Dining in the Next Normal: Familiar Flavors Endure in the New Normal at Trellis

As restrictions continue to ease during the General Community Quarantine, restaurants around the metro have slowly resumed operations adapting to the next normal. Some establishments have earned a loyal following with their classic dishes through the years, solid brand equity built over time with flavors that's become part of the culinary mainstream. Like the iconic Sisig of Trellis, a popular dish for over forty years adding comforting and familiar notes to dining out in the new normal...  

Closed during the nationwide lockdown due to the viral pandemic, Trellis recently resumed partial operations with limited capacity offering pick-up, take-out and delivery with frozen and ready-to-heat meals including their famous Sisig. In the next few days, Trellis will once again open its doors to the public craving for their sorely missed specialties. Adapting to the new normal, here's a glimpse of what dining out in Trellis will look like in these unfamiliar times...

Since 1980, Trellis served their well-loved dishes based on traditional Capampangan flavors built around the classic Sisig (for more on Trellis, see my previous post from three years ago here at Old Favorites. And New Favorites. At Trellis...). In response to the new normal, safety and health protocols will be implemented...

...which includes a separate entrance and exit divided by plastic screens to minimize contact. Guests are required to hand sanitize with convenient sanitizers at the entrance and step into disinfectant foot baths before entering the restaurant. These measures are now part of the dining experience in the new normal.  

Temperatures are scanned at the entrance, and guests are required to log in their contact details to facilitate possible contact tracing. The shift to General Community Quarantine is not the time to lower your guard, and Trellis is committed to implementing the new health and safety procedures when it formally reopens.

Inside Trellis, directional signs on the floor clearly indicate the flow of movement marked by green arrows. Tables are set far apart in compliance with the new protocols on social distancing. The skeletal staff at Trellis guide you to your tables, clad in protective face masks and shields. 

Trellis will be operating with a limited capacity, with three diners per table. Each table is enclosed by a green line to ensure social distancing. The menus are also securely placed on the table to minimize touch points. The next normal presents an unfamiliar and even unnerving new reality...

...but the lush and verdant greens at Trellis has a calming effect. Dining out in the new normal isn't so bad after all. Like a hidden sanctuary in the middle of bustling Quezon City, Trellis continues to be the spot for comforting flavors. And they've done that for over forty years.

Our feast at Trellis began with the flavorful Kare-Kareng Gulay (P 175) with a variety of garden fresh vegetables simmered in a thick peanut sauce served with a side of bagoong. The flavors are rich with the subtle sweetness of vegetables that's perfect with a dab of salty notes from the fermented shrimp paste...

...and the Crackling Liempo (P 280), a whole deep-fried slab of crisp and crunchy pork belly...

...served with fresh tomatoes and red onions drizzled with briny and salty Bagoong Balayan. The unctuous richness of the crispy pork belly is tempered by the fresh and clean notes of the tomatoes and onions perfectly finished by the salty hints of the bagoong balayan.

More crunchy bites were served on the table for a classic Trellis feast. The Pititchan (P 135), pork fat deep-fried to a light and perfect crispness is another Capampangan specialty recreated at Trellis pairing well with an ice-cold beer.

Sisig (P 250), the dish that Trellis made famous, is a mandatory dish to complete your dining experience. Served sizzling hot on a cast iron plate, the classic dish is a faithful recreation of the iconic Capampangan specialty. This is the version that made a local Capampangan creation a part of Manila's culinary landscape.

Made with pork mask and ears, the traditional Sisig is about textures and clean flavors. That mix of soft, chewy and crunchy textures is what sets the Capampangan sisig apart from the other local variations which is just one-dimensional and all crunch. A squeeze of calamansi completes the flavors.

More traditional Capampangan dishes were served, including the Burong Hipon "Balo-Balo" (P 95) served with grilled eggplant and mustasa. A fermented condiment made with fresh shrimps, rice, salt and tomatoes, it's the perfect side dish to any feast at trellis.

And here's a cool spin. Pick up a piece of mustasa, add a crunchy piece of Pititchan, a slice of grilled eggplant and a generous dab of burong hipon then roll it all up and enjoy it one bite. Crunchy, mildly salty with a subtle peppery bite from the mustard leaf cutting the richness of the Pititchan, each bite delivers a burst of contrasting flavors.

Even on a cloudy day, everything sizzles at Trellis with the tempting Spicy Garlic Calamares (P 410). A thick and sweet sauce is poured on the sizzling hot cast iron plate releasing a fragrant aroma. The fresh and briny sweetness of the squid comes through with each bite, finished by the rich, tangy and sweet notes of the sauce. 

And there's more. Spiced Spare Ribs (P 415), fork-tender and juicy pork draped in a thick and smoky glaze...

...and a fitting finale to a grand feast at Trellis, the Paella (P 1,100 good for 4 persons) loaded with plump shrimps, chicken, green peas, red peppers and chorizo cooked slowly over charcoal.

As the food service and restaurant industry slowly recover from the lockdown due to the viral pandemice, the quarantine experience reminded us all of the flavors and dishes that have become a part of our daily routine. As Trellis opens its doors in the next few days, dining in the new normal becomes just a tad more comforting and familiar with the enduring dishes you love...

Trellis is located at 140 Matalino Street corner Kalayaan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City or call 924-1056 to 57 for inquiries.

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