Be whisked away by Spanish-Filipino flare at Hola Bombón
Hola Bombón is a restaurant characterised by its whimsical approach to Spanish cuisine. They often infuse touches of worldly flavours, like Filipino accents, to create impactful nuances in their dishes. A recent four-hands dinner which was part of their series titled Noche De Sabores (rightfully so) prepared by the restaurant’s current executive chef, Rubén Beltran Castellnou and his soon to be culinary successor, chef Ruther Sandico, did not disappoint.
Chef Ruther has had 12 years of experience in high-level culinary environments, having cooked in 5-star institutions located in Manila, Cebu, Dubai, and Hong Kong. His skills have been refined and sharpened, as proved by his performance during the dinner.
These two gastronomes cooked up a storm, preparing a tasting menu filled with welcomed juxtapositions. Dishes were bold yet delicate, filled with crunch and smooth textures, plus had complementary sweet, salty, and acidic hues.
I remember my first meal at Hola Bombón fondly. Confident in experimentation and skilled in creating chic interiors, these restaurateurs had gotten off to a strong start. With excitement, a friend and I walked into the restaurant one ordinary evening, and eagerly took our seats.
The meal began with a crisp eye-catching ube cracker that was topped with a refreshing mixture of eggplant and tomatoes with a savoury chorizo vinaigrette and a crunchy chorizo crumble. The crispiness of the ube cracker in combination with the chorizo crumble contrasted the soft gooey eggplant successfully–I couldn’t wait for my second bite.
