By Nana Nadal
IF you’ve been around the Visayas-Mindanao region, you would be familiar with Golden Cowrie. Their Cebu lechon belly and baked scallops sourced from Bantayan Island of Northern Cebu have a solid following. But those two best sellers are not the only items that keep diners coming back.
With the recent opening of Golden Cowrie Filipino Kitchen at S Maison in Conrad, Manileños can discover for themselves why the Golden Cowrie brand has become so popular. Recommended for first timers are the staples on every table—sinigang na hipon, grilled tuna belly, adobong talong and pork sisig. If they’re in search for a little more adventure for their palate, they can have that, too.
The owners say that Golden Cowrie Filipino Kitchen is all about combining flavors that stir memories of the past and provide a glimpse of where our cuisine can go in the future. “While we are known for traditional Filipino cuisine, we also offer our interpretation of the classics to always keep the dining experience new,” Director for Product Development Kristine de la Riva-Kokseng explained. A bit of sophistication was injected into some popular street food. Manong’s real balls are 100 percent real fish, squid and shrimp rolled into orbs, skewered on sticks, and plated in a fancy way. The Salinas Kwek-kwek uses beer batter as breading for the quail eggs.
Other reinvented dishes include the miki negra (miki noodles in a unique squid ink sauce, topped with crunchy squid chops), pomelo salad (pomelo and singkamas in a calamansi-based dressing, topped with crunchy dried squid), pinaupong manok (bathed in hot oil, cooked in salt, and other secret spices) and the Zarsuela de Mariscos (seafood cooked in light tomato sauce, olive oil, tomatoes and coco wine). “We’d like to refer to them as ‘refreshingly Filipino. We enjoy working on something familiar and give it a tweak here and there to make it more interesting but keep it recognizable,” de la Riva-Kokseng elaborated.
Even vegetarians will not be left out of the fun. Golden Cowrie Filipino Kitchen has a special menu for the noncarnivores with innovative items that might make even meat-eaters curious. Wouldn’t you want to try meatless sisig and dinuguan? The mix of conventional and modern can also be seen in the interior design. Cebuano craftsmanship is in full display through the use of Mactan stones and variety of weavings. The vibe is relaxed, it encourages conversation and invites you to order more.
For private events, a function room for 48 persons is available. Golden Cowrie Filipino Kitchen at S Maison can accommodate up to 150 guests. For inquiries and reservations, log on to www.alwaysafeast.ph.
Golden Cowrie Filipino Kitchen is under the umbrella of Cebu Golden Restaurant. Their outlets can be visited at the following venues: Luzon: Hukad in Trinoma; Cebu: Golden Cowrie in Lahug, SM City Cebu, Robinsons Cybergate, Marina Mall Mactan, A.S. Fortuna and Hukad in Ayala Terraces, Parkmall, South Town Centre and SM Seaside; other areas of Visayas: Golden Cowrie in Bohol, Hukad in Robinsons Dumaguete, Tacloban, Boracay, SM Iloilo, SM City Bacolod; Mindanao: Hukad in Davao Abreeza, Davao SM Lanang, Davao SM Ecoland, Gensan Veranza, Ozamiz, Robinsons Butuan, Gaisano Mall Tagum, KCC Zamboanga, Prime Arcade Pagadian, Mall of Alnor-Cotabato.