This New Restaurant in Makati Plays With Fire, Smoke, and Light
There's something magical when light hits haze. Outdoors, this creates a dramatic sunset when the rays of the sun disperse through dust, smoke, and other dry particulates in the ever-polluted Metro Manila air. Inside the theater, for example, an intense spotlight going through a thin wisp of smoke creates a cinematic effect.
At the newly opened Oak & Smoke (O/S) on the ground floor of Pacquiao Mansion in Salcedo Village, Makati, the pale afternoon sun goes through a slanted ceiling made of glass and focuses the diners' attention on an installation piece that mimics a warp of smoke hanging above their heads. By sundown, the glass-made ceiling is a canvas of the evening sky full of Makati's city of lights. This magic extends to the interesting menu that Chef Anna Bautista and Chef Sean Jorgensen have created for O/S.
Chef Anna Bautista and Chef Sean Jorgensen
"We wanted O/S to be a gathering place for those who live around us. We want the space to be comfortable enough that you can have a quick meal or a glass of wine after work. Or, also make it special enough that you want to celebrate your milestones with us," began Chef Anna in a press statement.
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True enough, going through O/S's doors is like entering the penthouse or studio unit of a friend who's been tinkering around with modern and sleek designs. Upholstery comes in midnight blue, while the dark wood furniture completes its elegant style.
Chef Sean added, "I want guests who dine with us to see us, to know that what we are doing here isn’t a cookie cutter cutout. It’s got a living vibe to it. What we are building is a lifestyle, a true chef-driven concept where the chef is there every night, and we are hands-on with curation."
Oak & Smokes' Menu: Californian Cuisine Meets Southern Foods Meets Asian Flavors
What the duo brings to the table, literally, is the product of their respective culinary careers. Chef Anna spent years at Michelin-starred contemporary Californian restaurant Madera, which champions farm-to-table ingredients and is influenced by the French and California-Italian flavors of San Francisco.
Chef Sean, on the other hand, tends to move toward Southern food: a lot of wood, fire, and smoke. He also spent two decades working in Asian restaurants like Maya, Liquid Laundry in Shanghai, KU DE TA in Bali, and Cannery.
"O/S is really the birth of what Sean and I like to eat and how we like to eat. The cooking techniques and principles are where we draw from Californian and Southern cooking. But the flavors really stem from the life we have lived in China and our travels around Asia," Chef Anna explained.
Their starters already give a glimpse of O/S courage to mix and match international flavors. The Smoked Salmon Nori Chip, best eaten with your hands, introduces that penchant for smoked meat while the nori chip gives the melts-in-your-mouth salmon some crispy texture.
Grilled Eggplant and Whipped Feta-Tofu
Unicorn Fish Crudo
Some of their starters, Grilled Eggplant and Whipped Feta-Tofu, Prawn Toast, and Unicorn Fish Crudo, are nothing like you'd expect—at least for a non-eggplant-eater. The Fried Mantou that goes with the first starter is too good and can even be eaten on its own.
The skewers are an easy choice for those who want something casual, which is really what O/S is all about—non-intimidating, even with all the fancy experiments that go on in every dish. Choose from the octopus, chicken, and blue marlin, which are all grilled Japanese style over binchotan (charcoal).
Binchotan - Chicken Thigh and Pork Belly
Of course, it's not Oat & Smoke if you don't have something smoked. The Ribeye comes with three kinds of sauces: gochujang-grain mustard, Yakiniku steak sauce, and roasted garlic mustard.
"I tend to play with smoke and fire. Our menu incorporates elements of smoke on our dishes be it in smoking almonds, pork jowls or salmon. We want to be known for these hints of smoke and cooking over coal and wood. So anything that has to do with grill, smoke, and fire, that’s me," Chef Sean remarked.
Ribeye
Frenched Pork Chop
The Frenched Pork Chop blends with the fruity sweetness from the fire-roasted grapes and lychee hoisin that goes with it.
Their Charred Cauliflower makes you want to eat this curious vegetable again and again, especially with the smoked doejang garlic cream and lemon-parmesan crumble mixed into it.
Charred Cauliflower
520 Wo Ai Ni
Banana-Miso Tres Leches
For a sweet ending, O/S has the 520 Wo Ai Ni, which is basically chocolatey goodness, and Banana-Miso Tres Leches, which has a surprising blend of red miso milk crumb and caramel chocolate cream.
All dishes are best complemented by a drink created by principal mixologist Louis. You can ask for bespoke cocktails or choose from their menu of classics and signature glasses.
"We’re only scratching the surface of what can and will be. We cook what we like to eat, and I think it comes through. I'm excited to play with fire and the ideas of what I can do with binchotan as well as the open flames and smoke themselves, " concluded Chef Sean.
Oak & Smoke is at G/F Pacquiao Mansion, 324 HV Dela Costa Street, Makati City. It is open from Monday to Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., while the bar is open until 1 a.m.
