What looks like charcoal served with American coleslaw and hazelnut romesco sauce?
It is Grind Bistro’s Nutty Black Chicken, an original concept of Steven Carl, who has served as executive chef and food and beverage director of an international hotel for more than two decades before settling down in the Philippines with his wife, Cristina Imperial, six years ago.
“We only had a few days to go before opening our first branch in May this year, and my friends kept telling me that I needed to have fried chicken in the menu. But when I tried my version with buttermilk batter, it tasted okay but I was not going for just okay. I wanted something fantastic,” he said in an interview at Grind Bistro’s flagship branch located at Net Park building in Bonifacio Global City.
“It came to me in a dream. Black chicken was the way to go. When I told my staff about the concept, they all looked at me like I lost it,” he added.
The key to making his dream a reality was squid ink tempura batter, which Carl said was perfect in keeping the chicken moist and giving it his desired ebony color. The sweet chili glaze gave the dish an Asian twist and kick, while the romesco, a nut and red pepper-based sauce that originated from Catalonia in Northeast Spain, provided additional flavor and texture.
Carl’s willingness to take a gamble on his dream paid off: while Grind Bistro is known for its American burgers and steaks, the Nutty Black Chicken (P595) became the restaurant’s second best-selling dish.
“Our whole idea was if we could make it, we will. And we won’t take shortcuts in making our dishes,” said Cristina, who beamed with pride as she named the 20 flavors of their homemade ice cream, which include bourbon caramel vanilla, halo-halo, peanut brittle, matcha green tea and salted caramel, among others. Aside from the desserts, Grind also makes its own bread, chips, and most of its sauces.
“Since these are homemade, you can just imagine the intensity of the preparation work that goes into our food. But that’s how Steven’s family has always cooked – from scratch and using the freshest local produce. That way you really bring out the flavors of your food,” she added.
Another crowd favorite is the restaurant’s Poke Nachos (P495), a Hawaiian dish inspired by the couple’s stay in Maui several years ago. Poke, which is the Hawaiian verb for “to slice” or “to cut,” is a raw fish salad served as appetizer, traditionally. Grind uses ahi (yellowfin) tuna marinated in soy, chili and sesame, and topped with local chevre or goat’s cheese, orange and wasabi tobiko (fish roe), and pico de gallo made with fresh tomato, onion and jalapeño. The nachos are all homemade using taro and sweet potato.
As Grind is an American diner on the upscale side, its 300-gram USDA prime New York steak costs P2,050, while its 400-gram house-aged rib eye will set a guest off at P2,400. The restaurant offers four sauces to choose from, namely the French red wine-based bordelaise, green peppercorn, chimichurri and basil pesto, while choices for steak toppings include mushrooms, onion jam, bacon marmalade and blue cheese butter. For an extra P300, one can order foie gras to go with the steak, but the occasion better be worth it for that extra-sinful combination.
For its mains, there’s the eponymous Grind burger (P395), made from 100-percent USDA beef and served with homemade brioche, vine-ripe tomato, iceberg lettuce, sweet onion, American cheese and the restaurant’s secret sauce; Cuban sandwich (P395) with pork cooked sous vide or under vacuum for 18 hours, dijon mustard blend, homemade pickles and Emmental cheese served with sides of mojo aioli and salted saba chips; truffled penne carbonara (P495) topped with pancetta—an Italian bacon made of pork belly meat that is salt cured and spiced with black pepper; and 180-gram salmon fillet (P650) cooked in soy sauce, miso, ginger, and lemon syrup and served with wakame (edible seaweed) and edamame (salted immature soybeans in a pod).
In less than six months since the launching of their BGC restaurant, the couple has already opened two more branches—one at SM North in Quezon City and another at SM Aura in Taguig. For Carl, their success validates their decision to serve dishes that use only fresh and wholesome products.
“I am a man who respects my food, and Grind reflects that philosophy of not taking shortcuts even if it means more work for us,” Carl said.
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