A light on Filipino cuisine

If you read about Lampara online, it has all just been praises. The neo-Filipino bistro in Poblacion has been called Manila’s first great new restaurant of 2019, so my expectations for this meal were set incredibly high.

Duck leg with liver pate empanadang kaliskis. The chefs behind the endeavor, RJ Ramos and Alphonse Sotero, met while studying in Enderun, and worked together at critical darling Hey Handsome, where they honed their techniques, and it shows in the plates here.

Tofu with pork floss. When you enter Lampara, the impressive decor prepares you for the meal to come. It is equal parts homey and modern, and feels like a fresh, updated version of Filipino interior design. Filipino art adorns the walls, touches of solihiya lighten up the space, for example. It truly fits the cuisine and the concept, making for a seamless experience.

Short ribs. From start to finish, Lampara stays true to its intent, and serves as an homage to Filipino flavors. A tofu starter embraces our Chinese roots by using pork floss and black vinegar syrup. The rice cups are an ode to lumpia, with some of the paper-thin cups enrobing ubod, longganisa, ubod and taba ng talangka. Short ribs use paprika and garlic for a grown-up version of salpicao that melts in your mouth immediately. Dinuckdakan uses the pun to its advantage by employing duck breast, tossing it in a creamy, vinegary sauce that represents the tasting notes of its inspiration.

Melon milk with mousse. The mains continue the story, and almost all showcase deft and clarity. Tanigue was our table’s favorite, with a rich, sticky sauce that tasted like a beautifully-reduced version of the soy and citrus liquid that surrounds our bistek tagalog. The fish was cooked so finely, it remained plump and juicy and decadent. Duck leg with liver pate in kaliskis pastry was crisp, and their version of inasal rendered the poultry so tender and smoky, eating it was a joy.

PHOTO shows (from left) Rice Cups, Dinuckdakan, Bikining Itim and Yema and Tsokolate. While the desserts could be fine-tuned a little better, and some of the sauces started to seem too close to one another after a while, these were the tiniest things I could nitpick about Lampara. The prices are also insanely affordable for the quality of food they are churning out, which makes it easier to enjoy the excellent space as a whole.