Head Chef Karl Emsen
MICHELIN-starred British celebrity chef Jason Atherton’s restaurant Pig & Palm is raising the bar on dining in Cebu City.
The 16th restaurant worldwide of critically acclaimed The Social Company Group, The Pig & Palm, a “love letter” of Jason Atherton to his Cebuana wife Irha opened over a year ago in partnership with Cris and Carla Mckowen (nee Salimbangon-Yeung) at the family’s MSY Tower along Pescadores Street in Cebu Business Park.
The 70-seater elegant restaurant has a Tapas Bar and a Chef’s Table.
Together with Chef Jason Atherton who is London-based, Executive Chef Karl Emsen is embracing the Michelin-star standards in The Pig & Palm culinary creations by using top quality ingredients, introducing distinct flavors and preparing them with a consistently high standard.
Only 33 years old, Chef Emsen’s experience with Michelin-starred establishments has prepared him well to capture the palates of Cebuanos.
After working abroad, he went back to London to open Gordon Ramsey’s 2-Michelin-starred Petrus before joining Jason Atherton’s Social Group where he was part of the opening team for London, New York, Dubai, Hongkong, Sydney and Cebu.
This holiday season, Chef Emsen offers the grandeur of Christmas on a plate at the Pig & Palm.
The exquisite Holiday Menu offers a three-course lunch or dinner with three choices each for appetizer, main course with sides and dessert, pegged at only P/1250 per head with a minimum of four persons.
A Special Roast Turkey, slow cooked stuffed with bacon and sage brioche with crushed pumpkin, served with cheese cauliflower, buttery mashed potato, gravy and cranberry sauce, must be pre-ordered.
After meeting and exchanging pleasantries with Cris Mckowen, we were welcomed in the private dining room with a festive table. The aroma of Christmas spices from the Mulled Wine in an elegant pot filled the room.
Mulled wine is very popular and traditional in UK during Christmas, which consists of red wine, spices (cloves, cinnamon sticks peel, maple honey syrup) and is usually served warm.
The starting choices were passed around and I singled out Chicken Liver Parfait served with toasted brioche and onion jam.
The silky richness of the liver was balanced by the onion jam.
The holiday colors of Beetroot and vodka-cured Salmon with horseradish and mustard yoghurt played delicious in our palates. A bite of the Duck Agnolotti completed the trio of choices.
The main courses offer deliciously tender Braised Pork Belly, perfectly Roasted Chicken or Pan-Fried Parrot Fish with mashed potato, English peas and lobster bisque.
All the dishes were styled with pizzazz, which adds to the flavors and textures for that holiday feel. Spiced apples paired well with the flavors of the pork belly. I liked the potato fondant served with the roast chicken.
Potato fondant involves cutting potatoes into cylinders, pan-seared until golden brown, and simmered in stock with final addition of butter, garlic and herbs.
Cauliflower Cheese side dish goes well with the fish and meat dishes. To finish, dessert choices were just as cheerfully impressive.
The Pig & Palm Tiramisu was deconstructed with the usual delicious layers served generously on the plate—mascarpone cheese, chocolate crémeux and coffee jelly.
The Chocolate Fondant with Christmas Pudding ice cream and Chocolate-Orange Bread Pudding with mulled wine poached pear were absolutely Christmassy.
