For dessert, the chefs take us back to Zamboanga with their light and balanced take on the knickerbocker—a treat playful in both name and form, made here with melon, watermelon, pineapple jelly, pickled longgan, lacto-fermented langka jam, amazake pili nut milk foam and strawberry ice cream. Finally, the petit fours reimagine bang-bang sug, a platter of Tausug kakanin, as chocolate bonbons. There’s the explosive putli mandi (palitaw) covered in coconut, the palikambing (banana fritter) with a luxurious smoked banana caramel, the wadjit (coconut sticky rice cake) with biko and latik and the Bbyaki (corn tamales) with corn mousse and juicy corn kernels. Since bang-bang sug is typically enjoyed in coffee houses, they’ve paired the petit fours with a refined pourover coffee using beans from Miarayon, Bukidnon, sourced from Good Cup Coffee.
Their intention to represent Western Mindanao with respect and responsibility extends beyond the dishes in their tasting menu, colouring their beverage programme, too. With respect for Western Mindanao’s Muslim heritage, Ganuelas-Recto took the opportunity to curate a non-alcoholic pairing—a first for Hapag. Both their wine and zero-ABV pairings echo the complexity and depth of the tasting menu, leaning on full Champagne rosés, sweeter rieslings and structured expressions of syrah and Left Bank Bordeaux for the wines, while the non-alcoholic pairings build intrigue with fermented probiotic sodas and nuanced alcohol-free wines. “Western Mindanao’s flavours are unapologetically bold, so our pairings had to meet that energy,” explains Ganuelas-Recto. “We leaned into spice, smoke and richness, both in the wines and the fermented beverages, to create harmony with the menu.”
Related: It’s Gemini season: Five chaotic wine pairings that actually work, according to sommeliers https://www.tatlerasia.com/dining/drinks/unexpected-wine-pairings-approved-by-sommeliers
