The Frazzled Cook's personal touch

Nestled snugly in Additional Hills, Mandaluyong is a charming restaurant/bistro called The Frazzled Cook. Occupying the ground floor of a yellow, two-story house it appears to be “a huge living room,” as a friend of mine put it. Tables of varying heights, sizes and shapes fill the space, surrounded by chairs that come from different design schools, materials and eras. It’s a mishmash of furniture, a collage as interior design.

A pink chandelier hangs in the center, with low-light lamps around various tables. Bookshelves line its walls and serve as dividers, filled with tchotchkes and gewgaws that wouldn’t look out of place in the antique store situated on the second floor. Books and magazines look well-read, and can be thumbed by curious patrons. On its walls, you’ll find old Chinese posters, framed jigsaw puzzles, vintage photographs and, in one alcove, a Jeff Koons-inspired semi-art installation of 30 Maneki Nekos, all waving. The Frazzled Cook is the latest venture from the people behind Fat Michael’s Place in Makati. Conceived in May of last year, it had a short gestation period, opening in September. Having received a few recommendations and seen some enticing photos, the time was ripe to check the place out for myself.

Jude Mancuyas, the “frazzled” one, said one of the reasons for putting up the restaurant were Fat Michael’s regulars requesting a similar eating experience, but one favoring the northern part of the metro. The menu reflects its surroundings: a mishmash of selections from Spanish, Mediterranean, Italian, Japanese, Filipino and American cuisines.

“The menu reflects our personal tastes; it’s all about the food we love to eat,” Mancuyas explains. We sample some excellent dishes, starting with a squid salad; just the right level of chewy and complemented by the vinaigrette. Next, the spicy lamb kebab with curry rice, softer than I expected, and with generous portions; followed by the grilled Hamachi jaw, which was definitely the highlight. Imported from Japan, it’s delicious with or without the sauce. Dessert was a lovely pancake a la mode, with a slightly crispy edge and a dash of cinnamon. Despite the variety in terms of the furniture, décor, and menu, the place is never jarring.

In fact, perhaps the thing I like best about The Frazzled Cook is how cozy and comfortable it is. Coupled with WiFi and excellent music, which oscillates between lounge and classic soundtracks to downtempo electronica, I knew I had found not just a nice new restaurant but a new place where my friends and I could hang out. Needless to say, I’ll be back.

The Frazzled Cook is located at 916 Luna Mencia St., Addition Hills, Mandaluyong. For information, call 782-5980, 725-3354. Restaurant hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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Check out Juan Caguicla & Christina Dy’s duo show “Stereo 1” which opened at Silverlens on Jan. 13.

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Ramon De Veyra blogs at www.thesecuriousdays.com