The dining industry in Manila has been flourishing, with chefs coming in right, left, and center with a plethora of cuisines at diners’ disposal. It could seem like a daunting, even outright ballsy move to even try one’s luck in the local restaurant scene and establish oneself among the top destinations in the city. But if anyone is up to the task, it’s Chef Demar Regresado.
The Filipino chef has quite the impressive culinary background, having worked in London’s and the US’ dining scenes for almost 30 years, counting a stint at the Savoy Grill among his other prestigious accomplishments.
Still, there’s no place like home. Chef Demar is back in Manila for good, where a burgeoning set of local diners is about to be treated to his dishes through his latest venture, Mews.
Mews has taken place of the old C’s restaurant in Salcedo Village, Makati City. The restaurant is perhaps the best representation of Chef Demar’s style, boasting of British-French cuisine with a Filipino flair as he makes use of local premium ingredients, such as isdang dapa for the English fish and chips, and ube croquettes.
Sleek, modern interiors along with a stunning array of dishes, Mews makes for the perfect date in the upscale yet comfortable neighborhood of Salcedo. Chef Demar wants to be the first Filipino to earn Manila’s first Michelin star, and we can safely say he’s well on his way. Here are just some of the restaurant’s best dishes, highly recommended for that special night out.
King Prawns
river prawns, arugula, mango papaya salsa
The prawns were cooked well, moist and glistening upon serving. They were very generous with arugula, and the papaya mango salsa adds a nice brightness and punch that complements the sweetness of the prawn very well.
Grilled Caesar Salad
Deconstructing this Caesar salad makes you appreciate the individual ingredients more — the saltiness of the anchovies, the nuttiness of the parmesan, the tartness of the pickled red onion. The breaded soft-boiled eggs were a nice addition, making it slightly different from the traditional version.
Salmon Gravlax with Beetroot puree
The salmon gravlax gives off an impressive appearance, with the smoke effect making for a visual win. The beetroot, used to cure the salmon and as a puree, gives it a nice crimson color and pairs well with the fish.
Rolls Royce Panizza
It’s called a Rolls Royce for a reason. An homage to its predecessor, C’s, the Panizza is the bestseller, with a generous amount of cheese that provides a nice backdrop to the saltiness of the salami and sun-dried tomatoes. The combination of meat and seafood was also interesting and very savory. The arugula breaks up the richness and adds good texture and a nice pepperiness. We recommend adding chili oil and chili flakes for a nice kick.
Frutti de Mare pasta
The Frutti de Mare is a bountiful serving of seafood, with generous portions. The sauce is not too tart, which had a creaminess to it. The seafood was also cooked well, tender and not rubbery.
Fish and Chips
What is perhaps the most simple-looking of all the menu packs some real punch in flavor. Chef Demar used local isdang dapa which makes it tastier than the typical dory in terms of flavor and texture. With a very crisp and well-seasoned exterior, the fish was flaky and moist as it was cut inside. The same could be said for the chips, cut thick and fried to a perfect crisp, while it was fluffy inside. The fish and chips came with two sauces — tartar sauce was well-balanced in flavor, not too tart nor was it overly cloying, while the curry sauce was light and not overpowering.
Chicken teriyaki with truffle
The combination of the sweet-salty teriyaki and woodsy truffle oil gave off very savory flavors to the tender and moist chicken. Meanwhile, the ube sauce added another layer of complexity to the flavor of this dish.
Braised Pork with Taro Croquettes
The tenderly braised pork flanks were complemented well in texture by the taro croquettes, an interesting take on the potato croquette. Perfectly crisp on the outside and fluffy inside, the ube gave the croquette a slight sweetness, which was pleasant to the palate.
Chef’s Chicken Breast
The chicken was tender and well-seasoned, the jus and mashed potato made this dish very familiar in terms of taste as this is a pretty classic pairing. The mashed potato was velvety, while the veloute added a light herbal note to the dish.
Mews
Facebook / Instagram: @mewsmanila
Open daily from 11am to 10:30pm
L’ Ermitage Building, L.P. Leviste Corner Toledo Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
