Photos By Star Sabroso
Filipinos love to linger on the table and engage in a lively conversation after a particularly delightful dinner, reluctant to end what has been a wonderful culinary experience. This is exactly the kind of atmosphere evoked by Sobremesa, the new Filipino-South American fusion restaurant by Chef Benjo Tuason over at The Sapphire Bloc in Ortigas. After all, the restaurant’s name is inspired by the Spanish tradition known as “sobremesa” wherein family and friends exchange pleasant stories and amusing anecdotes after enjoying a hearty meal.
“It’s actually the time spent with the people you had lunch or dinner with,” explains Chef Benjo during the restaurant’s recent launch, where guests embarked on a culinary journey that was made even more pleasant by the chef’s jovial personality.
It is certainly no accident that each table has a phone cage where guests can lock up their gadgets to avoid any distractions like phone calls or text messages that could detract from one’s enjoyment of the food. Everything about the restaurant – from the warm ambience, down to the pleasant manner of the staff encourages one to relax and just enjoy the signature dishes and the wonderful cocktail concoctions.
Interestingly, Chef Benjo’s partner in his latest restaurant venture is the family of actor Daniel Matsunaga who happens to be South American, with some of the dishes and recipes contributed by the actor’s mom. According to the chef, his research and his exposure to South American culture when he worked abroad made him realize that no matter how far those South American countries are, they are actually similar (to the Philippines) in terms of the ingredients used as well as the cooking techniques, even rice which is an important part of the meal. Sobremesa, in essence, offers the best of both worlds through its dishes.
Guests enjoyed everything that was served – from starters like the Seafood Ceviche made more flavorful by citrus and sweet pepper that went well with the red onion, corn kernel and lettuce down to signature dishes such as the Barako Coffee Crusted Rib Eye Steak served with sweet potato and Baguio beans (the idea for the dish came about while Chef Benjo was cooking beef tapa and having coffee), the very tender, “fall-off-the-bone” Bulalo Estofado (which is a family recipe from his mother), the juicy Peruvian Roast Chicken made sumptuously delicious with herbs and spices, and the light on the tummy Grilled Blue Marlin Fillet. Not to forget the rice of course, with the dishes perfectly complemented by the Chorizo and Green Pea Fried Rice.
The chef’s food philosophy – “prepare with care, cook with love (and) serve with pride” is very much apparent especially in the way his pleasant staff presented every dish. Spicing up the occasion was host Sam Rodriguez who engaged the guests in a “True or Fork” game of True or False with questions revolving around food (naturally). Everyone was also encouraged to take photos of the food and post them online via the hashtags #SobremesaPH and #DeliciousConversations to let everyone know that the Latin American food revolution is set to take the local culinary scene by storm with the opening of Sobremesa.
None of the guests though locked up their cellphones and smart gadgets as everyone became busy taking food shots – it was hard not to do so because the presentation of each dish was done in such an attractive and creative manner. Happily though, the techno gizmos did not serve as a distraction from enjoying the meal, with most everyone engaged in a “sobremesa” kind of experience as they lingered on the table to talk about the wonderful culinary experience – long after every tasty morsel prepared by Chef Benjo had been consumed con mucho gusto.
Located in The Sapphire Bloc in Ortigas, Pasig, Sobremesa by Chef Benjo Tuason serves a uniquely innovative take on South American and Filipino fusion. From the kitchen to the wait staff to the ambience, Sobremesa delivers for a seamless restaurant experience like no other. For reservations or inquiries, call or text 0906-4452559. Follow Sobremesa on Facebook at /sobremesaph or on Twitter @sobremesaph.