Tandem Manila Gives You Permission to Sin

It's not every day you get to have globally recognized chefs give you the greenlight to throw your Judeo-Christian guilt out the window during a seven-course meal that shakes you to your gastronomic and philosophical core.

Coming off a stellar year capped off by a coveted Michelin Guide selection, Chefs Alex and Mikee Tan are going full steam ahead with provocative conceptual tasting menus that make you rethink the possibilities of culinary storytelling.

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Chefs Alex and Mikee Tan at Tandem Manila in Makati City

We have seen a slew of creative interpretations of Christian concepts in media such as the classic crime thriller Se7en (1995) by the late great David Fincher, and in anime such as the appropriately titled Seven Deadly Sins, and the seven homunculi from Fullmetal Alchemist/Brotherhood.

The Philippines is the largest Catholic nation in Asia and it just makes sense that the resourceful minds of the Tans decided to channel this tension-filled topic into their sustainable food as storytelling vehicles and devices.

"Living in a Catholic country, the theme felt a little controversial to center a menu around. But this is a concept we've been wanting to explore for the longest time — it's an unexpected, yet intriguing theme to connect with food," Chef Alex Tan said.

Mikee on the other hand detailed their intention to overwhelm those experiencing the seven deadly sins tasting menu, with a caveat of highlighting timing and taking a step back from the noisy world we live in.

We're not going to give you a crash course on the concept because I'm sure you've had enough of those droning lectures in your respective theology, religion, and philosophy classes back in university.

Instead, we're going to give you a quick rundown on our experience committing a whole bunch of sins at Tandem Manila.

"We're not going to focus on the morality of everything. Just the idea of a very natural relationship of humans and indulgence," Alex told media before presenting their latest unapologetic take on a fundamental human experience.

"Of course, we're not going to make you commit any sin or anything, right? Tonight's about enjoying everything."

Conventional fine dining experiences often revolve around nostalgic, pleasant, and other emotionally resonant themes. We have to commend Tandem Manila's bold and offbeat choice to tap into feelings that are usually taboo and more often than not approached with preachy intentions.

Pride

The seven-dish extravaganza is kicked off with the sin of Pride embodied in a three-piece vegetable appetizer set. A tomato play on tartare, or "tart-tare," with textures made up of dehydrated pulp, topped with basil, smoked EVOO, and kesong puti. Another component of the opener is an eggplant "sandwich" of charred puree between lavash crackers, cured egg yolk, and eggplant ash from the skin.

A favorite of ours is what closes out Pride: a carrot skewer with the peel turned into bark, a nod to Tandem Manila's zero-waste philosophy.

Greed

Next up is Greed, which didn't really strike us as an avaricious dish, until we thought about what really lies beneath the otherwise straightforward bread and butter combo. A brioche bun is truffled, the butter is whipped blue cheese, sitting between a foie gras torchon bedded in champagne jelly and cashew streusel topped off with a honeycomb crunch.

A simple philosophy lesson from a meal. Greed doesn't necessarily translate to always wanting more in quantity (which suits its brother, Gluttony), but wanting luxury and opulent things.

Envy

Tandem Manila's interpretation of Envy is on the surface tied to the color green, which is evident in how much greens were used in this plant-forward dish. I'm sure you've heard the expression "green with envy."

The Tans constructed this meal with zucchini ribbons compressed in parsley oil over snowpeas, arugula in white balsamic vinaigrette, smoked honeydew, toasted pistachios, and a honeydew granita to finish it off.

You get notes of sour, bitter, and cold. All hallmark sensations you get with Envy.

Sloth

This next sin and dish is undoubtedly a fan favorite and a personal favorite of ours. Sloth is centered on low, slow, and deliberate flavors all delivered via the luscious cappelletti pasta filled with caramelized onions over braised beef, aged Grana Padano, and breadcrumbs. The pasta sits on top of a burnt onion espuma built from the roots, peels, and scraps of the same onions used in the dish. The entire vibe of this dish is largely comforting, which is usually in excess when you talk about slothing around.

Wrath

Still on the motif of colors, the Wrath dish is all about high heat, burning fury, and red. A meaty monkfish in spiced red curry, charred and sautéed in sambal, and burnt down into ash.

Chef Alex told us that he was a sucker for all things spicy, especially for ingredients that have you keeling over crying from mouth-numbing pain. Monkfish, which is a remarkably terrifying animal (trust us, just Google it), is an unlikely poster fish for the language of anger Wrath encapsulates. At this point of the tasting menu, they take you out of the paralyzing comfort of the Sloth dish and into the sensory overload of the next few sins.

Gluttony

Gluttony. This is indulgence at its peak wrapped in a dish of overabundance. The main plate is a porkloin in aromatics and coconut oil, a pork and shrimp pechay dumpling, chicharron and puffed rice crumble, roasted squash puree, and lemongrass-coconut sauce holding everything together.

There is more, and there is always more with Gluttony. You also get a pork cheek skewer with guava vinaigrette salad, pork bone broth, soy-pickled leeks, citrus kosho, and multigrain rice.

Chef Alex said there is no rhyme or reason to tackle the feast in front of you. Just have at it.

Lust

The last of the sins and often the most dangerous (healthwise and cholesterol purposes too) is Lust. This is the dessert portion that Tandem Manila invites you to give into. Spiced honey ice cream at the center, ringed with strawberry EVOO powder, pomegranate pearls, and chunks of dehydrated chocolate sponge. Underneath: strawberry gel, chocolate sable, and feuilletine.

If you haven't noticed from the fancy ingredients mentioned, these are all believed to be aphrodisiacs. The allure of the entire presentation is the concept of everything being natural, desires being biological, and a meal that culminates in the acknowledgment of human impulses.

The team at Tandem Manila in their element

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