Singular Takes You on a Modern Journey through Spain
Spanish cuisine in the Philippines is fairly ubiquitous at this point. Our history with the country goes back four centuries so much so that Spanish flavors are practically embedded into our DNA. Every time I pop a crocqueta in my mouth or scrape my spoon on the bottom of a paellera pan for the socarat, there is a deep familiarity that resonates in me, akin to eating my Filipino dishes like adobo, sinigang, and nilagang baka.
All this to say, I love Spanish food and when the co-owner Singular at the Palace, Felipe Diaz De Miranda, invited MEGA to its pre-opening media dinner, of course the answer was YES. After all, Felipe, Chef Fernando Alcala, and Luis De Isasa Munoz—the people behind this new restaurant concept, also own and run Bolero—one of the restaurants freshly awarded with a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide just this November. It should be, at the very least, something unique to live up to its name.
“What we want now with the tasting menu story is to bring you across other different areas of Spain—avoiding Madrid, Barcelona’s paella, and try to bring you some of those flavors that are important for us, and they are not that known,” Felipe shares. “Singular is a modern culinary journey through Spanish traditions through the eyes of Chef Fernando Alcala.” He points to the chef busy at the open kitchen, in full view of the four tasting menu tables. With Singular, he continues, they want to make elevated Spanish cuisine in the Philippines with 90% of the ingredients sourced from the Philippines, and just importing their Iberian pork and pichon—the pigeon from Spain.
The rest of the space consists of the bar where they plan to serve tapas, a few more tables for bigger groups, and two private rooms at each end of the restaurant. Felipe explains that the design of the restaurant follows the intention of the cuisine. They wanted the place to be a bit raw and rough so the protagonist would be the food. The Kitchen is the main attraction in an otherwise minimalist and industrial design of the restaurant. “We want everyone to really look at them. And we wanted to frame them in a way that it looks like a scene… That is the whole intention of the place, showcasing them.”
As for the food, Singular has two options for the tasting menu—the short and the long one. We were served the short tasting menu with the wine pairing. The tasting menu is planned like an itinerary through Spain’s many food destinations. Each course is accompanied by a short presentation by Felipe with an illustrated card with an explanation of the dish that also doubles as a souvenir. As a lover of stories (as much as good food), this was a wonderful experience and conversation starter that truly makes for a singular experience.
Tapas course: Galicia, Asturias, Sevilla
Before everything, we have the tapas. Because in Spain, that’s what they do. “It’s a spontaneous meeting, you are on the street with some friends. You all have your drinks and you get some bites,” Felipe began. The three bites before us come from the north to the south of Spain. We start from Galicia with Mejillones En Escabeche. It is a mussel with a refreshing and tangy marinade that requires you eat it in one bite because its vessel is a thin wafer-like crisp that would just shatter on you if you don’t follow instructions. Then follow it up with the heartier Serranito de Pastrami from Sevilla, which is like a cute pork bun. Then finish in Asturias with the Bollo Prenao, another tasty bun with chorizo.
First starter: Cadiz, Andalucia
Following the tapas is the beautiful Atún Pipirrana Y Ajoblanco that harks to summers in Andalucia with the sweet tomatoes, almonds, and the wild sea. The ajo blanco is the almond and oil soup, but Singular has presented it as an ice cream, alongside the gazpacho foam. The dish is cool, light, and bright. It doesn’t look anything like the usual gazpacho, or even kinilaw—which the raw tuna reminds us of, but all the flavors are there, familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.
Second starter: Malaga, Andalucia
Caballa en Adobo Con Gazpachuelo is an homage to Málaga’s fried fish shops and the link between Spain and the Philippines through vinegar and time. It is served with gazpachuelo, a warm, silky fish soup that sparked a conversation about how while the most famous chefs in Spain are mostly men, they all talk about how they learned cooking from their moms and grandmothers. “Even Fernando,” Felipe shares, “When he talks, it’s always like this: ‘My mom’s recipe, my grandma’s recipe…When I think of food, I always think about my mom.” It’s little wonder why the soup would remind us of mothers and grandmothers, it’s like a comforting hug in its richness.
Third starter: Castilla Y Leon
Leaving the coast for now and heading inland, our palates take a trip to Castilla Y Leon—a beautiful but lesser known area in Spain with a lot of castles and old churches. The cochinillo is popularly served there, but they also have cordero, which is lamb. “While the cochinillo is the star, the cordero they tend to forget a bit,” Felipe quips. So Chef Fernando wants to bring the cordero into the spotlight with Cordero Asado con Lechuga Aliñada—grilled lamb meatball is served alongside prawn marinated in wine and wrapped in roasted lettuce with grapes. The meatball has a hint of gaminess tempered by the smokiness that does transport the imagination to that dry region in Spain. The prawn complements the meatball much like how wine goes with lamb.
First main course: Murcia, Valencia, Almeria, Mediterraneo
The first of the two main courses is Mero Asado, Arroz de Caldero Y Pepitoria. “As you know, arroz in Spain is a very known tradition,” Felipe begins, “but again, we’re doing Singular things here. We are breaking a bit from the typical rice that you have tried from Spain.” During the 600-year Moorish occupation of Spain, alongside the beautiful architecture, they brought rice into the country. The rice is more often caldoso which is in a broth, as it is served in this course, alongside grouper with pepitoria. It is a warm and hearty dish that gives us a taste of the Moorish influence that left a lasting impression in Spain’s culture and memory.
Second main course: Andalucia
Of course, Spanish cuisine must have pork. Cerdo en Orza con Berza Gaditana takes us into Spanish winter and its deep tradition of spoon dishes. Chef Fernando’s cerdo de orza—pork preserved in an earthenware jar, slow-cooked in its own fat— is paired with berza, the version of cocido in Cádiz, a broth of chickpeas and greens. The dumplings beside the bite-size cuts of meat is a whimsical touch, as if reminding us that pork is delicious in all forms.
Dessert: The Canary Islands
Ultramar is a dessert inspired by Spain’s historical connection to its territories beyond the sea—like the Canary Islands, Cuba, and the Philippines. “We cannot change history,” Felipe says, in acknowledgment of Spain’s colonial past, “We prefer to celebrate what we share.” So hence Plátano de Canarias, a cute creation shaped like a señorita with roasted banana, corn, and rum ice cream. It’s playful and has a quiet sweetness that makes for a wonderful and memorable conclusion to indeed a Singular meal.
Singular at the Palace is located at 11th Ave, corner 38th St, Uptown Bonifacio, Taguig, 1634 Metro Manila. For reservations call +639173098027.
Photographed by JOREM CATILO.
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Singular Takes You on a Modern Journey through Spain
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