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Nouel Catis

Jeeves De Veyra

MANILA -- The Tasteless Food Group brings a different kind of Middle Eastern sweet and savory collaboration to the Balmori Chef’s Table in &quot;Khaiba,&quot; featuring Chef Sonny Mariano and the dessert architect of the celebrated Dubai Pistachio Chocolate Bar, Chef Nouel Catis.It’s a collaboration that’s truly ka-Khaiba — the Arabic word for surprise, and a clever play on the Tagalog word for “different.”<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17504008708111750400856314.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/> Chefs Nouel Catis and Sonny Mariano. Jeeves de Veyra</div>Catis’ illustrious pastry career had humble beginnings, baking under the watchful eye of his mother at their family bakery in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte. He moved to Manila to work at the Hyatt Regency, and after just one year, received an invitation to join the kitchens of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai — making him one of the first Filipino chef to do so. Since then, he’s created desserts for the Sofitel Resort and Spa in Fiji, The Westin Beijing, and the Kempinski Ishtar Hotel at the Dead Sea in Jordan.His viral dessert Can’t Get Knafeh of It, a playful spin on knafeh — which he describes as the Arabic version of New York cheesecake — marked the start of his personal brand and entry into the spotlight. Catis is now independent and runs SNA’AP Chocolates out of Dubai.On the savory side is Tasteless Group consultant chef Mariano, whose creations appear on the menus of The Matcha Tokyo, Scout’s Honor, and Seafood &amp; Oyster Bar. His approach mirrors the spirit of Patrick Go’s recent collaborations with the &quot;Culinary Class War&quot; chefs, where Filipino dishes are reimagined with Korean ingredients. Here, Mariano adds Arabic fruits and spices seldom seen in local kitchens — like apricots, figs, za’atar, and sumac — to familiar Filipino fare.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17504010368291750401024931.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Sinigang Kebab. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Sinigang Kebab. Jeeves de Veyra</div>Take, for example, the wagyu beef sinigang skewers, which are exceptionally melt-in-your-mouth tender with prunes adding flavor to the tamarind glaze.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17504011908891750401178675.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Bibingka. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Bibingka. Jeeves de Veyra</div>Bibingka is traditionally a dessert, but here, it&#x27;s best dabbed with clotted cream and adobo pâté, then drizzled with date honey. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17504012446871750401232037.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Kinilaw. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Kinilaw. Jeeves de Veyra</div>Sumac serves as the souring agent in the GenSan tuna kinilaw, chilled with atchara sorbet. It’s too pretty and colorful plate to mess up — but mix you must, to enjoy the full experience.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17504017578581750401766608.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Laing Papadum. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Laing Papadum. Jeeves de Veyra</div>On a more inventive note, Mariano creates a bold baba ganoush by mixing tahini, eggplant, and laing, served with crisp, spicy papadums. The dip is thick and dense — best spooned directly onto the cracker.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17504017837981750401793651.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Inasal. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Inasal. Jeeves de Veyra</div>My favorite main dish was the inasal. The chicken is juicy and faithful to the Ilonggo original, but what sets it apart is the razor-thin, lemony chicken skin topped with za’atar.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17504018077191750401817827.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Lamb Caldereta. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Lamb Caldereta. Jeeves de Veyra</div>The lamb caldereta, slow-cooked in a tajine, is as expected fall-off-the-bone tender, enriched with the fruity notes of apricot and fig.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17504018574011750401867675.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Miso Mufti Prawns. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Miso Mufti Prawns. Jeeves de Veyra</div>The prawns — topped with miso and served over a bed of tangy mufti, a seafood sauce common in Dubai — were flavorful but a bit tough to eat, as the shell made the meat hard to access.And of course, since Catis is the visiting chef, there had to be room for dessert.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17504018944201750401904900.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Halo-Halo. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Halo-Halo. Jeeves de Veyra</div>His halo-halo tribute to the Burj Khalifa reimagines the Filipino classic: an ube cheesecake forms the central structure, topped with pastry shards and poured over with vanilla bean-infused evaporated milk. It felt like a shame to demolish this edible skyscraper just to mix it all up.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17504019173611750401927793.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Honey, Mangga Please. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Honey, Mangga Please. Jeeves de Veyra</div>Honey, Mangga Please combines his favorite flavors — mango, coconut, and candied cake. It may look like a sans rival, but it’s more akin to a mille-feuille with its layered sponge cake structure.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1750401965301KHAIBA 10.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Habibi, I Come From Dubai. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Habibi, I Come From Dubai. Jeeves de Veyra</div>Finally, there’s the dessert that made Catis famous: the viral chocolate bar reimagined as Habibi, I Come From Dubai, a lusciously rich chocolate cake with pistachio filling, piped with brown pistachio cream, with a side of soft-serve pistachio ice cream.The Tasteless Group’s pop-ups at the Balmori Chef’s Table are always something to look forward to. With &quot;Khaiba,&quot; diners get a shockingly different taste of the Middle East — without the need for a plane ticket.<div>&#x27;Khaiba&#x27; runs daily until July 13, 2025 at the Balmori Suites Chef’s Table in Rockwell, Makati.</div>

'Khaiba' brings you a taste of the Middle East with a Filipino twist. Featuring inventive takes like wagyu sinigang with prunes, and a pistachio dessert named Habibi, I Come From Dubai.

'Khaiba' brings you a taste of the Middle East with a Filipino twist. Featuring inventive takes like wagyu sinigang with prunes, and a pistachio dessert named Habibi, I Come From Dubai.

Knafeh meets kinilaw: Nouel Catis comes home in Balmori’s latest collab

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Knafeh meets kinilaw: Nouel Catis comes home in Balmori’s latest collab

Jeeves De Veyra

Published Jun 20, 2025 02:53 PM PHT

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Khaiba

Nouel Catis

Balmori Suites

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