Lolo Dad's: A simple matter of taste

MANILA, Philippines - It’s funny how simple things lead to big ventures. Take, for instance, the naming of Lolo Dad’s restaurant, a classic Malate eatery since 2000. You know the story: former architecture student turned chef Ariel Manuel, his wife Carminia Ayuyao-Manuel and brother-in-law Ding Ayuyao needed a name for their cozy house-converted-to-a-restaurant. As a little girl, grand-niece Michelle Ayuyao had always referred to her grandfather as “Lolo Dad”; the name stuck.

After a decade of success in Manila, a sequel was spawned: Lolo Dad’s Brasserie opened in posh 6750 Ayala Avenue, Makati in late 2008. Yet Chef Manuel and the brasserie’s general manager, Ding Ayuyao, insist their cuisine was always meant to be simple and straightforward.

You wouldn’t know it from the warm, chic interiors, the modern furnishings and sophisticated antipasto buffet — foie gras neatly packaged in plastic capsules; goat’s blue brie with balsamic syrup you can add with little syringes; proscuitto served with grilled watermelon, among other fancy inventions. This isn’t exactly Spam and Sky Flakes.

But Lolo Dad’s started out as a small, 25-seat restaurant with “laminated paper menus,” as Ding describes it. Thing is, people tended to bypass the simpler, Filipino cuisine and went for the pricier items: rack of lamb, duck confit, foie gras terrine.

Just goes to show that people gravitate to a higher order of food. Lolo Dad’s Brasserie may disguise itself behind the unpretentious name — a brasserie serves pretty common fare in France, after all — but the customers here also want the best.

“We have this item on the menu called Only For The Rich,” notes chef Manuel. “It’s not just for rich people, it’s rich eating: you have duck liver, jamon Serrano, scallops, lobster, all on one plate.” It’s a big seller.

Yet people do also want the best deal in town when they dine out. And that’s why Citibank has partnered with Lolo Dad’s Brasserie (and over a thousand restaurants nationwide) in offering its Dining Privileges Program. The program assures those using a Citibank credit card when dining out that they will receive impeccable service, and the best dining discounts in town. And starting July 1, Citibank introduces its Best Deal Promise, in which Citibank cardholders who dine at partner restaurants are guaranteed the best deals in town compared to other credit card vendors.

Says Citibank Cards Business Group vice president Martha Aguila-Borja, “When we say ‘guarantee,’ if a Citibank cardholder finds a deal in a restaurant where we are a Citibank Dining Privileges partner — let’s say Lolo Dad’s Brasserie — then we will actually reimburse the cardholder for the difference of the offer, in terms of value.” That means if Citibank offers 15 percent off on an entrée to a Citi cardholder and a customer finds a better discount in the same restaurant with a different credit card, says Aguilla-Borja, “They can call Citiphone, our 24/7 hotline number and say, ‘Hey, I ate at Lolo Dad’s Brasserie on this date and found that this other card had a 25 percent discount offer versus Citibank.’ Once we validate that it is indeed correct, within seven days we credit the customer the difference.”

Inspired by Singapore’s successful Gourmet Pleasures, the local version guarantees Citibank customers here the best deals in town. “So there’s no need for the customer to shop around, see who’s offering this or that from other banks, across a whole sea of restaurants,” adds Aguila-Borja. “As long as he uses a Citibank credit card and he’s a Dining Privileges partner, he’s assured of getting the best deal already.”

To celebrate this partnership with Citibank, Lolo Dad’s Brasserie has new treats to offer its happy customers. Currently, there’s a Free Soup of the Day with every purchase of pasta or a main dish, and Free Gourmet Coffee from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with any purchase. The restaurant also offers a Free Pizza of the Day promotion for a minimum purchase of P1,500. And as we enjoy the antipasto buffet, Chef Manuel has two-tiered curate stands brought out. This is for the High T menu, another tie-up with the Citibank Dining Privileges program this August. Diners can choose either an Asian or continental “high T” menu (“T” is for tapas) with a minimum purchase of P5,000.

The Citibank offers are available on Fridays and Saturdays from Aug. 13 to 28.

Stacked in the manner of British high tea, Chef Manuel adds his own visual flair: a bonsai effect for the Asia selection, which offers duck fried pao, shiitake mushroom petite rolls, chili mango empanada and cold noodles with soft tofu; or the continental menu which has jamon Serrano with apricot jelly, marinated salmon sandwiches, duck liver paté and, of course, special scones (with dried fruits and caramel). Each High T service comes with coffee — or tea, of course.

Chef Manuel likes to apply a bit of his architectural background to food presentation. “You’ll notice I love heights in the construction of dishes,” he says. “Also the color wheel, I apply that to plating and presentation in some ways.”

“Lolo Dad’s is all a contradiction — the name, the food,” adds Ding. “We stumbled on the high-end market not by mistake, but by surprise. And because people liked the sophisticated food, we had to get sophisticated.”

The challenge for this 120-seater Makati restaurant was to broaden Lolo Dad’s loyal fan base in offering more “hearty” brasserie fare. “It’s something that you can eat every day, something where we can work with different ingredients all the time,” says chef Manuel. “It’s actually whole-day dining. We don’t want to give customers any gap: there’s a variety, it’s continuous excitement. After the buffet, there’s a tapas menu, then specials for dinner.” But of course, you can still get the kind of high-end favorites that Lolo Dad’s in Malate offers. In the near future, expect an upstairs lounge with sofas for large parties and groups in addition to the street-level dining area. “We’re still tweaking,” notes Ding.

Another contradiction: ask chef de cuisine Manuel what his comfort food is at home, and you won’t hear foie gras, lamb or steak: “It’s soldier’s food,” he says with a smile. “Corned beef, heated up with onions.”

From simple things come big ventures.

* * *

With the objective of being the preferred Credit card in dining spend, Citi launches the Citibank Dining Privileges promising the best dining deals at over 1,000 dining locations. If another credit card offers something better than your Citi Card in any place that carries the Citi Dining Privileges sign, Citi will reimburse the difference.

With the Citibank Dining Privileges, Citi cardholders can savor the joys of having the most rewarding cards in town… literally.