Hediu Grill Station: A Sichuan-style Grill for Your Next Barkada Gathering

There’s very little that fuels my greed as much as a good barbecue can. The mere thought of meat and fat kissing a hot grill, basted with the sweet and salty sauce that we FIlipinos so love, makes my mouth water. But Hediu Grill Station offers something different. It’s a Sichuan-style grill. If you’re not familiar with that style of cooking, I must say, prepare for some heat. 

Sichuan (alternatively spelled as Szechuan) cooking is immutably fiery. You would think this would come from the famous Sichuan peppers, which is one of the spices used in the well-known Chinese five-spice powder. Sichuan peppercorns are actually mild and leave a tingling sensation in the mouth rather than in-your-face spiciness. But they are often accompanied by dried red chillies, which can be tongue-numbing if used heavy-handedly. 

Hediu’s specialties are naturally heavy on the heat, which is a great excuse to go heavy on the fried rice, which I must say, is perfection. 

It would be a mistake to think that there’s nothing more to Sichuan cooking other than heart-racing heat. I was surprised that many of the dishes had the unmistakable smoky scent and flavor of cumin, which I was told by their marketing head Kim, is one of the hallmarks of Sichuan cooking. 

I am no spice hound so the dishes I enjoyed the most were those that had layered flavors with just the right amount of fire. This would be the fried fish head pot with crabsticks and lobster balls, a lovely beginning to our meal. The lemony garlic butter ulang shrimps were equally good. The three cup flavor tofu was flavorful and an ideal foil to the spiciness of the other dishes. If you dare and your medical results will allow, do order the roasted bone marrow, which is served with the most delicious grilled mantou bread. It was so good I ordered the bread to take home, only to discover that the one they gave me was spiced instead of plain. So should you decide to order some mantou, remember to specify your preference. 

Hediu Grill Station is the sort of place where you can hang out with friends for drinks until the wee hours. They are open until 3 a.m. A band plays every night to add to the fun. Should you opt to dine outdoors, there’s an al fresco area with a lovely view of the bay. 

Disclosure: Thank you to our friends from Hediu and SM for our lunch. All opinions and insights expressed here are entirely mine.

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Hediu Grill Station

SM by the Bay,

Seaside Blvd, Pasay, Metro Manila

0917-1238323

10 years and Hap Chan

I had dinner at Hap Chan yesterday. It brought me back to the early days of the new media company that I work in. I was one of the first employees when the company started some 10 years ago. Back then, our favorite restaurants were decidedly Chinese – Man Yann, Le Ching and Hap Chan.

Come August 3, I’ll be celebrating my 10th year in the company, my longest employment ever. Consider this a tribute to the early days.

The interiors were unexpectedly modern.

They started us off with peanuts and tea.

Loved the brocade wallpaper.

I always, always order hakao in a Chinese restaurant.

Sweet and sour pork

Cuttlefish, recommended by someone I presumed to be the owner or manager. Tasted like shrimp cakes.

The spareribs were tasty but insubstantial.

Three restaurants complete my week.

Thanks for never letting me down, M3.

I bid goodbye to my Mazda 3 last Tuesday (I’ll miss you, M3). I met with its new owner, my friend and former boss, Mike, last Tuesday to hand over the key. Mike and I are crab aficionados so we decided to celebrate with a crab meal at Casa Armas. But when I got there, alas, I was told that they didn’t have their regular supply of crabs that day. Mike and I decided to move our lunch to House of Wagyu at the top floor of Podium Mall.

Upon serving

Mike recommended the stone grill rib eye steak so that’s what we both had. It was superb. The meat was tender and flavorful. Better yet, you can cook it to the doneness you prefer.

Seared on both sides, ready for slicing

The steak is served on very hot lava stone. Upon searing on both sides, it is transferred to a plate. What you do is slice the steak thinly then cook the slices on the hot stone as you desire.

Spinach soup

Sole gremolata over a bed of risotto

The second restaurant is Brasserie Boheme at the Picasso serviced apartments in Salcedo Village, Makati. I ordered spinach soup, which was creamy and wonderful. I enjoyed my sole gremolata as well but I was a little put off by the acidity of the lemon squeezed on top. I’d prefer it served on the side next time. But next time, I think I’ll order my friend’s lengua, which was so moist and rich, I was only too glad he offered to switch plates mid-meal.

Lengua, for next time

Dingdong and Judd had been raving about Enchante since they got to try the restaurant during one of their business meetings. So when we were deciding on a place for dinner Friday night, Aya suggested Enchante. The restaurant was delightful, very French country chic. Aya and I decided to split an order of Spaghetti le Jessie, a stellar recommendation from Judd. We also split an order of rib eye steak.

We have another dinner scheduled there on Tuesday, an indication of how happy we were with the meal. I intend to have a full order of Jessie’s spaghetti and I don’t intend to share it with anyone haha.

Posted May 22, 2010 in travelswithgusto.wordpress.com