Jason Hyatt, the founder for The Abaca Group, (right) and Chef Patrick Corpuz, director for business for The Abaca Group, discuss the group’s plans for the year at Tavolata in Ayala at the Cebu Business Park. | Photo by Michelle Joy Padayhag
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Instagrammable places are not enough to experience the Philippines.
Admit it or not, the food always adds to the excitement and completes the entire trip.
This 2019, The Abaca Group aims to introduce a new brand to its dining customers especially to those who want to know more about the Philippines.
Jason Hyatt, the founder for The Abaca Group, confirmed that they would open this year a full Filipino restaurant in a hotel located in Lapu-Lapu City.
“Excited about it. We talked about Filipino restaurants for many years,” Hyatt told reporters in an interview on January 31, Thursday at Tavolata, Ayala Center Cebu.
So far, the Filipino restaurant has no name yet, but this will be The Abaca Group’s first Filipino brand.
The Abaca Group is known for its international cuisine-themed restaurants like Red Lizard, a fast casual Mexican; Phat Pho, a Vietnamese kitchen; Tavolata, Italian restaurant; Luncheonette, American short diner; ABC, an American all day breakfast; Maya, a Mexican-inspired restaurant; and Abaca, which offers Californian cuisine.
At present, The Abaca Group is operating 21 restaurants in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu.
The planned Filipino restaurant is also one of the eight new restaurants that The Abaca Group targets to open before 2019 ends.
Chef Patrick Corpuz, director for business for The Abaca Group, said they would replicate home cooking.
“We are not gonna do fusions, we are not gonna do something complicated or twist and all of that. If we call it pork adobo, it has to be the right pork adobo and source the right ingredients,” Corpuz said.
It will also benefit local farmers and local purveyors where they will source out local ingredients.
“This is the perfect restaurant to showcase everything is Filipino,” he said.
What makes the restaurant interesting is that they will not just focus on Cebuano dishes but will also showcase regional cuisines.
Speaking of menu, they plan to come up with 25 Filipino food selections, including dishes with coconut milk, which are also in Hyatt’s list of favorite food.
Hyatt shared that among his favorite Filipino food are laing, Bicol express, kinilaw and ginataang langka./dbs
