Plating Nostalgic Stories With The Autumn Tasting Menu At The Little Grace Pop-Up By Chef Sharwin Tee

The story of food is the common thread that binds our past and identity celebrated with each dish in a continuing tale that's constantly evolving with fresh renditions. Chef Sharwin Tee shares his own stories of comforting Chinoy flavors shaped and molded by nostalgic memories from childhood, reinterpreted with a refined and contemporary spin with his pop-up series at the CCA Show Kitchen. Experience and savor the flavors of Chef Sharwin's colorful stories retold in exquisite courses with the Little Grace Autumn Tasting Menu...

Noted chef, columnist and restaurateur Sharwin Tee brings his nostalgic childhood memories to life in an elegant feast with his private dining Little Grace Autumn Tasting Menu at the CCA Show Kitchen in BGC. It's been said many times before that food triggers a memory or an emotion and even transports you to another place or time. Let Chef Sharwin Tee reintroduce you to familiar flavors from the past, reimagined in fresh, contemporary renditions reflecting his take on Progressive Chinese Filipino cuisine at Little Grace for a unique, novel and memorable private dining experience.

Located at the third floor of the Henry Sy Building in UP BGC, the CCA Show Kitchen is fast becoming one of many secret dining hotspots in the ever changing culinary landscape of the busy commercial and business district through events, kitchen take-overs and pop-ups. That evening, the CCA Show Kitchen belonged to Chef Sharwin Tee with Little Grace. The intimate venue becomes the stage for Chef Sharwin's rediscovery of familiar childhood flavors, many he admits didn't particularly enjoy until much later as he embarked on his professional culinary journey. It's something we can all relate to with our own childhood memories. After all, a child's palate can be brutally unforgiving and it took many more years for me to finally appreciate ampalaya or bitter gourd which I now absolutely love. And that's the transformative power of food in all its flavors appreciated with a much broader palate and perspective. Intensely and deeply personal, the August Tasting Menu at Little Grace is Chef Sharwin's story elegantly rendered with his classical French experience in several courses. 

The August Tasting Menu at Little Grace presents an insightful new chapter in Chef Sharwin's continuing culinary journey, retracing his culinary roots and identity anchored on traditional Chinoy cuisine from cherished family recipes. It also offers a personal glimpse at an often overlooked sub-culture in the many colorful layers of Filipino cuisine. While creative innovation may seem to be the highlight of the Autumn Tasting Menu at Little Grace, Chef Sharwin stays true to the original intent and tradition of each of the dishes served at his pop-up series. A refreshing sip of the orange cooler reminiscent of the powdered juice drinks from childhood begins your own culinary journey at Little Grace...

Back at the open kitchen, diners get a peek of the intricate processes behind each dish as Chef Sharwin preps all the components for the August Tasting Menu. The casual vibe sets the tone for the evening's feast becoming an engaging experience setting it apart from the usual tasting-themed dinners. Chef Sharwin is also a passionate advocate for charities, with part of the proceeds going directly to fund various scholarships for indigenous communities in the provinces. 

Chef Sharwin then adds the final touches for the first course of appetizers...

...served in familiar stackable food containers reminding you of packed lunches for school. Off the bat, Chef Sharwin takes you back to those early childhood memories...

...sealed with a bite and taste of the Tiam Sim or various snacks from the traditional Chinoy home kitchen. The trio of tasty bites include the delicately crunchy and succulent Camaron Rebosado, a popular staple in Chinoy households with its clean and fresh briny sweetness. The Meatballs is Chef Sharwin's homage to his grandmother's recipe topped with a dab of homemade banana ketchup for that comforting homestyle touch. Juicy and flavorful, the savory richness of the meatballs lingers long on the palate reminding you of simpler times. Chef Sharwin's version of the classic Radish Cake is an intricate execution with thinly sliced layers delicately stacked like a pavé for a refreshingly new new textural experience while delivering familiar flavors. 

The tasty nibbles, each one masterfully executed does the job with each bite taking you back to the times you've hidden but not completely forgotten in your bank of memories. 

For the second course, Chef Sharwin served the Sibut Tang with Eu Yan Sang Tang Kui broth, suahe and dragonfruit. Medicinal herbs are an essential component in traditional Chinoy cuisine and Chef Sharwin incorporates this as the main flavor element to the dish. The rich and complex herbal notes are layered with the pronounced briny notes of the shrimps capped by the distinct sweetness of the dragonfruit. Each sip and bite warms the palate like a comforting hug for another insightful peek at the Chinoy culinary tradition. 

Every Chinoy household has their version of the Si Dit Miswa or Birthday Noodles but this more elaborate version is the rendition I wish I had from childhood. Chef Sharwin pulls all the stops in recreating a traditional staple with unrestrained flavors and style with handmade angel hair noodles, carrot, cabbage, tultul salt and sous vide egg topped with tobiko. The result is next level noods with a decadent and luscious finish. 

The subtle sweetness from the carrot and torched cabbage are perfectly complemented by the savory richness of the sous vide egg kicked up by the bright and vibrant pop of flavor from the tobiko for an elegant reinterpretation of a popular staple. Chef Sharwin's imaginative expressions of Chinoy dishes highlights both nostalgic tradition and creative innovation in a seamless and balanced weave for a refreshed take on familiar flavors. 

In between courses, a soothing palate cleanser refreshes the palate opening it up for the next dish. The Pe Bok Ni with white fungus and Eu Yan Sang Codonopsis Tea offers a welcome change of pace with its subtle sweetness from the rock sugar syrup. 

The playful plating of Tao Meng Tsai feeds first the eyes before the palate as the base for another traditional Chinoy staple with hair vegetable, beard tooth mushroom and succulent abalone. The plating elements reinforce the traditional theme of the evening's dinner injected with just a little fun in a memorable feast. 

The silky smooth consistency and texture of the steamed egg custard becomes the perfect base for the other ingredients like tapioca pearls caramelized in Muzcovado and thin strands of seaweed over plump abalone for a sweet and salty savory dish. 

The delectable play on textures and contrasting flavors hits home from the very first spoonful warming the palate with its lingering notes. 

For the next course, another Chinoy staple gets the stylized treatment by Chef Sharwin...

...with the Beef and Broccoli, an elevated version with premium Mayura Station Wagyu, oyster sauce and pickled ampalaya. Beautifully plated, the Beef and Broccoli with pure breed Wagyu is an obvious level up to the familiar beef dish simmered in thick oyster sauce but not just any oyster sauce. Chef Sharwin goes the extra mile in preparing his special sauce with Sakura smoked oysters cooked with onions and finished with a bottle of oyster sauce. What started as a playful experiment has become one of the memorable elements in a plate filled with a stellar cast led by the fork-tender and juicy Mayura Station Wagyu Chuck. 

And the other surprise? The pickled ampalaya with its tart sweetness tempering the bitter hints cuts through the savory richness of the Mayura Station Wagyu Chuck for a refined and perfectly balanced finish. Premium pure breed Wagyu beef, the special oyster sauce and pickled bitter gourd, that's a winning plate. This may not be your grandmother's usual beef and broccoli, but it certainly was one of the many memorable highlights from the August Tasting Menu at Little Grace. And I can have this all day, any day. 

But Chef Sharwin has even more savory surprises...

...with a slab of crisp and juicy pork belly carefully prepped for the next savory course. 

As the next course is plated, anticipation builds for the savory finale at Little Grace...

...with the Kiam Peng, a hearty dish with soft and sticky Japonica rice, slabs of crisp pork belly, mustard leaf and apples. Chef Sharwin brings contrasting textures and flavors in a tightly knit weave for the final dish celebrating his roots and childhood memories. 

Drawing inspiration from his grandmother's recipe, the rice is infused with all the distinct notes from the various components of the dish from the braising liquid, pork belly fat to soy sauce and vinegar releasing a flavorful and rich burst with each bite. The dish is topped with dabs of Japanese mayo, pesto and sour apple mostarda for a lavish blend of flavors. I've always enjoyed the combo of juicy and crisp pork with sweet tart apples, and this rendition is one more reason why the pairing works. Best enjoyed with all the elements in a heaping spoonful, the Kiam Peng rounds up the savory repertoire of Chef Sharwin's stories and memories with his refreshed and elegant spin on the Chinoy culinary tradition. 

And for dessert, Chef Sharwin takes inspiration from his grandmother's pink gulaman with pineapple dessert... 

...with his Amah's Gulaman with panna cotta, pineapple and frozen yogurt served in a hollowed out orange. Holding the orange in place on the stone slate is Milo soil which you can sprinkle on the dessert. Or simply enjoy a spoonful just like you did back in the day. Remember those times? 

The elegant dessert with pineapple curd and orange panna cotta is a celebration of memories to cap a feast of familiar flavors imaginatively reinvented by Chef Sharwin. 

The dessert is paired with Green Tea...

...for a fitting ending to a feast built around nostalgic memories by Chef Sharwin at Little Grace. 

Every grandmother has a special drawer filled with assorted treats and Chef Sharwin recreates this fond memory by bringing out a special box filled Malay Ko or steamed rice cakes made with browned butter and Muzcovado sugar as his final surprise. 

The Little Grace pop-up private dinner series by Chef Sharwin Tee offers diners a unique experience with a more personal narrative that's refreshingly different from the usual options. It also provides a fresh perspective on the Chinoy sub-culture that has long enriched the colorful tapestry of Filipino cuisine. The Little Grace pop-up series are scheduled with only one seating every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the CCA Show Kitchen and priced at P 5,000 per person. Diners are limited to twelve per seating with more details on the links below.

Private dining and tasting menus are nothing new yet Little Grace by Chef Sharwin Tee offers something you won't find in your usual Chinese restaurant. The Autumn Tasting Menu represents memories from the past in a continuously evolving story, reinterpreted with a creative contemporary style by one of the country's top chefs. And these are the stories that not only warms the palate, it strengthens the thread that links us all together in the story of the flavors that continue to shape and define our identity. 

The Little Grace Pop-Up is located at the CCA Manila Show Kitchen at the University of the Philippines Campus in BGC, Taguig City, 1630, Metro Manila. You can visit their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/qbresto/ and IG Feed at https://www.instagram.com/littlegracedining/ for more information and updates. 

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