The toque of the town

Billie King and Le Soufflé have become such bywords in Manila’s culinary landscape that it’s easy to forget that it was not so long ago that Billie opened the doors to the first Le Soufflé and brought haute cuisine (or the abused term "fine dining") to a broader audience. One of the keys to Billie’s success was that a novel, refined dining experience was being offered outside the confines of hotel restaurants, without the stiff dress codes and pricing structures such establishments adhered to.

Well, yesteryear’s new thing quickly becomes today’s standard. While we still have much to be thankful for with regard to Le Soufflé’s constantly meeting high expectations, it’s not surprising to find Billie seeking to raise the bar once again. This time around, the King’s "revolution" is aided and abetted by co-conspirators Louie Ysmael and chef Martin Bracker. The nesting ground is to be found in Greenbelt 2; and it’s called Nu Vo. With sleek interiors by Conrad Onglao and Ivy Almario (a sidebar note is that it’s the first time this un-couple is working together professionally after several years), Nu Vo is all about making statements.

Insofar as the food is concerned, there’s a very loud statement being made and Manila’s dining enthusiasts can be collectively happy it’s there for the testing… or is it tasting? To draw an analogy, if it were music; Billie would be the conductor, Martin the featured soloist, and Louie the impressario. Given that setting, you now have jazz-like offerings or dishes coming out with a lot of improvising and riffing. There are variations on themes that are familiar or of staples, and yet are transformed into something fresh and, what else, nouveau. With the synergy of the three, you’ve got a restaurant that’s an event for the taking.

As Louie remarks, "The idea was to come up with something different; not to compete with Le Soufflé, or even V for that matter (V is the reincarnated Venezia). Between Billie and Martin, very exciting new dishes will be coming out of the kitchen. As the dinner crowd dissipates, we’ll raise the music a bit, but never to the point where the music drowns out the clinking of glasses and conversation. When the weather allows it, there’ll also be tables outside and a pica-pica menu that will be available until closing hours. You know Brasserie 8 1/2 in New York? We’re going for that same feel of good food, atmosphere and interiors that are modern and sleek. It’s straight lines and minimalist furniture."

The reluctant interviewee Billie had this to say: "I’ve always believed in word of mouth. Rather than go for a big splash in the papers, I like to get things started slowly, letting the first wave of customers spread the word. It allows us to fine-tune the menu and test the kitchen and front of house staff without too big a demand in terms of service."

Both Billie and Martin are averse to labeling or pigeonholing the cuisine they offer. This much Billie was willing to offer, "Fusion, crossover, Pacific Rim, they’re all used too liberally. What we do have is a mixture of Mediterranean and modern classic dishes. Even when we present a traditional dish, we try to give it a twist. We make the sauce lighter and present different soups and salads – use, for example, a pesto sauce in a novel way. What we have essentially with Martin is a top- notch fine dining chef being made to create in an environment that’s much more casual and relaxed. The location necessitates that we make the fare affordable so that a brisk lunch crowd can also be catered to. For what’s being offered, I think we have excellent price points."

Martin adds, "What I bring is my experience in Europe. After completing my master’s degree, I had stints which involved French, Italian and Greek cuisine. All these along with my native German background are the influences that rule my kitchen. We’re constantly searching for what’s available locally and are still in the process of tweaking the menu. What’s encouraging is that a number of items are already being referred to as favorites by the patrons who have come back several times since we opened. So we have an inkling of what will form the core of our menu."

Unfortunately, the busy Nu Vo traffic has not given Martin an opportunity to hie off to Bohol and indulge in some diving, something he remembers fondly from a short stint here in the Philippines a couple of years ago when he was personal chef to a retired German executive who lived in Alabang.

The very innovative menu has several items destined to be favorites. The sardines with pommery mustard and fettuccine are a must among the appetizers. And while I joked with them that there was some fish masquerading as sardine, the dish itself spoke volumes of how imaginative the Nu Vo kitchen is.

Billie and Martin are especially proud of the salad and soup selection. Highlights here are the pumpkin and ginger soup with a dash of pesto and the creamy cauliflower celeriac soup. The Salad Nu Vo, with potatoes, green beans, deep fried egg and tuna in French dressing, is a must.

The old Billie standard panfried foie gras comes with mashed potatoes, truffle jus and caramelized apples. While I couldn’t complain of this Nu Vo twist, I did feel that this version lacked texture and bite, as everything in the dish was so soft. Couldn’t help feeling this was the dish Nu Vo could serve to teething infants. Perhaps, that’s just may be what others are looking for.

One main dish I tried was the pesto cheese tortellini with sea bass wrapped in zucchini. If you are looking for a lighter main dish without dipping into the meat dishes, this I can recommend.

On another occasion, I had the crispy lapu-lapu with creamy cucumber and potatoes. This was a fine example of how Martin is redefining fish in sauce. The fish fillets were swimming in an exquisite tarragon and champagne emulsion that kept the sauce from being too rich or creamy. It was light, it was subtle, it was excellent.

A friend commented how, when entering a new restaurant, he goes for the most basic of dishes to see why the kitchen would include this in the menu and how they would put a twist on this staple. He went for the spaghetti carbonara with mushrooms, and while I haven’t had the chance to dip into it myself, he was sold on the genius of Martin in the kitchen.

For vegetarians, there’s an interesting set of dishes. For example, a mille feuille of spinach, tomatoes and gruyere. Consistent with most of the dishes is how Martin puts in an unexpected or non-traditional ingredient or element into the menu item. Just reading it allows us to anticipate or wonder just how the dish will taste and work.

As for the New York feel that Louie et al. were going for with the interiors, Nu Vo certainly makes a statement. The bay windows are practically from floor to ceiling, and we are talking about a two-storey establishment. There are Lucite shelves wrapped around the two pillars that establish the central bar area found underneath interesting fabric- shrouded chandeliers. The Ivy Almario-touch is evident in the arrangements that dot the walls just beneath the ceiling line. The sofas on the second floor are testimony to the idea that people can lounge after dinner and enjoy the three C’s – cigar, cognac and conversation. And the far wall on your right as you enter is a light show in itself.

While the other partners – Iñigo Zobel, Ed Roxas, and Philip Cruz, among others – have elected to remain in the background, Louie can proudly state, "When we came up with the name, we clearly differentiated the two syllables, Nu was obviously referring to new, to something novel that we were establishing. And Vo represented vogue, that we were stating this was the fashion, a defining of not only what a Manila restaurant could now offer food-wise, but even in terms of its look and ambience. We can only hope that we have succeeded, and the test here will be how people react. So far, so good."

It is quiet confidence such as this, the dishes that I tasted, and Billie’s time-honored word of mouth that augur well for Nu Vo becoming this year’s culinary byword.