Favorite Tagaytay restaurant opens first Manila branch
Dining at Balay Dako in Tagaytay has always been about the view of the lake. So when the owners decide to bring the experience to Manila, one can’t be faulted for expecting at least a room with a view. No such luck there, but they’ve skirted the issue by naming their newest restaurant after the Escalante family’s matriarch.
Azela by Balay Dako, located inside Robinsons Place Manila, is a 92-seater restaurant that serves many of the dishes one can find at the Tagaytay branch. It’s the first of several, with a second one being planned in Opus Mall in Libis.
Basti Escalante, son of chef Antonio Escalante and owner of Balay Dako, Antonio’s, and Breakfast at Antonio’s, is the one in charge of the Manila operations for Azela and the deli, Pedro the Grocer. His cousin Patricia Benedicto is brand and F&B director.
“We really couldn’t call it Balay Dako because it’s not in a big white house,” Basti told Lifestyle at the soft opening of Azela last week. But those who’ve been to Balay Dako can look forward to many of their favorites that have been included in the menu.
“For first timers, I suggest they order our Binagoongang Baboy. It’s one of the bestsellers aside from our Kare-Kare Classic, Arroz Valenciana, and Kansi.” The last is an Ilonggo favorite described by some as a cross between sinigang and bulalo. The souring agent is batuan, a stone fruit found in the Visayas. The Kansi at Azela is a family recipe that uses beef brisket, pork leg, lemongrass, finger chilies, and fresh jackfruit.
Benedicto said another dish not to be missed is the Crispy Pancit Luglug, crisp-fried noodles with a rich seafood sauce made from shrimp, crab, squid, and tinapa (smoked fish). The noodles are topped with hibi (dried shrimp), green mango, kamias, crispy garlic, tulapo, and egg.
If you have a hankering for inasal, however, you won’t find the grilled and marinated chicken at Azela. “Since we’re located in the middle of the mall, we can’t grill food in our kitchen. What we do have is a fried chicken inasal,” Basti said. “But we’ve also added a few new dishes, including salted fish fried rice and Crispy Maskara, pork mask fried crisp.”
Hero items
That afternoon we sampled some of the hero items, like the Kare-Kare Classic that was a meal in itself. It contained generous portions of ox tail, tripe, and knuckles and assorted veggies in a peanut-rich sauce that was perfect spooned over hot rice.
Our favorite, however, was the Shanghai wrap, a Pinoy party staple. At Azela, the finger-long fried lumpia is given a new look courtesy of a soft and pliant rice wrapper. The result is a play of textures, rich and crunchy but also fresh and chewy. We put in a second order before lunch was through.
You will find Azela smack dab in the middle of Robinsons Manila’s atrium. Why did they decide to open in this particular mall? “Robinsons was able to give us a space seamlessly, plus the foot traffic is really high in this mall. It attracts all classes, from A to D,” Basti said.
Their branch of Breakfast at Antonio’s in Robinsons Magnolia, which they opened a couple of years ago, continues to draw families and groups of friends who look forward to hearty servings of all-day breakfast fare like tapa, sausages, and Eggs Benedict. We pointed out how it’s also become a favorite watering hole of the titas of Manila.
“Yes, you can see them huddled at their tables, sharing stories,” Benedicto said.
Azela is at Robinsons Place Manila, L1–Center Atrium, Adriatico corner Pedro Gil, Ermita, Manila. Call tel. 0998-5527570, 84789698.
