WHERE UMA NOTA, Alex Offe and Michael J. Needham鈥檚 2024 offering is grand and glamorous, Sabai, a new outlet from this partnership, is quiet and cozy.
大象传媒 went to a tasting at Sabai on the Ground Floor of Shangri-La The Fort on Oct. 27. It鈥檚 right beside its glamorous older sister, which bids you to go down a staircase to partake of fun not to be seen in the light. At Sabai, launched at lunchtime, sunlight streamed into the windows and overall had a more casual vibe.
Mr. Offe, co-founder of Uma Nota in Paris and Hong Kong (since closed) brought gathered media guests around the three private rooms (two of which have karaoke sound systems). We made a stop around the kitchen, where he pointed out that six of their staff are Thai: the head chef, the sous-chef, and four chefs de partie. 鈥淚f you ask me to cook Chinese food, I can probably do an okay job, but there are things you just can鈥檛 teach,鈥 he said about the chefs. 鈥淥nly a well-trained palate is able to make adaptations on a recipe, on the spot.鈥
Leading the kitchen is Head Chef Puwadol Assavadathkamjorn, a native of Southern Thailand. He brings experience from Michelin-starred Le Normandie by Alain Roux and Pru Restaurant, and S眉hring in Bangkok, with two Michelin stars.
Sabai (meaning 鈥渞elaxed鈥 or 鈥渃omfortable鈥 in Thai; and a homonym for Filipino鈥檚 鈥渢ogether鈥) doesn鈥檛 have all the heated flourishes we鈥檝e become accustomed to when it comes to Thai food. If anything, the meal served to us on the launch proved its name, tasting like something straight out of a Thai household.
The Pork Belly with Five Spices (braised pork in Chinese five-spice broth, slow cooked over two nights) tasted like the Philippines鈥 humba (similar, but with the addition of black beans or nuts, depending on where you are) and was strangely comforting. We could say the same about the Spicy Dry Fish Broth with bangus (milkfish) and mushrooms, infused with herbs like kaffir lime and Thai basil 鈥 it amounted to a familiar, clean-tasting sinigang (a soup of proteins in a sour broth) with a little bit more zing.
That鈥檚 not us being unappreciative; that鈥檚 us forming a bond with our Southeast Asian neighbors, but also proving the Thais right when they say 鈥渟ame same, but different.鈥 There was a Crispy Fermented Pork, which tasted like a complex adobo (albeit the kind fried in its own fat), and the shrimp paste relish (our bagoong, but served with vegetables). This we paired with something uniquely theirs, that has no analog within our shores, the Crispy Catfish Salad, served looking like a cloud, and breaking apart in the mouth with an audible crunch.
Mr. Offe said that he spent months in Thailand to really get a taste of what that country has to offer. 鈥淭he food is the same approach: trying to be as authentic and true as possible.鈥 The spice levels have been adjusted to local palates, but otherwise, the chefs keep it as close as possible to the flavors back home. More importantly, a large part of the ingredients comes from Thailand. What couldn鈥檛 be brought here, or would be otherwise compromised during shipping, they鈥檝e decided to plant here in local farms, with the seeds coming from Thailand.
As Mr. Offe鈥檚 second venture in the Philippines, he talks opening perhaps another restaurant next year. Asked how Uma Nota and Sabai fit together despite their radically different personalities, he said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to create a collection of memorable dining experiences. Different priorities, different ways to celebrate.鈥
Coming from more cosmopolitan cities like Paris and Hong Kong, he also discussed what he likes about Manila for him to keep opening restaurants here: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a city that鈥檚 up and coming.鈥
This was a few days before Uma Nota鈥檚 bartender Benjamin Leal won the Exceptional Cocktails Award at the first Philippine Michelin Awards. Uma Nota itself was included in the list of Selected Restaurants for the country鈥檚 2026 Michelin Guide. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about time that Manila is recognized, and the Philippines is recognized for its energy and opportunities.鈥 鈥 Joseph L. Garcia
