FOOD REVIEW: A Distinctive Filipino-Chinese Dining Experience in Heirloom Amah Restaurant Taguig
Photos and words by: Amanda Virrey and Alexandra Heard
Since the pandemic, restaurant dining has evolved into an authentic pleasurable gastronomical experience, made with a nourishing meal that is cooked and presented with love and care by its cook in a pleasant and peaceful setting for the enjoyment and sustenance of its diner; a sacred tradition, which may be better experienced in the privacy of one’s own home if not fulfilled with such fervor and intention by a restaurant.
Heirloom Amah Restaurant, a one-of-a-kind restaurant atop a quaint building in Taguig City, promises that authentic pleasurable gastronomical experience that diners seek out from their own kitchen.
Being at a remote area within the AFPVOI premises, Heirloom Amah attracts diners who may have either heard about their distinctive Filipino and Chinese dishes by word of mouth, or may have seen their spaciously delightful interior and scenic views through social media.
So, people driving to Amah already have an idea of the dining experience they will have. Yet, the taste of the dishes generates a different experience for every diner.
Executive Chef and Heirloom Amah owner, Jose Villareal founded Heirloom Amah in 2021 by an inspiration to create inspired heirloom dishes from his "amah", meaning grandmother in Cantonese. Since then, Amah has evolved into a definitive restaurant and event place, offering seasonal menus based on Filipino and Chinese cuisine that is rendered with a universal twist, employing fresh, nutrient and richly flavored local ingredients that his talented and dedicated team hand picks to ensure high quality and consistency.
Take for instance the appetizers that we sampled during our visit to Amah a week ago.
The Scallops that were served to us were presented in three rolls, each one layered with the savory scallop, topped with the contrasting texture and softening flavor of the snow peas and the tang of a local citrus, called Dayap. It was a fresh and light starter, which held tangy and salty flavors to get the appetite going.
The other appetizer was Pulpo BBQ. A smoky, slightly sweet, and sour creamy charred octopus skewers assembled with corn, homemade yogurt sauce, pepper relish and coriander. Certainly, a more filling starter to usher in the mains that came after.
As for the mains, we first had Wagyu, a lean and tender steak, sliced thinly in several pieces to absorb the complimenting gravy, balanced with the side dish of tofu and greens. Amah’s General Manager, Gab Escalambre, was nice enough to share with us that their beef was sourced from Bukidnon, a province that has a longheld tradition of cattle farming, thus justifying its tender texture and intrinsic robust flavor.
While the mashed tofu side dish provided balance to the Wagyu, the Chaofan fried rice that was served alongside fulfilled the Asian dining experience. You could tell that there was no MSG to enhance the flavor of the fried rice, as it was mixed with ingredients that were cooked well enough to release its naturally rich flavor, like the onions, egg, sprinkles of parsley, and slightly crispy bits of pork.
Beverage wise, we found their Sangria and Whisky Sour as matching alcoholic drinks to our mains. Both cocktails bore just the right amount of alcohol to loosen the mood and subtle mixtures to complement the flavor of the dishes.
The next set of mains that were served to us were the Duck Kare Kare and the Crab Noodle. We appreciated the sequence of their food service; the dry and flavorful Wagyu dish and the complementing Chaofan rice preceding the two wet and more filling dishes, allowing us to assimilate the food gently and gradually.
Amah’s Duck Kare-Kare is one of their menu’s curiosity-dishes among Filipino diners.
When we see duck on the menu it’s usually Chinese style, but as Kare-Kare, we would expect the duck to be simmered in peanut butter sauce. In this case, Chef Jose apparently wanted to give their old duck offering with a Filipino twist and a totally different presentation.
So, instead of the traditional peanut sauce, there was scrumptious cashew butter sauce with miso and banana heart, cradling the steamed pressed duck pieces and micro greens, eventually affording us a more nutritious version of Kare-Kare; one that is packed with high protein, unsaturated fat and rich minerals, and delectably perfect with the Chaofan.
The Crab Noodle, on the other hand, nominates a broadening of the term “noodles”. While the noodles in this dish is made with rice, as in most Asian noodles, this is by far wider in shape, much like a fettuccine pasta but double its width. Cooked in Asian noodle style, simultaneously with crab fat and meat, thick sauce, herbs and spices and heightened with their own pesto – homemade with various greens, cashew and garlic – this unique dish certainly deserves to be devoured and enjoyed on its own.
In fact, this particular noodle dish tastes better when it is cooled down, as the flavors become more heightened and its assemblage can be thoroughly appreciated. We actually had leftovers of this dish for take-away and got to enjoy it more later on with the noodles melded deeper with the crab fat and pesto.
The ingenuity and creativity that Amah’s culinary team has amassed from the restaurant’s conception five years ago and further back from their comprehensive education and professional training at Enderun Colleges, notably their Executive Chef Jose, GM Gab and their Head Chef Pastry Chef Caela, in order to come up with these distinctive dishes, were so compelling. We had to sample their dessert also in order to absolutely experience Amah’s authentic pleasurable gastronomy even if we were already full.
Needless to say, an authentic pleasurable gastronomic experience also involves eating slowly and relaxed. And that’s the thing that diners naturally feel within Amah’s spacious and cozy interior, tranquil minimalist design, high ceilings, wide glass walls, ample sunlight and skyline exposure, and virtually, mountainside view.
So, as our appetite for desserts arose, we chose the Turon Cake, among their other sweet offerings, like Egg Tart and Biko. This dessert was as innovative and delicious as I expected; the topping of cool homemade vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle gave the shredded crispy lumpia wrapper enough moistness to maintain its crunchiness amid the banana stuffed sponginess of the cake. This is one impressive reconstruction of a beloved Filipino dessert indeed, plus an absolutely satisfying one.
Ultimately, through social media, our periphery of restaurants to dine in has become extensive. The remoteness of the location matters not against the normal comprehensible driving time nowadays. Yet, as with Heirloom Amah Restaurant, we discovered that it’s the remote restaurants that actually offer people something worth dining out and paying for. Plus, it makes for an idyllic setting for meetings and celebrations, as well as a well deserved dining retreat to nature.
Amah Heirloom Restaurant
27 F. Segundo Street, AFPVOI Phase 4, Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines
IG and Fb: @heirloomamah
