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BGC eats: Perro Chiko offers playful take on Spanish food

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Text and photos by Jeeves de Veyra

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Perro Chiko is located at the ground floor of Uptown Parade. Jeeves de Veyra" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/07/09/exteriors_1.jpg"/><figcaption>Perro Chiko is located at the ground floor of Uptown Parade. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA -- “Eat much, eat fast, and eat like a dog,” the grandmother of chef Bernat Playa of the new Spanish restaurant Perro Chiko used to tell her house guests.</p><p>Diners at Perro Chiko could also heed this advice as the dishes here are really meant for sharing to emphasize the communal dining experience the Spanish share with us Filipinos.</p><p>The Lao family, the group behind Perro Chiko is the same one behind the former occupants of the space in Uptown Parade in Taguig -- Choi Garden. It’s no surprise that they have given the same respect and quality to Spanish food as it has to Chinese cuisine.</p><p>For the Laos, the pandemic was a period of experimentation as they looked at other concepts to open and expand their business beyond Chinese cuisine.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Chief operating officer Janica Lao flanked by chef Bernat Playa and sous chef Colleen Almazon. Jeeves de Veyra" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/07/09/chefs.jpg"/><figcaption>Chief operating officer Janica Lao flanked by chef Bernat Playa and sous chef Colleen Almazon. Jeeves de Veyra</figcaption></figure></div><p>Chef Colleen Almazon, the daughter of a trusted long-time employee of family and a scholar of the Laos, helped connect them to Playa. Almazon used to work as Playa’s sous chef in another upscale Spanish restaurant. Both of them moved to Perro Chiko where Playa’s mischievous take on Spanish cuisine was a right fit for the new concept.</p><p>Playa is well-known for his cooking and has gained quite a following. His specialties are the highlight of Perro Chiko’s menu. </p><div class="media-content"><div class="slider-for"><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/07/09/photo-01.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/07/09/photo-02.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/07/09/photo-03.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/07/09/photo-04.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/07/09/photo-05.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/07/09/photo-06.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/07/09/photo-07.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/07/09/photo-08.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/07/09/photo-09.jpg"/></div></div><div class="slider-desc"><div class="item-desc"><p>Perro Chiko has several types of croquettes. Shown here are the Jamon, Escalivada Y Quezo Ahumado (vegetables and smoked cheese), and the Setas Y Truffa. These are nice bites to start off a meal with some sangria from the bar.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>There are some Spanish-Asian dishes on the menu like this Vegan Cua Pao. which is probably the last thing one would expect to find in a Spanish restaurant. This has a filling of fruity vinegary jackfruit that approximates pulled pork.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>In the Salmon Glazeado, Playa topped the salmon and cauliflower puree with an Asian slaw.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Another example of Asian flavors is the use of calamansi-infused butter to add brightness to his Mahi-Mahi a La Mantequilla</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>A favorite was the Secreto Iberico, so-called because Spanish restaurants would keep this entrée on the down low only to be served to selected guests. This is melt-in-your-mouth Iberico pork with a sweet sauce that gives it a ham like sweetness.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>At first glance, the steak course didn’t even look like a savory dish; rather it looked like a dessert, a deep dark chocolate cake. This was a block of extremely tender beef check with a red wine reduction topped with foie gras.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Any Spanish restaurant worth its salt should have paella. Apart from the usual Valenciana and Negra, the paella to try is the Paella del Señorito. For diners who wish to do away with the hassle of de-shelling shrimp and seafood, this is the paella for you as this has been by the kitchen beforehand. Sit back, enjoy your food, and feel like the señor or señora of your very own hacienda.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>For really special occasions, Playa and his team can also prepare Cochinilio with one-day advance notice, and yes, it can be sliced up with a plate. Besides liver sauce, try this out with Playa’s special paprika chimichurri!</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Finish off with the Tarta de Queso, Spanish-style cheesecake with red berries sorbet, or the Chocolate Half-Sphere Mousse which features three textures of chocolate -- the hard shell, mousse and cake.</p></div></div></div><p><br/>Perro Chiko is located at the ground floor of Uptown Parade in BGC. Restaurant hours are Monday to Thurday at 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday to Sunday at 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. <br/> </p>

The dishes here are really meant for sharing to emphasize the communal dining experience the Spanish share with us Filipinos.