XO 46

 We tried this new place in Salcedo Village, and discovered another good Filipino restaurant.  This took the place of Nano Hana, Japanese restaurant.  

 The Tabla de Chicharones looks really good!!! I wish I saw that before.  Everything we had was really good!  Heart2Heart LOVES FILIPINO FOOD! 

We highly recommend the Bangus ala pobre and the Adobong BAtangas sa Achuete!!!! YUMMY!!!! Many other good dishes still!

Puto  

Which came with a scroll and had a “bugtong” in it 🙂 

Aligui at Itlog na Maalat rice 

There are only two desserts on the menu and they are both good!!!   

A patriotic blast from the past

XO46 Bistro serves up heritage Filipino cooking in a way that will transport you to a more innocent, more cultured and more caring time

Nestled in the heart of the Central Business District is a taste of childhood. A business luncheon or a romantic dinner date at XO46 Bistro seems to drum up comforting and wistful memories of family get-togethers. The patriarch would be at the kabisera, discussing business and politics with the other heads of the family; the matriarch would be in the kitchen, ruling over her hot and fragrant world better than any monarch; the children would be running amok with cloth diapers inserted in their shirts to mop up their sweat; teenagers would be studiously blasé, trying to pretend that the quaint and consoling scene is defunct and boring.

The security of Lola’s house greets one with open arms at XO46. With servers dressed in customary Filipino baro’t saya or camisa, the respectful and old-fashioned greeting of “Magandang gabi Señorita,” the white gloves that they use to pour your wine or serve your dish – one feels transported back to the days when Buena Familya meant excellent manners, respect for elders, pride for country, and good education. With the capiz accents and dark wooden décor, the rattan plate chargers, the tablecloths – one feels ill at ease putting elbows on the table, lest Lola’s well-meaning but strict reprimands distract from the 70’s OPM jazz piped throughout the restaurant. The greenery and lamp posts scattered tastefully right through the bistro – and in its pleasant a la carte section – are a lovely reminder of the romance and poetry of Old Manila, as are the picturesque photographs nestled in the walls – taken by Sandee’s husband, Andrew. Quite frankly, XO46 is a throwback and a pleasant reminder of the classiness of Filipino living and culture before the days of globalization and modernization.

Truly, such was the scene that greeted XO46’s owner, Sandee Masigan, all throughout her childhood.

The bistro gets its name from patriotic origins. “XO” is an abbreviation of extraordinary, whereas “46” signifies the true independence day of the country, July 4, 1946. With this nationalistic moniker in mind, Sandee felt that the reputation and image of Filipino food could use a makeover of sorts, and called upon her past for inspiration. As the daughter of former Aquino spokesperson Deedee Siytangco, Sandee says she grew up loving food. Both her grandmothers – on paternal and maternal sides – were influential: Lola Julia was an outstanding cook, and Lola Paz was a consummate entertainer, a true Doña. Sandee recalls an incident that has shaped her into the successful restaurateur that she is today: Lola Paz had a head cook by the name of Mamang, who hailed from Pampanga. Sandee asked Lola Paz one day if she could be taught how to cook by Mamang. Both Lola Paz and Mamang had identical reactions: if you wish to learn how to cook, sit in the kitchen and observe, but keep out of the way. Sandee eventually started asking questions: how much salt here, how much patis there. She was answered with a curt and preoccupied, “Don’t you know how to taste?” Truly, such is the nature of Filipino heritage cooking: passed down from generation to generation the way we would a gift, with a touch of the personal in every generation that takes on the distinct cuisine. Needless to say, Sandee developed her palette to satisfaction, and leaves a bit of herself in the cuisine of XO46, a sweet and generous little gift.

Sandee is very particular about the legacy she wishes to leave behind with her little bistro: “I want people to remember Filipino cooking. We put so much love into it. We prepared for days! It was a real art form. I want to leave that behind.” This way, the younger generation can and will always understand the flavor, tastes, smells and experience of a more innocent and more cultured day. In a subtly patriotic way, Sandee is instilling pride in being Pinoy to a generation that is increasingly obsessed with gadgets, auto-tuned music and stir-fry.

Sandee paid close attention to the menu, which was then refined by cordon bleu trained Executive Chef, CK Kalaw.

A jolly and agreeable young man with a perennial smile and easy good humor, CK was at first schooled in business at the Colegio de Saint Benilde; but as his heart was completely in the culinary arts, he transferred to cooking school in Australia in his junior year. CK has wanted to be a chef for as long as he can remember. Growing up to Filipino parents in the United States, CK’s childhood was an interesting mixture between Filipino traditions and American independence. “I used to come home from school and there would be a note on the refrigerator: Ingredients for adobo inside,” he chuckles. At seven years old, CK discovered the distinct Filipino style of making stews: throw everything in the pot, wait for it to cook, and do your chores in the meantime. As he grew older, and finally armed with a cordon bleu education, CK learned how to infuse the delicate and artistic French culinary technique into his cooking: what to put when, how much of it, how finely to cut it. This style can be easily detected through the excellent comfort food of XO46. Like a fine perfume, the food’s first note is expected, comforting; a true taste of childhood. Underneath the first layer though exists a harmony of different textures and tastes that explode into full symphony – but that never detract from the integrity of the dish – all weaving together in a beautiful tapestry of flavors that are both comforting and new. Of course, all of this creativity would be for nothing if it weren’t for CK’s impeccable palette – proving that excellence in the culinary arts is both nature and nurture.

Experience working for others, in a five star hotel as a sous chef and an out of town resort as the executive chef, led CK to yearn for his own establishment. By then, he was expert in European cooking; a brief chat with Sandee’s husband, Andrew, about XO46 led CK to perfect Filipino cooking. Widespread experience, a passion for the art and mastery in the kitchen all add up to a chef fully capable at achieving an interesting intricacy in his dishes.

Everything from the complimentary puto that they serve with sweet or aligue butter to their delectable Sopa de Mariscos

to their sumptuous Mejillones al Horno,

to their tempting main courses (try the Kare-Kare,

Beef Caldereta and

Bangus Salpicao with a side order of their aligue rice – which, pleasantly, is not overpowering, but acts as the perfect sidekick to all the other dishes)

to their sweet temptations to their Spanish wines, are all an explosion of flavors and memories. Past and present, art and culture, care and compassion, experience and curiosity, all infuse together like the cuisine at XO46 in an opus that carries the sweet dulcet tones of childhood.

For delivery and take-out, call 553-6632. XO46 Bistro is a member of the Advent Manila Restaurant Group.