Hola Bombon shakes things up in Poblacion!
Sometimes, a girl just gets lucky. Last Monday, I scored the holy grail of work lunches: the perfect combination of good food, great wine and excellent company. Last November 18, I was invited to a sneak preview of Hola Bombon, an adorable gem of a resto in the heart of Makati’s bustling Poblacion accompanied by an exclusive pairing of wines from Spain hosted by AWC Philippines and the charming Director General of Bodegas Roda and Bodegas La Horra, Augustin Santolaya.
Both vineyards only grow Spain’s iconic grape - Tempranillo. Sometimes known as Tinto Fino, Tempranillo has to be one of my favourite grape varietals as it has this incredible chameleonic quality and is able to truly express the characteristics of the terroir and the changing climates of each season. We were fortunate enough to taste four wines coming from Bodegas Roda and Bodegas La Horra each respectively situated in two of Spain’s most famous winemaking regions – Rioja and Ribera Del Duero.
We began with their entry-level wines, which are Roda and Corimbo. Roda’s 2015 vintage is soft and friendly with lovely red fruit notes that are so pleasant and easy to drink. This paired surprisingly well with the Pulpo – braised octopus on a chickpea purée. Due to the higher altitudes and drier conditions of Ribera del Duero, Corimbo had much more black fruit like black plum and blackberry plus some spices and balsamic herbs with more tannins and structure. Hola Bombon’s manchego croquetas with a rich and smooth béchamel was a perfect match to this more full-bodied wine. Both wines also paired nicely with the excellent tortilla de Jamon and Idiazabal cheese. Among all the dishes this was probably my favourite – with the perfect runny centre encased in the fluffy egg and potato omelette.