On a mission to showcase the rich culinary heritage of the Philippines to the world, Poblacion’s Bizarre Bar recently hosted friends from various embassies for its highly praised cocktail degustation. Foreign guests were treated to an extraordinary blend of Filipino heritage and innovative mixology, enhanced by the warm Filipino hospitality. The atmosphere was enriched with original Filipino music, creating a truly authentic ambiance.
Yukari Koike, Political Officer of the Japanese Embassy and a seven-year resident of the Philippines, was particularly impressed. “I’ve experienced Filipino cuisine in many restaurants, both modern and authentic, but Bizarre Bar’s creative presentation of local flavors and ingredients is truly unique. A big ‘arigato’ to the entire Bizarre team for this exceptional experience. The high-class Filipino cocktails and dish pairings were incredibly distinctive. I will definitely return with colleagues and friends to share this wonderful experience,” Koike said. Other foreign guests echoed Koike’s sentiments, praising Bizarre Bar for its unique tasting experience and expressing their intent to return with friends and colleagues to further explore the art and elegance of Filipino fine drinking.
Leading Bizarre’s cocktail degustation was Beverage Director Ian Libang, a decorated mixologist with numerous international accolades. Libang, integrating his globally recognized skills into Bizarre’s mission to showcase Filipino culinary heritage shared, “The whole goal for Bizarre is to do something different. We don’t just transform Filipino ingredients into a cocktail. We incorporate our local traditions and culture. We have a whole concept of storytelling featuring common ingredients in a Filipino kitchen, sharing to our dear guests how it is to be Filipino in a very unique and refined way.”
Libang was joined by renowned culinary chef and Bizarre’s Founder, Mikel Zaguirre. Through delectable bar bites, Zaguirre complemented Libang’s cocktails, expertly guiding the guests’ palates without overshadowing the drinks. Their culinary synergy has proven them to be a formidable duo. Zaguirre shared, “The term Filipino is loosely tagged to different things like food. I would rather call our approach ‘Pinoy’ because it encapsulates the heart of our heritage rather than just our local ingredients. By building Bizarre in a Pinoy way, people will see and feel our FIlipino-ness through our menu. This makes us unique.”
For the cocktail degustation, Libang and Zaguirre presented “The Roots,” a five-course menu described as a “celebration of the rich culinary heritage of the Philippines through timeless flavors infused with contemporary twists.” Guests were welcomed with “Quezo,” a tapioca snack paired with kesong puti, signaling the beginning of Roots.
The cocktail degustation commenced with “Atchara,” a vibrant orange cocktail inspired by the popular Pinoy sour side dish, mellowed by Aperol spritz, spices, and ripe papaya. This first cocktail, tagged as a favorite by Libang and Zaguirre, was paired with “Inihaw,” premium-quality roasted kurobota pork, tenderloin, and chicken thigh.
Next was “Sawsawan,” featuring patis (fish sauce) and topped with calamansi sorbet. This sour-driven treat became the crowd favorite of the evening. “Kinilaw,” seasoned raw tanigue with leche de tigre and fried shallots, completed the flavorful sea adventure.
“Binhi,” the main course, followed. Inspired by rice grains, this malt whiskey-driven cocktail was garnished with chocolate bitters. Paired with a creative twist on kare-kare, the “Kinunot” ox-tail pie with a bagoong demi sauce was the crowd’s most-loved food pairing of the evening.
“Ni-yog” introduced the dessert portion of the night, a piña colada-esque cocktail featuring tequila, leche flan, and coconut, blended into tablea colada foam and torched for a delightful temperature contrast. Paired with “Nilupak,” a cashew-coconut tart topped with pineapple and coconut cream, salted by artisanal asin tibuok from Bohol, it was a delightful conclusion to the meal.
“Ampaw” capped off the degustation, a celebratory toast inspired by the local deep-fried tutong (burnt rice) treat. This cocktail featured mesoyi and ampaw sorbet in milk-washed bourbon, exquisitely washing guests’ palates and cementing their enjoyment of the elevated Filipino drinking and dining experience.
Libang and Zaguirre, champions of Filipino culinary heritage, offer a one-of-a-kind gastronomic experience that ranks among the best in mixology and cuisine. Their unique approach has garnered praise from international guests, solidifying Bizarre Bar as a must-visit destination for cocktail connoisseurs and gastronomes alike.
Experience cocktails and bar bites at their finest at Bizarre Bar, located in the heart of Makati: Poblacion. Book a table today through http://www.thebizarrebar.com.
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