COCONUTS HOT SPOT — There are many uses for the term “flat iron.” It may refer to straightening iron used to style hair, or to clothing iron used to remove wrinkles on clothes. Of course, there’s also that architectural marvel located in New York, the Flatiron building.
With Chef Vicky Pacheco’s latest restaurant concept, however, the term may soon be synonymous to a nice hot meal.
Called “Flatiron 1771”, the new restuarant in Uptown Mall in Taguig serves urban comfort food.
What makes it different? A number of items on the menu are cooked using the flat iron.
Also called cast iron griddle, the flat iron is one of the heaviest cookware around. It can be used for sautéing, searing, and grilling meats and vegetables. It is known to help enhance the flavor of food. Some cooks even use hundred-year old griddles!
“We’re excited because this is the first, and probably only, flat iron concept that we have in Manila,” said Chef Vicky in a press lunch attended by Coconuts Manila.
Chef Vicky wanted to put emphasis on food that is served hot. After all, it is the best way to enjoy a good meal.
“I wanted a place where peope can go to if they wanted a hot go-to lunch. I know that people in offices want to eat something hot for lunch. Since there are a lot of offices around here, they can just send someone here to pick up their meals,” chef Vicky explained.
The Flatiron brisket 6 is the specialty of the house, and for a good reason!
The fork-tender beef brisket, cooked for six hours, is seared on the griddle just before serving. Served with fresh cucumber-carrot slaw and rice, it was easily the favorite at our table.
Chef Vicky said that she tried cooking the beef for a shorter period to cut costs, but six proved to be the magic number, hence the name Flatiron brisket 6.
We also got to try different appetizers like the pomelo orzo salad, and the Manhattan seafood chowder.
The thick tomato-based chowder had generous servings of fish chunks, clams and bacon.
The salad with orzo pasta, pomelo, fried spinach and grilled lemon vinnaigrette had a refreshing taste. I had a better time eating it with the meat dishes rather than as a starter.
For carbs, carbs and carbs, Flatiron has a number of pizza and pasta dishes.
We enjoyed a tomato-based pizza topped with garlic, anchovies and brisket flakes called GAB pizza. I imagine it would be a nice merienda for two to three people looking for something quick and filling. It was perhaps one of the most sulit items on the menu for PHP450.
The pizzaiola pasta looked like a heavy dish as well. I didn’t get to try it, but it seemed good enough for at least two people.
Though the dishes were mostly American, some had Asian or Mediterrenean touches.
For example, we had a nice salmon dish with a miso glaze, which gave it a distinct Japanese touch. Flatiron also serves toasted adobo wings and Chinese chicken with soy glaze, which I’m looking forward to try on my next visit.
There was no shortage of meat. Apart from from the brisket, we enjoyed the Flatiron steak (PHP1,250), 300 grams of beef cooked on the griddle with herb butter. The mashed potatoes with green peas and the fires were perfect side dishes!
Chef Vicky said she thought about serving the steak with the sauce on top, but since the brown cherry tomato-Worcestershire-balsamic sauce wasn’t too pretty to look at, she decided to serve the sauce on the side.
Fan of sweet treats? One of the highlights of the meal was the intense brownie burger.
The coffee-flavored ice cream sandwiched between two Swiss fudge brownies on cream cheese sauce was as sinful as it sounds. To make it even better, it was slathered in chocolate mocha and toffee sauce and spiked with cashew brittle shards.
A complete meal for two persons would cost about PHP1,300 to PHP2,000. It’s ideal for family meals or small group gatherings because the portions are big enough to share. It’s also a good option for those partying around the area.
U/G Uptown Mall, Megaworld Bvd \cor. 36th St., Uptown Bonifacio, Taguig City; +63 2 8025461, Facebook. Daily 12nn-12mn.
