Home of Filipino food in the shopping hub

By Stephanie Maureen F. Asi, Staff Writer

01/04/2009

There’s something endearing and captivating about homestyle Filipino food. No matter how much we have it, we still pine for the thick, brown, peanuty sauce of kare-kare along with the sweet, salty shrimp paste that goes with it. We never tire of the sour broth of the sinigang or the creamy, spicy taste of laing. That’s why for the owners of Masas, a restaurant offering Filipino fare in the Makati shopping district, Filipino food remains a passion and a specialty.

Strategically located at Greenbelt 2, Masas is a favorite among those who love the familiar, flavorful Filipino food. Journalist Connie Sison-Escudero, co-owner of Masas, explains why they chose local fare. “We wanted to give the Filipino cuisine a different type of impact. We’re re-introducing world class Filipino cuisine.”

Five and a half years into the food business, the owners thought it was again time to develop their menu. Heeding the suggestions of their loyal diners, they retained their well-loved dishes and added some new ones to give an exciting punch to their special repertoire. Sison-Escudero explained that they really wanted to keep the menu smaller compared to other restos that offer such an extensive array of dishes. For them, they prefer having the best Filipino dishes and bringing out the sumptuous flavors for which these have come to be known. “The menu here is not really a big one. But we make it a point that all the Filipino favorites are there,” she shares. They have also made the menu even more affordable without sacrificing the delicious taste of their food.

Setting itself apart from other establishments offering Filipino fare is the owners’ decision to retain the purely authentic Filipino cuisine. Most restos offering such food introduce fusion dishes, mixing up the traditional taste with foreign influences. Masas, however, sticks to Filipino cooking the way it has always been done.

I was happy to indulge on my Filipino food cravings when I was invited to dine at Masas. I, or my grumbling tummy, was set on the laing, a personal favorite and one I always order when eating Filipino fare. I wasn’t disappointed when I took a spoonful of Masas’ laing because it had just the right amount of creaminess from the coconut milk paired with spiciness from the small red chilies. Of course, I wasn’t about to pass up the chance to eat another favorite, sinigang na baka. It was a cold night and the hot, sour broth of the sinigang was just what I needed and the tender beef meat made it even more satisfying. I also tried the kare-kare, another house specialty. I’ve tasted a lot of kare-kare variants from fiestas and various occasions in the province (Christenings, birthdays, weddings, you name it), but the Masas kare-kare is my newfound favorite. I could almost taste the sauce from the way the dish looked alone. The peanut sauce wasn’t too thick and the veggies weren’t soggy. The crisp veggies and the tender meat made each bite a delight. It was the sauce that really made a difference. I almost didn’t need the fish paste anymore.

The Peking chicken and the Binot, however, are another story because admittedly they are not the first dishes I expect during meals in a Filipino resto. It turned out that Binot is actually Masas’ pritchon or a pork belly wrapped in tortilla flour served with hoisin sesame and creamy garlic sauce. It almost looked like a burrito, but it had a different filling — strips of lechon kawali! The crispy pork belly packed a crunch in the bite and was a different rendition of the lechon kawali we are used to. The Peking chicken, on the other hand, was sumptuous. Its soft skin was caramelized, giving it the distinctive flavor of the Peking Duck. The soft, white meat of the chicken was also a plus.

I must have been in an adventurous mood to try what they called the dinamita or deep-fried chili fingers stuffed with cheese. The name alone conjured images of dynamite explosions, which I immediately translated to ear-popping, hot, spicy flavor. Being a fan of spicy food, I thought I could muster the spiciness of the so-called dynamite. But then I’ve never tried to eat a whole chili alone. Despite the battling voices in my head, the sensible voices saying think about it and the adventurous one cheering me on, I decided to heed the latter and take a bite of the dinamita. Although spicy, it was surprisingly tasty because there was also the flavor of cheese aside from the spiciness of the chili. Now I understand why Sison-Escudero said this is one of their best-sellers specially as pulutan for beer-drinking diners on weekends.

The desserts, which I always have room for, are not to be missed. And when you say Filipino desserts, maja blanca and buko pandan are bound to come up. Masas’ maja blanca, is a delightful way to end the meal — or even start one. This one packs just the right amount of sweetness. The buko pandan, on the other hand, had a refreshing taste to it with the creaminess of the milk adding sweetness to the dessert.

Those looking for a place to hang out after a day filled with shopping or work can have a great time at Masas, which also offers cocktail drinks. Their gin pomelo is popular. It is infused in finely shaved ice unlike other gin pomelos that are just watery. Drop by Masas in the evening and you’ll be able to find other interesting cocktails there as well.

Masas Filipino Cuisine is located at the ground floor of Greenbelt 2 in Makati City. For reservations, call 757-4030 to 31.

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