
“For cooks and restaurant house owners, this undoubtedly raises the bar. It’s nice motivation to maintain pushing for excellence, however on the finish of the day, what actually issues is staying true to who we’re — cooking with coronary heart, telling tales by way of our meals, and making folks glad.”
‘Rooted’ in nature
For his present menu, Tolentino makes use of the weather in every dish’s presentation — a dramatic puff of dry ice right here, or a glittering dusting of 24k edible carat gold there — inviting an environment of immersion for diners to know which aspect grounds the course.
A journey from air (lightness) to earth (depth) with the interludes of water and hearth take friends on a experience of ethereal foams, crisp layers, and fluffy textures; smoke, char, and grilled depth; clear crudos and recent fish; and umami depth, slow-cooked meats, and soil-like textures.
When requested what his favourite aspect to play with was, Tolentino was essentially the most enthusiastic about air.
“It’s intangible nevertheless it modifications the way you expertise taste and texture. Working with lightness — foams, aerations — allowed me to shock friends with out overwhelming them. It taught me how one thing nearly invisible can go away such a robust impression,” he stated.
The Burnt Brazo dessert — air and hearth assembly midway — options native ardour fruit, calamansi, vanilla egg custard, and Italian meringue, whipped delicately after which burnt with scorching charcoal proper on the desk, a reminiscent nod to childhood s’mores.
Roasted and candy, fluffy and light-weight, the fruit elements convey liveliness to the meringue, one thing Tolentino goals to do when presenting acquainted produce and substances — respiratory air and new life into them.
However water is the place his favourite dish of this menu lies.
“The Blue Crab Ice Cream Sandwich could be very near my coronary heart. It takes one thing acquainted from our waters and presents it in a method that’s sudden, playful, however nonetheless comforting. I really like that it challenges perceptions with out dropping that connection to residence,” he stated.
It’s a crunchy and delicate snack eaten along with your fingers, an ode to childhood ice cream sandwiches (however one which we undoubtedly couldn’t afford again then). Blue crab filling is inside an indulgent rooster pores and skin biscuit, with mango gel, osetra caviar, and chilly smoked roe, to provide it an elevated one-bite umami chunk that isn’t too overwhelming however is definitely chilly and refreshing.
The amuse-bouche Prawn Butter Brioche is one other spotlight — wealthy, recent native river prawn custard butter atop a fluffy and barely candy lemongrass brioche.
Water and hearth don’t often go collectively, however Tolentino’s Hokkaido Scallop and Corn do, proving even opposing parts will be respectfully united. The scallops are evenly smoked and cured, bouncy and tender, atop a creamy bisque of Japanese corn with shrimp head fats drizzled on prime. Combined, the shrimp fats provides richness to the candy corn.
The palate cleanser 24k Magic is fairly and sparkly, and a welcome break from the richness of the primary half of the menu — fermented guava smooth gel and lime pandan syrup provide a fruity, tart pause earlier than the heavier, fire-breathing programs that observe.
“Recently, I’ve been working quite a bit with fermentation. It’s alive, ever-changing, and brings a depth which you could’t create every other method. There’s a sure humility in letting time and course of form taste — it’s not simply the chef’s hand, however about endurance and respect,” Tolentino shared.
Every dish has a narrative to inform, and a component takes middle stage — from hearth respiratory smoky life into the tender A5 wagyu balbacua, grilled and dry-aged, with beef tendon demi-sauce and kadyos purée for a touch of acidity to counterbalance the meat’s richness; to water and circulate within the wet-aged hamachi, plump, recent, and clear, laid on a snow of recent longan and calamansi.
Add a scoop of creamy avocado purée, and you’ve got Tolentino’s imaginative and prescient of a refreshing crudo, the place each fruit and fish shine.
The Dry Aged Duck, grilled till gamey and tender, encompasses a keso de bola veil, braised duck meat quenelle, smoked truffle sauce, and coconut ash duck sauce — a brown-on-brown dish that doesn’t maintain again on richness and saltiness.
“I need them to go away curious and impressed. Whether or not it’s their first high-quality eating meal or one in every of many, I hope they see how meals will be each considerate and approachable,” Tolentino stated about his want for Taupe’s diners.
“We’re not nearly spectacle. It’s about transformation, steadiness, and discovery. In the event that they stroll away with a reminiscence that makes them assume otherwise about what meals will be, then we’ve finished our job.”
The meal ends with petit fours influenced by his childhood and travels — Turon with smoked banana mousse, banana cylinder, and caviar; Bibingka with salted egg semifreddo and coconut custard; Hopia with purple and inexperienced mung bean ganache and pinipig tuile; and Karyoka with fried glutinous rice, purple yam, and rosehip compote.
Taupe’s 10-course tasting menu, priced at P7,800, and its eight-course tasting menu at P6,500, sit on the increased finish of the tasting menu worth vary. However contemplating the variety of programs, the handpicked number of high-quality substances, and the general eating expertise, they’re justified. The ambiance is neither stiff nor stuffy, however trendy and easy — an ambiance that instantly displays Tolentino’s culinary philosophy.
With Michelin recognition now hooked up to each Tolentino and Taupe, there are not any plans to alter course. In any case, why repair what isn’t damaged? Tolentino’s promise for each seasonal tasting menu is to proceed specializing in the very best native substances of the second whereas consistently reimagining how one can spotlight what makes every part particular — each individually and collectively in unison. – Rappler.com
