If you consider yourself a cultured food enthusiast and have that insatiable craving to experience that high life in dining and service, your search might just be over. Bistro Lokal by Chef Miko Dy is the first in Baguio City to specialize in “menu dégustation” of ten to twelve courses inspired by the culinary heritage of the Filipino in the Cordillera and the Ilocano regions. Their tasting menu will give you an elevated perspective of what food is and should be making the experience nostalgic and homey and never at all intimidating.
After 15 years in the local culinary scene as a sought-after consultant and chef, Chef Miko opened his own restaurant, Bistro Lokal, and describes it by saying that his place “is all about the artistry and skills of the chef. It is a passion restaurant, this is not just a business. What we like to serve, we will serve and highlight the experience. We market the talent of the chef, not the food.”
With their open kitchen, Chef Miko says they market the talent of the chefs as to how “life is given to classic food.” So if you often say that you love honest good food and are looking for serious foodies who understand exactly what you mean, you’re in good company. You’ll definitely find yourself agreeing with Chef Miko when he says, “People who eat the tasting menu love food.” Being a regular here will not be far-fetched.
Bistro Lokal: French in Style, Local in Flavor
In its simplest sense, food by Bistro Lokal is French in style but local in flavor. Not convinced? Well, then, get to understand what food is to them through these featured entrees, main courses, Bistro Craft Drinks, and desserts in their tasting menu that was expertly introduced to us by Bistro Lokal’s Chef Reden.
First up is Kwek Kwek Hipon. It is basically deep-fried battered quail eggs wrapped by pork and shrimp siomai (dumpling). As a classic, it is best enjoyed with some “kariton” sauce, baby radish and some greens.
The next featured dish is Kinuday. They cure their own meat with for 7 days and then moked for three to four hours in guava and mango chips, or wood chips from any fruit-bearing tree. Each mouthful is balanced with fresh cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced baby radish, bugnay sauce, kimchi cucumber, pickled onion, sesame leaves, and micro-greens. It bursts with flavor!
Bistro Dinuguan is quite special as a deconstructed dish. Instead of pork, crispy “silet” (pork intestine) is its main ingredient. It is served with the concentrated powdered black sauce and the “essence”of puto – aerated and fluffy. To eat it, pour the vinegar onto the powder, mix it until you form a paste. Take a spoon, mix the paste into the crispy silet, combining some of the aerated puto and “sili” (chili pepper). Its bold in flavor but perfectly seasoned so you’ll want to keep on going
Laing Pebbles is another dish that highlights more of the experience through the ingredients and presentation. Eating this dish is like foraging, looking for pebbles in a pot. The laing pebbles are eaten by hand and each “pebble” is nice and comforting especially that it is made of “nilupak na camote,” baby greens, squid ink batter, tinapa and dilis. The dish is served in a clay pot with some foggy dry-ice effect and then patis-mansi (fish sauce and calamansi) is “sprayed” into the pot. Bistro Lokal’s Laing Pebbles shows the menu’s playful side.
Bistro Kaldereta is Bistro Lokal’s version of roasted beef with the Pinoy twist. Its highlight is the sauce, since it is made with three kinds of cheese: quezo de bola, parmesan, and rich cheddar. Filipinos love cheesy kaldereta sauces, so you know, this is a treat. The dish is made complete with some roasted carrots and potatoes that brings in the sweet side, which is then given that contrast with the right amount of spice.
Guinataang Manok is an heirloom recipe of Chef Miko’s mom. The sayote is braised in patis and sugar; the chicken, panfried; and the gata (coconut milk), smoked. It is perfect for Baguio’s weather and anytime you are feeling homesick.
As to desserts, Mamang Taho is a must-try. It is made with dark rum from grapes, white rum, panutsa syrup, and smoked cinnamon. It is taho in cocktail form or better yet, the adult version of taho. Black Suman Ice Cream is made with Balatinaw ice cream, black sesame polvoron, and red rice crackling. The ice cream is made 15 minutes before serving, always freshly churned.
Now we head over to beverages. The Bistro Craft Drink menu is nothing short of innovative. Lacto-fermented fruits are used to develop the flavor profiles of each beverage. Some selections would use fermented tea, camote leaves, and roasted rice. One highly recommended craft drink is “Kape de Apo,” which is a drink made of roasted rice that is brewed.
Another bestseller is their Hot Choco, it combines the warm spices of autumn: orange and cinnamon. Its chocolate flavor is both rich and creamy. This is because the chocolate used is grown in the Montanosa and distributed by a Benguet cooperative. “Negrito”, on the other hand, is woody in flavor and is rich in flavor. You taste every element in the beverage especially the dark mascuvado. It is like champorado turned into a drink. You get a lot of texture in the cocoa nibs made rich with the essence of cacao and rice.
Bistro Lokal: Committed to the Farm-To-Kitchen Principle
Each dish in their menu is Filipino-made, prepared with utmost care based on their farm-to-kitchen principle. As a restaurant, being connected to local farmers and giving them support is one of the reasons why their food is meaningful. Whatever is abundant in the farm, they use to prepare dishes of the day. So, expect that the menu changes every two weeks. Chef Miko stresses that in Baguio, “we have the best ingredients that we can showcase here.”
The vegetables they use are from Tublay, Benguet and the kitchen makes sure to cook these within 5 hours after harvest to preserve the natural sweetness and flavor. The rice is locally-sourced, as well as the wine. Their Red Rosé and Basi are from the best wineries of La Union and Ilocos. The chocolate in their beverages, pastries and dishes are proudly produced by a Benguet cooperative. The milk and other dairy products are supplied by Baguio Dairy Farm. The meat dishes use organically-grown black pigs from Tublay and Kitayama Wagyu from Bukidnon – a type of high-quality beef that combines the Japanese and native wagyu beef breeds. Bistro Lokal is committed to use high-end ingredients, making sure that the food is within standards.
Bistro Lokal’s Chef Miko and Chef Reden conceptualized the menu for years. Their culinary adventures began in the early as early as 2009 when they were starting out in the city. Today, their culinary creations are the only of its kind thus far. They opened the kitchen so that diners can see how food is made, which entails high training on the kitchen’s end.
As to service, the front of the house is expected to know every dish that is served. They also know every customer by their names. They never serve the food with their bare hands. It is in these intricacies that you know that Bistro Lokal is particular with high-quality service.
Chef Miko says that, “If you eat here you have to really savor it. We do our thing. If you like our food, you come. Kung hindi mo siya trip, its okay.” Point is, Chef Miko would want to be “THE ONE to show people what food is all about.”
So, the next time you need to book a private dinner, special events, or experience their tasting menu, make a reservation at Bistro Lokal. They can create a unique dining experience for you for any occasion, according to your specifications accompanied by the expertise of their chefs.
Bistro Lokal is located at 307 Upper Magsaysay Avenue, 2600 Baguio City. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. The cafe is open in the afternoon. Call for inquiries via 0945 716 5150.