Vlad Bunoan

Restaurant Idalia x Ola by Siesta Tasting Experience (left) and horchata artisan Paola Huyong. Handout

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17821922866880623.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Restaurant Idalia x Ola by Siesta Tasting Experience (left) and horchata artisan Paola Huyong. <em>Handout</em></span></span></span></div><p>For many diners, horchata is a simple pleasure, the kind of drink more commonly found in cafés and casual eateries. Rarely does it command serious attention, much less anchor an entire tasting menu.</p><p>That was precisely the premise behind a special two-night collaboration staged over Father&#x27;s Day weekend between Restaurant Idalia and Ola by Siesta that puts the culinary spotlight on horchata.</p><p>The five-course tasting experience gave equal weight to food and drink, with each course designed as a complete pairing meant to be enjoyed together.</p><p>Idalia has built a reputation around fermentation, fire, and handcrafted elements that transform familiar ingredients into something more nuanced. Ola by Siesta, meanwhile, has been pushing horchata beyond its traditional form, creating contemporary interpretations that draw from modern café culture.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/food-travel/2025/10/10/makati-eats-at-restaurant-idalia-chef-kevin-david-cooks-more-like-a-jazz-star-1214">At Restaurant Idalia, Chef Kevin David cooks more like a jazz star</a></div><p>Together, they crafted a menu that explored horchata&#x27;s evolution — from its Latino origins to more modern variations — while demonstrating how the beverage can function much like wine in a tasting menu, enhancing flavors and creating contrast throughout a meal.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>5 courses</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1782191498125726948249_1742903063690558_8281556313501976227_n.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Focaccia and Horchata de Chufa. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>The evening began with horchata in its most traditional form. A glass of Horchata de Chufa, made from Spanish tiger nuts, arrived alongside sourdough focaccia served with whipped brown butter and smoked honey. Historically, horchata was often enjoyed with bread, making the pairing a fitting introduction to the beverage&#x27;s roots.</p><p>The dish itself was simple but effective. The sweetness of the honey and the richness of the butter highlighted the refreshing qualities of the drink, establishing a baseline for what horchata can be before the menu ventured into more creative territory.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1782191519926728184247_4573622092909459_6089675077441362702_n.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Tostada and Butter Beer Horchata. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>The most assertive course followed. A tostada topped with octopus, scallops, and salsa macha delivered layers of spice, smoke, and seafood sweetness. To accompany it came perhaps the evening&#x27;s most playful interpretation of horchata: a Butter Beer Horchata inspired by the famous Harry Potter drink.</p><p>Built on a horchata base layered with root beer and topped with butterscotch foam, the drink was intended to provide relief from the heat of the salsa macha. Stirred together, it worked as a refreshing counterpoint to the dish&#x27;s bold flavors.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1782191536415729754138_778642618603903_9106120862339147825_n.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Coffee-cured Salmon and White Lychee Horchata (left) and Mushroom Risotto and Black Peach Horchata. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>The third course had coffee-cured salmon served with whipped cream cheese, red bell pepper, and a crisp sourdough crouton dusted with nori and black sesame. The salmon, sliced thinly, offered a deeper, more complex flavor profile than the traditional gravlax, while the cream cheese and crouton added richness and texture.</p><p>It was paired with a White Lychee Horchata, whose light fruit notes served as a palate cleanser after the salmon&#x27;s intense coffee undertones. The pairing emphasized contrast rather than similarity, allowing the drink to refresh the palate between bites while introducing another dimension of horchata&#x27;s versatility.</p><p>If there was a standout dish of the evening, it was the mushroom risotto. Made with arborio rice, three varieties of mushrooms, Parmesan, and cilantro oil, the dish delivered deep, earthy flavors and a satisfying umami richness. It was comforting without feeling heavy, showcasing Idalia&#x27;s ability to extract maximum flavor from relatively restrained ingredients. </p><p>Its companion was a Black Peach Horchata made with black rice and accented by subtle peach notes. This proved to be the evening&#x27;s most successful pairing. The drink never overwhelmed the risotto. Instead, its gentle sweetness and understated fruit character softened the dish&#x27;s savory intensity while allowing the black rice to contribute its own nutty depth. More than any other pairing, it demonstrated the concept behind the collaboration: horchata not as a novelty, but as a thoughtful partner to food.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1782191577826727000990_993006786847006_7787340136285604849_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Fressa Strawberry Affogato. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>Dessert offered a playful finale. A horchata-inspired affogato replaced coffee with horchata poured over strawberry gelato and crisp meringue shards. The tartness of the strawberry cut through the beverage&#x27;s creamy character, creating a refreshing finish to what was otherwise a surprisingly light tasting menu.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Horchata as main character</strong></div><div>For Ola by Siesta founder and Paola Huyong, the dinner represented another step in horchata&#x27;s ongoing evolution. &quot;This is our first-ever collaboration with a restaurant,&quot; she told ABS-CBN News &quot;We really think horchata is very good with different types of food.&quot;<span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1782191744008Paola Huyong - B&amp;W.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Ola by Siesta founder and horchata artisan Paola Huyong. <em>Handout</em></span></span></span></div><p>Huyong&#x27;s journey with horchata began during the pandemic as a home-based passion project. What started as experimentation with recipes inspired by her love for the traditional Mexican rice drink eventually grew into the Siesta Horchata brand. Following the closure of its pioneering Quezon City space last year, the business returned with Siesta Bodega in Parañaque and, more recently, Ola by Siesta in Alabang West Parade, which bills itself as the country&#x27;s first dedicated horchata bar.</p><p>For Huyong, the goal extends beyond simply selling drinks. &quot;Horchata has always been in the sidelines,&quot; she said. &quot;It&#x27;s just part of a menu. It was never the main character.&quot;</p><p>This tasting menu suggested that perhaps it can be, as the collaboration succeeded in introducing diners to horchata&#x27;s remarkable range. Each course revealed facets of a beverage that remains largely unexplored in the local dining scene.</p><p>For diners who don&#x27;t drink alcohol especially, the experience offered something particularly interesting: an elevated pairing menu that delivered the same sense of progression, discovery, and craftsmanship typically associated with wine.</p><p>More importantly, it demonstrated that horchata belongs at the table — not merely as a refreshing drink, but as a pairing partner, and occasionally, the star of the show.</p>

<p>A special two-night collaboration staged over Father's Day weekend between Restaurant Idalia and Ola by Siesta put the culinary spotlight on horchata.</p>

A special two-night collaboration staged over Father's Day weekend between Restaurant Idalia and Ola by Siesta put the culinary spotlight on horchata.

Horchata takes center stage in a collaborative tasting dinner

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Horchata takes center stage in a collaborative tasting dinner

Vlad Bunoan,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 23, 2026 01:39 PM PHT

Read More:

horchata

Restaurant Idalia

Ola by Siesta

Paola Huyong

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