Filipinos can out-drink everyone in the world except South Koreans and Russians, according to a study made by international research firm Euromonitor in 2014. The study showed that adults in the Philippines each take 5.4 shots of distilled alcohol weekly, making the country third in the list of the world’s heaviest drinkers after Russia’s 6.3 shots per week and South Korea’s sizable 13.7 shots per week.
This love affair with alcoholic drinks is matched only by Filipinos’ passion for pulutan or bar chow. Chef Gene Gonzalez, in his The Little Pulutan Book, wrote that coming together over a round of drinks is one of the most popular and effective ways to celebrate and strengthen friendships, and wherever there is drinking, there is sure to be a plate of pulutan.
“The pulutan, after all, whether it is a plate of peanuts or a sumptuous seafood dish, is as much an essential part of the inuman, as the beer or liquor itself, and deserves some special attention,” Gonzalez said.
The art of eating pulutan during drinking sessions may be attributed to the Spanish culture of tapas, and over the years, some of the pulutan cuisine even became regular meals themselves, such as sisig and barbecue.
It is perhaps with this in mind that when Luigi Nuñez opened his BBZ Bistro at the corner of Rockwell Drive and Kalayaan Ave., he made sure the food that they serve would be at par with the subzero beer that they pioneered.
Nuñez has been dubbed as the “King of Cool” for inventing the Beer Below Zero freezer together with his friends Vinson Co-Say and Jay-jay Angala in 2008. A product of their usapang lasing – the trio felt their beers were never cold enough – BBZ freezers serve beer at the coldest possible state before freezing, which is at -8 to -13 degrees Celsius.
And at BBZ Bistro, guests can enjoy their ice-cold beer and have their gastronomic fix as well, all the while surrounded by friendly and unobtrusive staff who are always reminded by Nuñez to serve with a smile.
“Filipinos are known to be hospitable and warm. We want our guests to experience that,” he said. “We serve the coldest beer in town with the warmest hearts.”
“Initially, we thought customers would only patronize our bistro because of our BBZ beers. But eventually people came here because of our food,” Nuñez added.
BBZ Bistro’s beef salpicao (beef tenderloin and mushroom sautéed in garlic and olive oil) and chorizo and gambas (Pamplona chorizo and black tiger prawns in garlic and olive oil), for example, are classified as bar chow. But these savory dishes can be meals on their own – just order a cup or two of plain or garlic rice and you are good to go.
Other flavorful dishes include salmon tartare (fresh Norwegian salmon and ripe mango tossed in wasabi mayo, served with sweetened nuts, garlic puree, tobiko, pickled vegetables, and ginger jelly); foie gras au torchon (duck liver served with caramelized banana and apple balsamic reduction, garlic puree, pickled vegetables, and fried onions); chipirones (baby squid sautéed in garlic and olive oil); and cinco formaggi pizza (thin crust hand-stretched dough topped with five kinds of cheese: Roquefort, Ewephoria, Parmesan, Mozzarella, and Gruyere).
For the really hungry customers, the bistro offers its signature Tomahawk steak (minimum of one kilogram per order), full rack of US Angus beef ribs marinated in sticky barbecue sauce, and whole crispy pata served with chicharon on the side.
And true to the drinking principles of BBZ’s founders, the restaurant serves alcoholic ice cream, too — Mango Margarita, Butter Pecan Baileys, Ube Coconut Rum, Jack Chocolate and Tequila Rose.
Sure, you’d probably walk out of BBZ Bistro a little lightheaded and with a full stomach, regardless of whether it’s 10 in the morning or midnight. But you’d definitely leave with a smile.
“Our guiding principle has always been to have fun. That’s how we roll, and that’s what we want our guests to experience,” said Nuñez.
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