A new Batangas stop
Besides some favorite, long simmered and tasty go to places, some favorite lomi haunts and two very classic Chinese panciterias, Batangas City gets a fresh shot in the arm with the opening of Hot and Cold Café.
Chef Jericho Cabral who came out of culinary school and got his training in Florida decided to shun the big city and set up his home base where he lives and resides. The Café, with its very modern surroundings, has in its menu certain influential Latino touches of Miami and the southwest which seem to be close to his heart.
It’s been a good stop over the past three times I’ve been there especially when I get some espresso cravings on the road. Jericho serves authentic Italian beans coupled with an excellent machine that dispenses a full head of espresso foam. My companions opt for the coffee slushes or the fresh fruit shakes since the restaurant is so near to sources of fresh fruit.
Of the dishes I’ve tried with an American stamp, the Buffalo wings come close to an authentic recipe with its crisp light exterior and hot, vinegary and red chili glaze. There is no sweet, sticky, cloying coating on these that bastardize the recipe, just a cooling, rich creamy dip with bits of blue cheese.
The Nacho platter and the tacos all use stone ground corn tortillas not the kropeck type that is now cajoling our palates and taking over. (I guess Chef Jericho really got around with the Latinos in Miami..)
One quite original and novel starter is a dish of hot and cold shrimps. This is a duet plate of shrimp cocktail and some fragrantly battered deep fried shrimps with seasoned salt and lime dip similar to how the Vietnamese eat their fried food.
The cheese soup is recommendable, rich and creamy with a light aroma of mustard. The Ceasar’s salad is made fresh and not the institutional bottled stuff; it has real olive oil, while the dressing and flavor adhere well to the crisp lettuce leaves.
Jericho’s Baby Back Ribs are tender and fall off the bone with a bold, smokey, and tangy glaze. The beef coffee and Bourbon glazed ribs, I predict will be a hit in the near future having the very forward tastiness of the tangy barbecue sauce and the smoky hints of coffee. The beef on the bone is creamy and tender with the slow cooking it had to undergo.
For sandwiches, the Fajita, Quesadilla and Pulled pork sandwich (anything Latino…) would be my choice since I guess our Chef owner would have extensive knowledge in the preparation of these hefty snacks. I love the sweet sour, vinegary barbeque sauce notes on the pulled pork sandwich. For the Fajita, Jericho has a light spice rub and uses a rich cut of hanger’s steak that is very beefy in flavor.
I’ve also mooched from my table mates sampling tasteful sides of potatoes colcannon and a decent order of Mac and cheese (which strikes me as real American comfort cooking).
Desserts are made on premise and from what I have sampled show the great dexterity of Chef Jekko’s staff. The New York type of cheesecake was wonderfully rich and smooth with a blueberry topping at that time. The Pannacotta had a richness that one could feel up to the cheeks and the Food for the Gods would be a good choice to pair with the tea and coffees offered by the house.
Overall, Hot and Cold promises great potential and exudes the character of its emerging city. Let’s hope the youth in this Café shimmers and becomes a true Batangas City gem. – Article courtesy of Manila Bulletin
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