Dish and That

Once every so often a bar comes along that symbolizes the state of trendiness and high fashion of an era. While these establishments don’t usually stand the test of time, they leave behind a bittersweet memory–a wonderful inkling of the good ole days when each night was SRO and the wait to get in was a long one.

’80s pop culture, for example, was dominated by Faces Disco. The ’90s saw the emerging influence of Western tastes with Fashion Cafe and Planet Hollywood. Towards the end of the last century, a new breed of concept hotspots burst onto the scene. They didn’t last very long either (three years was already considered an eternity), and by the time 2001 came around, none could lay claim to being the epitome of cool.

That title went to a place called Dish. "We have something here for everybody," says part owner Philip Cu-Unjieng, who also contributes to STARweek. "We always try to keep the diversity alive, and hopefully our customers will continue to enjoy it. Hopefully, we’ll always be around." If that happens, then Dish would be the first nighttime haunt in Manila to not follow the floundered footsteps of its predescessors, the anti-role model of a fad.

The local bar achieved ground-breaking status when it first opened at the Power Plant in Rockwell. It brought together under one roof seven different restaurants and one central entertainment area. And while Cu-Unjieng, one third of the mighty triumvirate with Rikki Dee and EJ Litton, might not look like your average party animal, he has concocted a simple magic formula that made people come back for more: good food and great music.

It wasn’t easy planning it all out but it thankfully turned out exactly the way he wanted to. But it didn’t come cheap; the owners reportedly had to come up with some P30 million for their business.

Now in a new home in the ABS-CBN Eugenio Lopez Building, Philip is confident that Dish will be even more successful.

"We always had a good business relationship with Rockwell, but we had to leave it mainly because of the anti-smoking bill in Makati," Philip reveals. "Since we were located on the top floor of the mall, our customers found it irksome to go all the way down just to smoke. But that’s just one reason.

"Our location here in Timog perfectly suits the smoking crowd. Of course, non-smokers still have a place here. So all in all, I should say the new Dish is even better than ever."

Indeed, the bar’s sound system is one of the better ones in the country, with state-of-the-art speakers, mics, and other audio equipment. The restaurant’s interiors are quite elegant, too. But its money shot remains the extensive menu. Although Dish has overhauled its seven-fold selections into a single chart, food remains the top priority. And for this Cu-Unjieng and company hired chef Carlo de la Concepcion, a veteran in the kitchen who takes prides in one of the most versatile menus in the land.

Once the culinary master for other fine-dining restaurants such as Melo’s, Carlo says he had a lot of fun creating the menu for Dish. "I was given the freedom to create," he smiles. Carlo incorporated his talents in a mix of specialty dishes, many of them with western and Asian influences. "Since the plan was to have many choices for even the most finicky eaters, I really had to have a generous spread. But of course, I made sure that each dish was handled with care."

From around 56 dishes, among their best sellers are the Golden Prawns glazed with Mandarin Sauce and the Tinapa Rolls, spring roll-style with a delightful mix of deboned fish and salted eggs. There is also Chicken wrapped in pandan leaves, juicy fillets of poultry and fresh herbs with a sweet, tangy dip.

"Our most popular are still the appetizers because they are a hit with the drinkers. These include the Ebbi Fry and Spicy Tuna Sashimi and Napoleons," Carlo shares.

Each one of these dishes has a delectable, distinct flavor but Carlo is quick to point out that he didn’t necessarily fuse the styles of different cuisines. "It’s really just a combination of tastes and aromas but it’s not fusion."

Drinks, however, are a different story. Dish comes up with cocktails that range from interesting to downright weird. Their Sexy Witch (perfect for the ladies) blends tropical fruits with light rum that results in a sweet alcohol flavor. The Chocnut and Tinola Martinis, while not quite pleasing to the ears, actually have an interesting and surprisingly pleasant sip; definitely an exotic treat for the adventurous.

"It’s a pity that people are scared to try new drinks. Because the ones who do actually love them," Carlo says as Philip nods in agreement.

It’s only fitting, Philip says, that they hire the best talents to go along with the bar’s "excellent quality of food and service".

Indeed, the Philippines never runs out of new artists. And at the opening of Dish in its new location last June, several powerful artists including South Border and Karel took the spotlight. Not many resto-bars can claim that they employ artists mainly for their music. But Dish insists that the days when one can get by with just a pretty face are long gone.

The place is usually packed, and as Philip has pointed out, it’s because they’ve got something for people of all ages. "Monday is Retro night while Saturday caters more to the younger crowd with a more modern sound," he says. "We have acoustic, standards, rock, pop, you name it. It just depends on what day of the week it is."

Among the regular performers are South Border, Spirit of ’67, the Akafellas, and Kitchie Nadal. "But having those big names doesn’t mean that we’re discriminating against lesser-known artists," Philip assures. "We let anybody play or open for the main acts–as long as they’re good."

Another important factor for success is price, and Philip explains that while Dish is sometimes perceived to be strictly an upscale bar that caters strictly to the A-crowd, P250 pesos will actually be sufficient for one to have a great time.

"Of course, if you’re planning to drink the night away, you’ll need more than that," he laughs. "We had to adjust the prices from the Makati scene to the Tomas Morato scene, so ordinary people shouldn’t feel intimidated about coming here. Sure, you’ll see some bigshots and personalities, but they stay away from the limelight. They’re here just to have fun like everybody else." While Philip declines to name names, he admits that stars from the nearby ABS-CBN studios are wont to drop by after and in-between shows.

Their selection of beers, the staple drink of nightowls everywhere, may cost a bit more than other establishments, but the food items are quite reasonable, with pica-picas starting at about P120. Just recently, they introduced "special lunch offerings" for the "yuppie" crowd.

According to Man’s Zone magazine, while partner Dee is the restaurateur and the money man (he takes care of the backroom operations) and Litton is the entertainment and day-to-day guy, Cu-Unjieng is the marketing man. And under each partner are managers who take care of the nitty gritty of running the company; a minor detail if you think about it, but a major factor in keeping the partners together.

"It may have been said a lot already, but the great thing about Dish is that there’s really something for everybody," Philip reiterates.

And he’s absolutely right. Spacious, refined, hip, with a delicious ambience of clean fun, there’s more than one delicious dish at Dish, and hey, guess what? It’s here to stay.