The plates exude the elegance expected from a Metronome dish, but with a much ballsier character
Before leaving the restaurant, not long after savoring Metronome’s latest tasting menu, I told the chef that the meal I just had was one that was very easy to write about. And just before I drove off, I thought, I hope she didn’t take it the wrong way. In case she did, I hope this column clears things up.
Miko Calo’s third multicourse menu had the same style, sensibility and substance as the ones that came before, only this time the food was cooked with less restraint and a more devil-may-care attitude. Even she would confess this.
“I personally don’t think there was a major change or shift between the new and the previous menu, since I always work within my cooking style and philosophy,” she says. “I think for the new menu there was just a push of bolder flavors, technique and a stronger sense of identity. My cooking has always been personal, thus the Pinoy influence has always been present, though not as apparent.”The plates exude the same elegance and refinement guests have come to expect from a Metronome dish, but each had a much ballsier character in terms of flavor balance, texture and even temperature.
Take, for example, the beetroot course, a salad featuring the crop along with smooth fennel puree that hid underneath a cloak of roquefort espuma, then was crowned with dehydrated chips. The crunch lent a nice contrast to the mush, while the surprising apricot granita tamed the earthiness of the beets as well as the sharpness of the blue cheese. It’s a daring number, combining two components not many people have a strong fondness for, but Calo managed to highlight their combination, instead of their individual characteristics, making them a lot easier to enjoy.
It’s remarkable also for the chef to take lowly ingredients and give them the attention and appreciation they deserve. Such was the case for the first course where kaluga queen caviar nearly played second fiddle to a dried edible seaweed called gamet, typically peddled in the markets and on the streets of Ilocos.
The malunggay pistou in the hazelnut gnocchi Parisienne with pork consommé, as well as the pinipig and kamias caramel that licked the cured French pigeon breast confit, further reinforced her penchant for placing humble ingredients next to sophisticated ones.
Stabilized flavors
Given all the rich flavors listed in the menu, I thought that the progression would be heavy and dragging. But Calo proved my notion wrong by stabilizing the flavors so not a single one took over the other.
The foie gras custard hit me with a sour scent the second I removed the lid. And though it looked delicate, the taste was the opposite, with the vinegar and sweet vanilla notes cradling the buttery savoriness of the liver.Before she presented the formidable flavors of salted black bean puree and pigeon jus, Calo eased my tastebuds with something light and clean, in the form of turbot that was prepped ikijime style (something she picked up from good friend Bruce Ricketts), the flesh aged for two to three days then steamed a la plancha before being dressed in white radish puree and clam-kaffir emulsion. There was a clear intent in the sequence, and I would not let it go unnoticed.
Of the lot, perhaps the course that most left a mark on me was the lobster, which was cognac-glazed. It was a clever dish, one that didn’t hold back in fat and flavor—fregola pasta tossed in lobster stock emulsified with guanciale fat, made extra indulgent with the presence of lardo chicharron, and beautifully nuanced with calamansi gel and paprika to cut through the richness. The dish can hold its own, but the story behind it made it even more appetizing and enjoyable. It was so haunting—a dish I’ll definitely remember and associate Calo with.
“This menu as a whole is pretty personal because I relied heavily on my food memories, some more obscure than others.”It took months for Calo to be inspired and come up with a new tasting menu. The wait may have been long, but the reward is surely well worth it. INQ
Metronome is at 160 Bolaños, Legazpi Village, Makati. Call tel. 0917-1473776.
Follow the author @fooddudeph on Instagram.
Angelo Comsti writes the Inquirer Lifestyle column Tall Order. He was editor of F&B Report magazine.
