BUENA ONDA
Whether you’re looking for excitement on an evening out with friends or a cool location for a casual meal, HOLA BOMBON sets the tone with its curated menu of inspiring flavors served in the context of good vibrations
Opening its doors November of last year, Hola Bombon (which translates to “Hey, Beautiful!”) is one of Poblacion’s recent night haunts that has gained an increasing following for its festive ambiance, vibrant tones, and feel-good music. Not to mention an offering of Spanish recipes with a touch of Filipino influence and a mixology set that will surely knock your socks off, the pintxos bar and restaurant reinvigorates the district's wine and dine scene.
Hola Bomnbon's managing partners—Kaity Chua-Jayme, Marie Garcia, Maria Orozco, Nikki Recto, Alberto Sbabo, and Isa Garcia-Sicam— transport guests and diners to the coastal city of San Sebastian in Spain with the colorful space. And with Barcelona import Chef Ruben Beltran Castellnou, authentic flavors from the region come to life and further the experience.
From the rattan furniture and solihiya weave details which celebrate their Filipino roots to the Machuca tiles and the bright and playful shades of red, green, and yellow that pay tribute to Hola Bombon’s Spanish flavors, the atmosphere is perfect for a relaxed afternoon or an exciting evening. Each recipe on its menu integrates Spanish techniques and employs the use of local ingredients. On one fine morning, the Lifestyle Asia team was honored to be given a chance to sample their tasty dishes.
BITE-SIZED BESTSELLERS
For starters, the Hola Bombon Bravas, a typical Spanish dish primarily served as an appetizer. While a deep-fried potato recipe is nothing new, what makes this special is the process of layering fine sheets of potato which results in a crunchy exterior. The spicy tomato sauce is served in generous amounts—we finished a serving with still a bit of it left.
While there are main dishes to be tasted later, the real stars of Hola Bombon are its pintxos. Pintxos, eaten in one bite or two, are staples in Basque cuisine. But more than the ease of eating a piece of sliced bread with toppings, it is the socializing component that makes this snack the perfect party fixture. We tried some of their bestsellers.
The Salmon pintxo, which is salmon sashimi with crabmeat underneath and onion and microgreens on top, was a refreshing ode to the coastal towns of the region. The Enseladilla on the other hand, a pintxo of potato salad (which we found out to be a traditional Spanish home dish) with chorizo and olives nestled on a bed of a popped chicharron was a fitting homage to the amalgamated theme. The Jamón pintxo—a piece of jamón serrano wrapped around cream cheese, shallots, and a quail egg—surprises the palate as the yolk from the egg oozes inside the mouth upon bite. And last of the obra maestras, the Foie pintxo. The thick creamy slice of pan-seared foie gras juxtaposed by the tart mango jam and pickled green mango on top is a magnificent play on flavors.
THE MAIN EVENT AND MORE
For the mains, three dishes were presented to our team. The first one is a serving of Pulpo—braised octopus with chickpea purée.. The flavors of each component blend well together. It is a sumptuous meal when paired with a bottle of red wine.
No Spanish restaurant would be complete without a cochinillo. Hola Bombon serves theirs in portions that could serve a small table. The thoughtful gesture invites guests to sample their 12-hour cooked roast pig that is served with a side of orange camote puree with roasted garlic and rosemary. Succulent in every bite, the well-cooked meat falls off from the bone. Chef Ruben shares that although you can order in advance, walk-in diners can also order with 45-minutes to one hour of preparation time.
Lastly, a plate of Fideuà de Sepia y Almejas, a dish similar to that of paella wherein instead of using rice, noodles provide the element of starch. Noteworthy are the textures from the tender cuttlefish and the clams combined with the crunchy socarat. And with such a generous serving, an order can feed a party of two to four people. Originating from Valencia, the dish is elevated with a Filipino twist—some malunggay aioli to add kick.
Of course, desserts are just as essential. We had the Churros con Coco and Cremoso de Idiazabal. While the churros and the coconut accompaniment were fine and absolutely delightful, the Cremoso de Idiazabal was a unanimous favorite. Chef Ruben’s brilliant idea of a deconstructed cheesecake highlights each well-loved component of the dessert. The softness of the Pinoy mamon and the crunchiness of the Catalan biscuit give a variety of consistencies, while the sweet caramelized apple jam and the rich Idiazabal (a smokey pressed cheese from unpasteurized sheep milk) provide diversity in flavor. How does one eat a bowl of this? “For me, try to have a bit of everything,” suggests Chef Ruben.
HAVE A GLASS OR TWO
Bringing life and excitement to any festivity is a wellstocked bar with its well-curated menu of wine, cocktails, and spirits. After all, with Hola Bombon’s nightly festivities, a decent amount of alcohol is imperative to sustain the merry mood of the evening crowd.
American children’s book author E.B. White called the martini “the elixir of quietude,” moreso with a sip from Hola Bombon’s mix. Compared to the classic martini blend which has equal parts gin and vermouth, Hola Bombon’s rendition puts the spotlight on the base by lessening its vermouth composition, a common practice in Spain. Unlike most other bars where the martini is served in a large cocktail glass to accommodate more amounts of the liquid, the bar goes the extra mile by using a handy-sized glass—with the rest of the contents on a small jar chilled in a bowl of ice. It is a welcome gesture—assuring guests that they can dance with drink in hand, without compromising the Martini’s recommended temperature.
One of the house blends’ bestsellers, the Lope de Vega is Hola Bombon’s signature take on the G&T. Paired with lemon as another citrus element, the pomelo is combined with syrup and acts as a saccharine component. The consequence is a poetic bittersweet taste, a fitting ode to the central themes of the drink’s eponymous Spanish writer—rich in history and full of intrigue. Another favorite on their mixology set is the Tenerife Sea, which the barista says is a hefty procedure due to the clarified milk needed in creating the drink. Interestingly, clarification is a centuries-old process where milk is added to the cocktail, curdling the milk. The punch is then strained to
remove the curds. This process removes most of the color and cloudiness from the drink, clarifying it and resulting in a well-rounded and rich drink sans the heaviness of the dairy. The Tenerife Sea is what most people would call a ladies’ drink for the milk punch’s sweet flavors, smooth and silky finish, and the pretty miniature aquarium-like glass that holds it, but it is a drink that men too will find equally fantastic, as I did.
EVERY DAY IS A CELEBRATION
Isa points out how Hola Bombon’s whereabouts perfectly suited their pintxos concept, “We felt like Poblacion was a great location for us because of the behavior of eating Spanish food, particularly pintxos, in Spain. You walk from one restaurant to the next and Poblacion is a place where people just walk—they park their cars and then they hop from one bar to another.”
The strategy obviously worked, with the area’s party-goers filling the place on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. “Why Wednesday?” you ask? Hola Bombon serves an eat-all-you-can pintxos feast every Wednesday with Todo Miércoles. And with Noches de Fiesta, guests can partake in unlimited swigs of gin for a price from 9pm to 11:30pm every night—a smart move that brings crowds who continue their binge until later in the early hours. “Gin and tonics are very big in Spain and it really goes well with
our food,” she notes.
On Thursdays, the bar indulges the evening crowd with music, care of talented DJs with some coming from the Groove Manila group. Sundays cater to exciting family meals—Hola Domingo offers an all-you-can-eat menu with a mix of pintxos and tapas. Isa also invites guests to try their seasonal and occasion-based menus, citing New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day specials to be quite successful. In the future, the group intends to create a Flamenco Night, bringing in flamenco dancers and a curated menu. This is part of their initiatives to introduce Spanish traditions to the Poblacion crowd.
Though just a few months old, the growing fanbase of Hola Bombon is a testament to its potential as one of the area’s top crowd drivers. And with a team full of aces up their sleeves, the expectations are pretty high. For Poblacion, the long-proven formula of good food and good company is already in the bag. The battle is in sustaining the lively disposition of its extremely picky market. Hola Bombon, teases and titillates—and quite effectively, as a matter of fact.