Spicing Up the Metro at the SpiceBird Pop-Up

The best of Boracay comes to Manila for a special one night only pop-up...

Since it opened in 2015 in Boracay, SpiceBird has quickly gained a reputation and loyal following for its signature Piri-Piri Chicken, and for one night, I had the chance to experience SpiceBird's own take on Portuguese style grilled dishes made with the flavorful bird's eye chili at a pop-up.

The one night pop-up was held at the Edsa Beverage Design Group last March 2, 2016 (for more on the Edsa Beverage Design Group, see my earlier post here), an innovative pioneer in beverages including coffee, cocktails, sodas and beer with the best and finest ingredients.

And it was the perfect venue for the equally bold and vibrant flavors SpiceBird is known for, paired with Edsa Beverage Design Group's TBGB Ginger Beer. That night, the grill was fired up and topped with the specially marinated chicken and pork for the pop-up.

As the grilled chicken and pork belly were delivered to the second floor of Edsa Beverage Design Group fresh off the charcoal grill, the culinary team headed by SpiceBird's young Executive Chef Natalia Moran (R) then prepped the plates with the different components of the special dish for the pop-up.

The evening's set menu included a savory Piri-Piri Pulled Pork Slider with Veggie Chips and Side Salad to kick-off the pop-up dinner. The mild flavors of the tender and juicy pulled pork are punctuated by the richness of the piri-piri, followed by a subtle layer of smoky notes to complete the flavors. It was an excellent starter before the main course, setting up your palate for even bolder flavors...

After quick work on the Piri-Piri Pulled Pork Slider, it was time to line up the homemade and signature SpiceBird Piri-Piri sauces for a full range of flavors, with the original SpiceBird Piri-Piri sauce, the refreshing Salsa Verde, the nutty and citrusy Garlic & Lime, and the fiery HotBird Salsa.

Then, my main course was plated with SpiceBird's sampler of signature dishes, Piri-Piri Pork Belly, Piri-Piri Chicken, and Piri-Piri Chicken Skin with the signature Spice Rice...

The tender grilled chicken was perfectly juicy, with its mild and delicate notes punctuated by the flavorful marinade completed by a subtle layer of smoky flavor. But the magic begins when you add a generous helping of SpiceBird's signature sauces, transforming the dish. And all the flavors are amplified and kicked up a notch once you add the signature Piri-Piri sauce. Even better when you add some fiery HotBird Salsa. Extra Spice Rice? Absolutely...

The mildly sweet notes of the grilled pork belly is also transformed with SpiceBird's Garlic and Lime sauce, with the sharp and nutty notes weaving in its own unique flavors to the dish. Each bite bursts with rich flavors, and the grilled chicken and pork is taken to an entirely new level with the sauces for a refreshing new flavor experience. In between, go have some Piri-Piri Chicken Skin with some minty Salsa Verde to temper the richness for balanced flavors. It's like having multiple dishes all in one plate, with different notes from the different sauces. It's both easy and fun to customize your dish based on your flavor preferences with the different combination of sauces. After a satisfying meal, you'll know why SpiceBird is all the rage in Boracay.

But there's more. For dessert, SpiceBird's Double Happiness Sundae capped my feast at the special pop-up, with smooth and creamy dark chocolate ice cream with premium Malagos chocolate, olive oil and sea salt. The rich blend of chocolate, olive oil, and salt makes it different, and that's just the way things roll at SpiceBird, transforming the comfortingly familiar to something new and exciting. And for one night, I get the rare chance to experience SpiceBird's flavors at the special pop-up. Time to make plans for a trip to Boracay. Soon...

For more on SpiceBird, check out their FB Page here at https://www.facebook.com/spicebirdgrill/.

Edsa Beverage Design Group is located at CLMC Building, 209 EDSA, Barangay Wack Wack, Mandaluyong City.

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