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The Hungry Hound and Niner Ichi Nana: Laid-back twin indulgences with a twist
The Hungry Hound at night. During the day, the light comes from outside, since the walls are glass.
That it is tucked in one corner of The Globe Tower at Bonifacio Global City was intimidating enough. But at least the place is open for a peek, a variety of pop culture posters hanging on its glass walls. Its accompanying bar, Niner Ichi Nana (or "917"; guess why, the building is your clue), however, is a mystery behind glass adorned by a vintage black pattern that resembles lace.
The nearly year-old twin restaurants have kept foodies interested since August last year, when they were "quietly" launched via social media, thanks to the celebrity of its co-owners ("The Fat Kid Inside" Erwan Heusaff and The Goose Master's Rob Pengson) and the heavenly yet dangerous duckfat fries. The gastropub was closed last Thursday afternoon for the "reveal" of its months-old open secret: something (or rather, someone) new cooking in the kitchen.
The "secret" was Mikko Reyes, former head chef at 2nd's. He took over late last year, said Kim Yao, one of the co-owners of the restaurant.
"We're really just very transparent about it," she said. "Things didn't work out, so we kind of brought [a new chef] in."
The change in the kitchen leadership came with "an entirely different menu," the restaurant's modern take on classic English pub servings. The "different direction for the food" has eased into the scene, even while the interiors of the gastropub stayed the same. Introducing Reyes at this point was "better," Yao said, because "the people are already comfortable, and the kitchen is now fairly attuned to his menu."
Comfort food
Clockwise from upper left: Hanger steak and chips, smoked duck ham aglio olio, foie gras nugget and old bay crab croquetas.
Like most tastings, it's the dishes that come out first, the reputation preceding the chef. The printout of the afternoon's selection before us boasted of pricey-sounding ingredients—or, for a newbie like myself, a lot of big words to digest, no matter how much research came into preparing for the event.
We began with a three-course starter, which included familiar words: Spiced Crispy Chicken. That came in between buns, held together by sticks. It tasted familiar, too, but perhaps more fresh. Later on, Reyes would explain why—the dish was inspired by the spicy chicken sandwich of KFC.
While labeled "mini-sliders" in the menu, a piece of it is filling enough, the slice of chicken crispy and mildly spicy, cooked just right enough to avoid being dry. It's more comfort food, though, than a dish meant to impress.
An impressive dish, however, condensed in something "comforting" was the foie gras nugget, which made for a rich bite, regardless of the sauces that came with it. It's part of the bar menu at Niner Ichi Nana, at around P700 for four pieces.
The mains overwhelmed at first glance, literally filling up our table, but the four-course samplings were not as big on flavors. The aglio olio with smoked duck ham was bland, while the paprika broiled salmon—served with spinach risotto underneath—was fresh but unevenly seasoned, and might have done well if there was more of the chili bacon vinaigrette that came as a mere stripe of orange on the plate.
Between the two "heavyweight" meat dishes in the menu, it was the simpler Hanger Steak and Chips that won us over at the table—a fusion of flavors from Maker's Mark jus and foie gras butter that goes well with the heap of truffle fries. Reyes told us it was a favorite from the new menu.
For dessert were other familiars made upscale—brioche French toast and banoffee trifle, two entrees that were good enough to cap off the big meal we just had.
The part, however, that had us buzzed (for some, literally, perhaps) was courtesy of Heusaff, who was in charge over at the adjoining bar. Each guest was offered a bespoke cocktail: a drink handcrafted based on a slumbook-like card they had us answer, with questions like "Do you like sunsets or sunrises?" and "What's your favorite smell?"
We began with a three-course starter, which included familiar words: Spiced Crispy Chicken. That came in between buns, held together by sticks. It tasted familiar, too, but perhaps more fresh. Later on, Reyes would explain why—the dish was inspired by the spicy chicken sandwich of KFC.
While labeled "mini-sliders" in the menu, a piece of it is filling enough, the slice of chicken crispy and mildly spicy, cooked just right enough to avoid being dry. It's more comfort food, though, than a dish meant to impress.
An impressive dish, however, condensed in something "comforting" was the foie gras nugget, which made for a rich bite, regardless of the sauces that came with it. It's part of the bar menu at Niner Ichi Nana, at around P700 for four pieces.
The mains overwhelmed at first glance, literally filling up our table, but the four-course samplings were not as big on flavors. The aglio olio with smoked duck ham was bland, while the paprika broiled salmon—served with spinach risotto underneath—was fresh but unevenly seasoned, and might have done well if there was more of the chili bacon vinaigrette that came as a mere stripe of orange on the plate.
Between the two "heavyweight" meat dishes in the menu, it was the simpler Hanger Steak and Chips that won us over at the table—a fusion of flavors from Maker's Mark jus and foie gras butter that goes well with the heap of truffle fries. Reyes told us it was a favorite from the new menu.
For dessert were other familiars made upscale—brioche French toast and banoffee trifle, two entrees that were good enough to cap off the big meal we just had.
The part, however, that had us buzzed (for some, literally, perhaps) was courtesy of Heusaff, who was in charge over at the adjoining bar. Each guest was offered a bespoke cocktail: a drink handcrafted based on a slumbook-like card they had us answer, with questions like "Do you like sunsets or sunrises?" and "What's your favorite smell?"
Guests at the exclusive press tasting were each given a questionnaire to fill out for the bespoke cocktail...
...and later got their unique drinks, tailored to fit their preferences based on the answers they gave.
'Take things slowly'
While things seemed a hit-and-miss that day, it was this vibe of wanting to know from its patrons that made the experience at The Hungry Hound less intimidating. The ambiance, true to the English pub tradition, led to free, clustered chatter and laughs. And Reyes, doing his rounds that afternoon, was comfortable enough to ask what the afternoon's diners had to say about his sample menu.
"It's not healthy," he joked, and then told us that he wants to "take things slowly," an attitude in keeping with the laid-back vibe of the gastropub he now calls home. The menu, which is now twice longer than his predecessor's, is only "a month, a month and a half" old, and is still in the process of change.
"We have to study and adjust, see what sells," he said. "I've complete freedom [with the menu], but I also think I should create dishes fit for the concept."
It is a concept he spent time studying, but for us diners it was simply this: a place where a group of friends can indulge—sit back, eat well, and drink. The Hungry Hound and Niner Ichi Nana's novelty has gained a following among people eager for new tastes in an after-office hangout place. And the "cool" young chef on board seems in keeping with the direction the twin drink-and-dine places want to take. — BM, GMA News
The Hunger Hound and Niner Ichi Nana are open from Mondays to Sundays, from 11 a.m. Contact them via Twitter or Facebook (HungryHoundPH), or at 0917-876-9999.
While things seemed a hit-and-miss that day, it was this vibe of wanting to know from its patrons that made the experience at The Hungry Hound less intimidating. The ambiance, true to the English pub tradition, led to free, clustered chatter and laughs. And Reyes, doing his rounds that afternoon, was comfortable enough to ask what the afternoon's diners had to say about his sample menu.
"It's not healthy," he joked, and then told us that he wants to "take things slowly," an attitude in keeping with the laid-back vibe of the gastropub he now calls home. The menu, which is now twice longer than his predecessor's, is only "a month, a month and a half" old, and is still in the process of change.
"We have to study and adjust, see what sells," he said. "I've complete freedom [with the menu], but I also think I should create dishes fit for the concept."
It is a concept he spent time studying, but for us diners it was simply this: a place where a group of friends can indulge—sit back, eat well, and drink. The Hungry Hound and Niner Ichi Nana's novelty has gained a following among people eager for new tastes in an after-office hangout place. And the "cool" young chef on board seems in keeping with the direction the twin drink-and-dine places want to take. — BM, GMA News
The Hunger Hound and Niner Ichi Nana are open from Mondays to Sundays, from 11 a.m. Contact them via Twitter or Facebook (HungryHoundPH), or at 0917-876-9999.
