Kiss the Cook Gourmet's must-try dish Salade Nicoise

These days, it's almost impossible to read a food magazine without reading about a so-called A-list chef and his culinary school. Even the humble lutong bahay cookbooks are being penned by professionally trained cooks. It's a relief to know that we can still get respite from all that through the efforts of Chef Waya Araos and her restaurant, Kiss the Cook Gourmet.

This is the second reincarnation of Kiss the Cook, the first one being Kiss the Cook Cafe, which was a few steps away from the current location. As the restaurant's fans increased, so did the need for more space. In fact, it's no longer just a restaurant now. Chef Waya also sells cheeses and cold cuts from Europe and from Davao's own Malagos farm, which is where the “gourmet” part comes from. The restaurant has also become an art space. One glance at Chef Waya's personal collection on the walls of the restaurant and one can see that she's a woman who's serious about her art. Fortunately, this passion also translates to her food.

As we glance at the eclectic offerings on her menu, we ask Chef about the main culinary theme. She pushes her streaked hair away from her face and says, “I want to showcase local ingredients, but I want to use them in world-class ways.” Ah, that explains the multicultural fare, but what's wrong with having an all-Filipino menu? Chef Waya says, “When you serve lutong bahay, you're already setting yourself up for a disadvantage. No matter where people eat lutong bahay and no matter who cooks it, it will never be as good as lola's cooking.”

She has a good point. She knows what she's talking about, too, since she learned her craft in her grandmother's kitchen.

While Chef Waya waxes nostalgic about her time in her family's kitchen, our salads arrive and we get our first taste of her food. First up is the Malagos Blush with Dried Cranberries, Kiwi, and Oranges with Pomegranate Dressing.

It is a dish that celebrates the bounty of summer and at the same time, it gives some relief from the punishing heat. The robust sweetness and tartness of the fruits are complemented by the mild Camembert-like flavor of the Malagos Blush Cheese. The dressing brings everything together, setting up the stage for the next salad.

This writer reluctantly passes the plate (especially after Chef says that she's planning to replace the pomegranate with Bignay cherries soon) and digs into the Salade Nicoise.

Like so many of Chef Waya's recipes, this is a re-imagination of the original. Instead of canned tuna, she uses smoked marlin from Davao and the Dijon mustard is replaced by a creamy, peppery anchovy dressing. She keeps the olives and the egg, though.

And that egg! Many people overlook the humble egg, in this case, a perfectly cooked egg. Add some crunchy French beans and some creamy baby potatoes and bits of bacon. Chef Waya and her cooks get top marks for this one, a savory dish with the anchovies and the smoked fish which help to whet the appetite.

We bridge the gap between the salad and the appetizers with a Ham and Corn Chowder, which is apparently a hit with the “people of a certain age” and why not? The generous serving of white creamed corn is accented by none other than strips of Majestic Ham. When the good ghost of many Christmases past knocks, let him in.

For our appetizers, we have the Pizzetta, a freshly baked foccacia with sundried tomato jam, local goat cheese, and arugula. Once again, the chef's penchant for balancing flavors shows here. We get the sweetness from the tomato jam, the savoriness from the cheese, and the slightly tart and peppery flavor of the arugula in one bite.

We also have the Hermit Crabs. At first, we were confused because the little crab cakes arrived perched on clam shells. A clever ruse! The crab cakes come with a salsa of mangoes, tomatoes, red onions, and cilantro. We try them without the dressing first and are knocked out by the crabby taste.

No extenders and shortcuts here! The salsa takes it to another level as it serves to both cut through the rich, heady crab and refresh the palate.

The pastas are next and we’re particularly thrilled to see Spaghetti al Nero among the choices. Few are brave enough to work with squid ink, let alone eat it. A best-seller, it's a delight to have the flavor of pure squid fill one's mouth and then be hit with the contrasting sweetness of mangoes and minty basil.

The Spaghetti Bolognese is another trip to memory lane. It is not the minimalistic, single serving of spaghetti with a sliver of garlic and sundried tomato. It's meaty, it's studded with chopped liver and it deserves the label “just like mom used to make.”

We loosen our belts a little to make room for the main courses. We figured that our grandmas would have frowned upon the words “We're full” and besides, we haven't even gone through the best part of the menu yet. We begin by watching Chef Waya assemble the Falafel Burgers with Hummus and Tzatziki.

Again, it is something that even a lifelong meat eater can appreciate. The falafel is hearty enough to fill the stomach and the hummus (Chef confesses it's actually baba ghanoush) the tart and garlicky tzatziki complete this veggie burger.

When the Five-Spice Pork Spareribs arrives, this writer finds it very difficult to say no to fried pork. The spices here are spot-on. Another highlight is the rice, so fragrant and perfectly cooked that it is actually part of the main dish itself, not just a negligible side dish.

It also makes an appearance alongside the Grilled Afghan Chicken. The chicken is tangy and tender due to the yogurt marinade. There's a strong punch of flavor as the curry hits the palate, though. The same can be said about the Cream Dory with Tom Yam Sauce.

The latter is more tart and complex, due to the combination of the flavors of lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal, fish sauce and chilis. It is normally used in soups, but it works as a creamy sauce, a great accompaniment to the otherwise delicate and mild fish.

Near the end of the meal, a young man stops by to chat with Chef Waya. When he leaves, Chef tells us that he's one of the special children who had trained in her kitchen. One of the benefits of having a bigger space is that it can accommodate her teaching kitchen.

As a long-time NGO worker, Chef Waya seeks to give back to the community by teaching culinary arts to children with special needs. She says, “It's better to give them a skill that they can benefit from, rather than let their skills languish because they have ADHD.”

It's exactly this kind of attitude and food that makes people want to kiss her.

Kiss the Cook Gourmet is located at # 65 Maginhawa St., UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City.