As Brique opens its second branch at Ayala Center Cebu in a few weeks’ time, it will introduce six new dishes to the menu in consultation with a New York-based chef.
Chef Noel de la Rama, who is consulting for the restaurant, said the new items in the menu include an appetizer, salad, pasta, fish, and meat dishes.
When he came up with the flavors and arrangements for the new menu additions, de la Rama explained that he looked at locally available ingredients and considered the taste preferences of Cebuanos.
“When I cook, I use local as much as possible. I also did research on what Cebuanos like and came up with something that would suit their taste,” he added during a food tasting over the weekend at the Brique branch along Salinas Drive in Lahug, Cebu City.
New Brique menu
According to de la Rama, the crabs for the crab cake sandwich, an appetizer, are sourced from Bantayan in the north, and the chorizo in the penne pasta is locally made in Cebu.
Derek Dytian, the Brique chef and one of the owners, said the dishes will be available in three weeks at the latest, which is also their target for the Brique Ayala opening.
He introduced to a small gathering at Brique in Lahug their new corn, bacon, and potato chowder, crab cake sandwich, vegetable salad with fried chicken that comes with either blue cheese or vinaigrette dressing, salmon served with rice pilaf, penne pasta, and cerveza negra braised short ribs.
Instead of the usual plating where food is arranged beside each other, de la Rama said he opted to add height by putting dish components on top of the other, such as by positioning the braised ribs over the mashed potato and finishing these with buttermilk-soaked onion rings.
