FOUNDRY BY SMITH BUTCHERS
Butcher lets in a younger counterpart in the grilling business, Foundry.
The Philippines, like Hong Kong and Singapore, will be the next great Asian dining destination”. That’s a quote I remember writing down a couple of years ago, as I listened to a talk by our country’s top food blogger, and one of the Top 10 travel bloggers in the world, Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet. He was prescient indeed, and his bold statement is coming true. It’s now a golden age for the Philippine food scene. Asia’s reigning Best Female
The shining star of their menu is the Nose- to-Tail platter, a luxurious spread of texture sand tastes, served family style.
Chef is Cibo’s Gaita Fores. Anthony Bourdain has waxed poetic about the “best pig ever” lechon, as well as sisig, and even Jollibee in his TV shows. Bon Appetit honored “Bad Saint”, a Filipino restaurant in Washington DC, as the #2 Best New Restaurant in America in 2016. Sheldon Simeon, whose grandfather hails from Ilocos Sur, is in the finals of Top Chef, the most prestigious culinary reality competition series in the U.S. And our ube has become a global sensation.
Our country is now firmly pinned on the world’s culinary map. There’s enough talent to go around, so there’s no “brain drain” to speak of, even if so many of our F&B professionals, are finding employment abroad. The reverse is actually happening: due to the vibrancy and glowing reputation of the Philippines, so much imported talent is landing on our shores. Chefs with Michelin star credentials are now a common presence, and along with them, many of the most accomplished young talents in the world. Among them, Chef Ranuka Hettiarachchi from Sri Lanka, and Milena Matjošaitytė, a bartender from Lithuania. Together, they’re hammering out a world class dining experience at Foundry, a new restaurant at The Plaza of the Arya Towers along McKinley Road.
Foundry is the “second cut” from Chef Tom Hines, chef patron of one of the preeminent steak restaurants in the country, the Smith Butcher and Grill Room. Menu-wise, it’s a thematic extension of that elegant restaurant, but the new restaurant’s expression is younger, more relaxed, the vibe less formal. The ultra premium, never frozen, wet and dry-aged signature steak cuts from Smith are all present and accounted for, but in Foundry, they’re complemented by many new casual dining and drinking options from Chef Ran and Mixologist Milena.
The shining star of their menu is the Nose-to-Tail platter, a luxurious spread of textures and tastes, served family style. There’s something for everyone: tender ox tongue slabs and succulent ox cheek slices, medallions of prime Irish sirloin, slivers of Matsusaka wagyu served seared and very rare, and at the very end, a gorgeously glazed ox tail. It’s every cheeky carnivore’s dream come true.
The food alone is enough to satisfy every craving, but there’s more to Foundry than the dining options. A sweet surprise awaits on the second floor, a semi-secret drinking area named “Bar Candy”. It’s a bar with a great view, overlooking a less frenetic area of the BGC, and inside, the dazzling furnishings seem coated in glossy kaleidoscopic candy colors. I recommend the “Aye Aye” cocktail: a rainbow mix of spiced rum, cinnamon, ginger, lime, and strawberries.
The secret’s out, but it’s fine. Word about a world class restaurant really can’t be kept quiet for long.