A side of bone marrow and a dash of rebellion

He said, this is “the most straightforward, proper Tiramisu I know.”

But what is a proper Tiramisu? The layered dessert that blends textures and flavors of butter, cream and coffee could not be any simpler, right?

Then I took a bite, and I knew immediately what Chef Wado (Eduardo Tan Siman) meant.

The founder of Brutal by Wadoughs’ version of this popular Italian confection somehow manages to kick a punch into your tastebuds. The textures are the same, but the flavors are bolder in the best possible way. I won’t be giving away the chef’s secrets, though he will pretty much tell you what he made different if you ask nicely. But, oh, I finished that cup of Cold Brew Tiramisu. It was delicious. Brutal, really.

From scriptwriter to pastry rebel

Before he was disrupting Manila’s food scene, Chef Wado was telling stories behind the camera. A Communication Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he spent his early career working as a TV scriptwriter, producer and network editor. But a self-taught passion for baking — fueled entirely by YouTube tutorials and relentless trial-and-error — eventually pulled him out of the production room and into the professional kitchen.

Chef Wado first caught the public’s eye in 2014 as a finalist on the reality TV competition The Clash: Search for the Next Great Dessert Master. By 2017, he established Wadoughs, a brick-and-mortar cake studio on Quezon City’s famous Maginhawa Street. Wadoughs quickly earned a cult following for its rule-breaking confections, famous for replacing traditional designs with witty, pop-culture-infused Filipino humor and an iconic minimalist aesthetic.

The bakery achieved massive nationwide fame when it unknowingly crafted the modest P3,000 custom cake for the secret civil wedding of actress Bea Alonzo and Vincent Co. Now dubbed the “Bea Cake,” the minimalist cake became an overnight cultural phenomenon, cementing Chef Wado’s reputation for turning simple, elegant concepts into viral trends.

Today, Chef Wado has evolved from a boutique baker into a multi-concept restaurateur. His most ambitious leap yet is Brutal by Wadoughs, an edgy, raw-concrete minimalist space in Galas, Quezon City that used to be the location of his parents’ carinderia business. True to its architectural namesake, Brutal functions as a canvas for what he calls his “distorted passion for cooking,” offering international comfort classics and Filipino favorites “brutally” (or unapologetically) reimagined with bold, unexpected twists.

With the launch his latest menu items, featuring inventive creations like the zesty Sinigang Wings, the Pahiyas-inspired Lucban Callos and a rich Lamb Pares topped with sinful bone marrow, Chef Wado continues to anchor his growing culinary footprint on a single, unyielding philosophy: tearing down pretentious boundaries to deliver surprising flavor-first executions that keep the modern Filipino diner guessing.

He likes to call it just “good” food.

Latest menu disruptions

Here is a review of three dishes sampled over a raucous 12-course tasting menu that began with starters of Cesar Salad (yes, it really is Cesar because it has been “Philippine-ized” with tinapa for flavor instead of bacon), Monggo Hummus (will go back for this!), Lucban Callos, Sinigang Wings, Kilawin and Beef Croquettes (using ube instead of potato).

For the mains, unforgettable are the Pinoy BBQ Yakitori(Filipino barbecue, but with a Japanese twist), Salmon Cream Buro Pasta (using kalamansi buro for that tart and salty flavor kick), Beef Kansinigang (the classic kansi transformed into a non-soup dish where the batwan soup becomes the gravy), Lamb Pares and Roasted Pumpkin Risotto.

Lucban Callos

The Verdict: I am going to make a confession: I absolutely hate callos. Or at least, I thought I did until I tried Brutal’s version. Chef Wado pulls off a minor miracle here by replacing traditional Spanish chorizo with the punchy, garlicky, and distinctly sour profile of Lucban longganisa. The result is a total game-changer. The melt-in-your-mouth tripe perfectly absorbs the robust garlic and oregano notes of the Quezon province specialty, stripping away the usual metallic heaviness of traditional callos and replacing it with pure, addictive comfort. If you think you don’t like callos, this is the dish that will prove you wrong.

Sinigang Wings

The Verdict: This dish is the perfect antithesis to Brutal’s dessert cocktails. Chef Wado takes the classic crispy chicken wing and coats it in a dry-rub glaze that carries the unmistakable, sharp punch of sampalok (tamarind). What blew me away was how their house-made vinegar-honey sauce managed to balance an absolute explosion of sour, lip-smacking flavor without sacrificing a single bit of that satisfying, flavorful crunch.

Lamb Pares with Bone Marrow

The Verdict: Trying this dish was an absolute hoot. This is the ultimate, sinful evolution of Manila’s favorite late-night street food. By swapping standard beef for tender, slow-cooked lamb, the sweet-soy pares broth gains a much richer, deeper gaminess. But the real showstopper is the presentation: we were served a ridiculously generous, monstrous slab of torched bone marrow resting right on top. As we scooped the buttery, rich fat into the anise-scented broth, the whole table started joking about the impending blood pressure spike. It is gloriously heavy, hilariously extra, and intensely satisfying — just make sure your health insurance is active before digging in.

Comfort’s delicious discomfort

On the restaurant’s second year, Chef Wado continues to push creative boundaries, delivering an exciting expansion that ranges from heavy-hitting savories to brilliant desserts and dessert cocktails.

True to the Brutal ethos, expect massive flavors, striking presentations and the perfect excuse to gather your crew around a concrete table this week. Head over to Galas, Quezon City, and taste the evolution for yourself.