Chef Mikko Reyes may admit to have found his calling in the kitchen relatively later than most culinary stalwarts in the metro, but this young chef is at the top of his game whipping up indulgent, delicious food for the hungriest folk with mad man-food cravings. The twentysomething chef, a graduate of International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCAHM), is now at the helm of Hungry Hound, dramatically revamping the menu.
While discussing the dishes Chef Mikko introduced to the restaurant, I melt inside and almost drool, and occasionally a "Wow!" bursts especially when the words "steak" or "beef" or "ribs" come in contact with "butter" and "foie gras." The chef did tell me earlier on that he loved indulgent food–both preparing them and eating them–so if you're part of the man-food/serious eats club, then it's best to give in to your cravings at Hungry Hound as fast as you can.
Know more about Chef Mikko Reyes, his favorite eats, and the latest offerings at Hungry Hound and his take on Niner Ichi Nana's Craft Series with Erwan Heussaff in this interview.
Question: How early in life did you know you want to become a chef?
Chef Mikko Reyes: It started a little bit late. Some people kasi nagsimula na very early, siguro ako it started when I was twenty? Because back then I still wasn't sure. My lola [grandmother] cooks a lot, but I used to like eating lang, and not really cook. And then after high school, I did Nursing for one semester. [laughs] Definitely not for me. But before that, I took a short course in culinary, because I wasn't sure pa, and I didn't want to take the full one. So when I started, I said yeah, I want to do that.
Growing up, who was your biggest influence in food and cooking?
I think my lola is someone who influenced me. She used to cook a lot. When we used to stay with her, she'd wake up 5am if there would be a party that day. At 5am she'd be baking na, and in the afternoond she would be cooking.
What kind of food did you enjoy growing up?
A lot of Filipino, for sure. A lot of meat. In my mom's side of the family, we eat a lot of beef–roast beef, steak, like that. We love pork also, so nothing really healthy. [laughs] And I guess it also shows with the food I make, not really on the healthy side but more on the indulgent.
Do you still remember the very first dish you cooked well?
There's one thing I did, I made it for my lola. I was still in culinary school. I only did it once and I've never done it again. But when I tried it, I nailed it. Salt crusted lapu-lapu. Now I'm thinking, why did I choose that? Difficulty level, it's not really that easy. I could have messed it up big time! So, the whole thing was crusted with sea salt. I was so nervous–and I was asking my instructors in ISCAHM how they do it. You can wrap it in blanched pechay, leaves… So that's what I did. And it worked. And I served it with hollandaise. I was so nervous! I cracked it open, then tried it. It's really good! And then I had a friend that tried it, and asked, 'how did you do it?' so I explained it. Then he calls me and says, 'Is it really supposed to be this salty?!' [Laughs] 'No! You probably did something wrong, it worked for me!' [Laughs]
When you started your full course, how was it like being formally trained?
Oh, it was a lot of fun. I can't imagine myself doing anything else, and I felt like I was already set, doing this for the rest of my life. It was really fun. I mean, it's hard–in culinary school, it's not that hard yet, but you can see how it can be.
How was it like starting out after finishing culinary school?
After school I worked in ADB in Ortigas, there's a big cafeteria inside and a restaurant. I worked in the cafeteria for a year, and then the next two and a half years, in the executive dining room, which was more of the restaurant work. And that's when I felt that I really wanted to work at restaurants.
And now you're on board Hungry Hound and Niner Ichi Nana. You've revamped their food, can you tell us more about it?
A lot of the food here has a lot of Western technique. There are a lot of dishes with English influences, as pub food is English. I also try to inject a bit of Asian, like a bit of Korean, but still prepared with Western technique. With making menus, I try to make it diverse. Let's say a group comes in here; there's always something for someone, no matter what mood you're in. And when I make dishes, it's stuff that I'd want to eat also, for sure.
How did you conceptualize food for Hungry Hound?
When I think of the dishes, I try it out in the kitchen and also see to it that it matches with the other items on the menu. Not just to put it in there to fill in with new stuff. I also try to immerse myself with techniques and how they do things abroad. I look online, and see what they've been doing so that I can get ideas.
Around how many items have you added on the current menu?
Hmmm, I'd say around twenty-five…?
That's a lot! Probably more than half of the menu?
Yeah! It's crazy. [laughs] Like, three-fourths of the menu. Some of those dishes replaced others, and some I just changed up a bit. Like there's a short ribs here, I made it Dark Ale Short Ribs, working more on the English influence.
What has been your favorite dish that you introduced here so far? Or what should people try if they're first timers at Hungry Hound?
What's been doing well is the Hanger Steak & Chips. It's USDA hanger steak, we sous-vide it for a while to make it tender. Flavor wise, it's really good that's why I wanted to use it. And then on top, we melt foie gras butter–
WOW.
[Laughs] Yeah. And then we pour a bit of jus with Maker's Mark bourbon, and then we serve it with truffle fries with a bit of parmesan. I think a lot of people like that.
Yeah! For sure.
And one dish that I really like–I'm not sure why it hasn't been ordered much–is the Spiced Crispy Chicken Sandwich. It's my favorite, because it's my take on the Zinger, since it's my favorite sandwich. I wanted to do something to pay tribute to it.
What spice do you put in your chicken sandwich?
We put allspice, garlic, chili powder… It's a mix. And then we fry it the same way, so it's boneless thigh and leg quarter, and then on top we put a sesame radish slaw. Served on a burger bun. And with sriracha aioli.
Oh wow, it sounds so good.
It's really good. [laughs] And massive. And then there's another sandwich, cured salmon with pickles [Open Faced Lox & Pickles, P457], so that's the healthier side naman.
You have this Craft Series at Niner Ichi Nana with Erwan Heussaff. Can you tell us more about it?
Every other Tuesday, Erwan and I pick an ingredient or a theme. First was apple, next was tomato. Then there's root vegetable. I'm using carrot, radish, and sweet potato. I'm making morcilla radish cakes. For sweet potato, I'm using sweet potato gnocchi, then for carrot, which is the dessert, I'm making cardamom carrot pudding with chocolate soil and lemon yogurt foam.
Wow. So interesting!
Yeah. I guess the stuff we make there is more intricate. Small plates of it. Last time we did tomato, so one dish I did was cherry tomato and short rib yakitori. Short ribs, I sous-vide for 24 hours, so it got the texture of kobe or wagyu. We skewer that, and then I brushed a teriyaki sauce with horseradish. And at the bottom of the bowl I torched applewood, so that when it gets to your table it gets that inihaw effect. For root vegetable, Erwan made a cocktail with ube tapioca and the base of the drink is singkamas juice, so it's very refreshing. It's fun, it's a lot of fun.
Craft Series sounds like fun, you have a lot of room for creativity and to experiment.
Yeah, I always look forward to it. And the ones that do really well I always keep in mind in case we plan to put it as a regular menu item in the future.
What are the other themes and ingredients for the upcoming Craft Series?
I know that there's rum and bacon. It's gonna be great! I usually do three dishes on those Tuesdays, but for bacon I think I'm gonna do five. And rum, rum's gonna be fun.
I think everything goes well with bacon, I seriously can't think of anything that does not go with bacon.
Yeah! It goes with rice, with potatoes, in between bread… Anything! Dessert… It's gonna be good, I'm really excited for that.
If you had to prepare a quick meal in under thirty minutes, what would you cook?
Hmmm. Probably a steak. Seared steak, good beef, sea salt, mashed potatoes, and a small salad. For myself? I'd have that.
Do you still remember your first food memory, of eating something really good?
I guess it would have to be my lola's roast beef. Whenever there's a party I'd call her and ask her, "What are you gonna make, Lola?" "I don't know yet." "Can you make roast beef?" Then going there, I'd be excited. Yes! Roast beef day!
How does your lola prepare her roast beef?
It's very simple. My lola kasi, she's very OC. Her recipes are very precise. Like when I cook with her she doesn't like it because I experiment. She's like, "No no no! If you're going to teach me you have to be exact." Because she also used to be a professor, a mathematician, so she's very exact. Her roast beef has been like that all the time. Every time she makes something, it's consistent. It's very simple: salt, pepper, she used rib eye cooked medium. And then the drippings, the extra fat, the stuff that sticks to the pan, she just serves it like that. And the way she makes mashed potatoes is very creamy and buttery, towards the Joël Robuchon.
Do you have a favorite ingredient when you're cooking?
Butter? Bacon? [laughs] Although ingredients I'm into now are more on spices. Like I use a lot of gochujang now, the Korean chili paste. It's really good. For a seared steak that would be really good, on pork belly that would be great, like how you'd eat it in Korean restaurants. And sumac, I use it a lot. It's a Turkish spice. It's red, but it tastes like lemon pepper. It's very good. I use it a lot to make chutney, with salt, you can season a lot with it.
What do you think are some food trends or cuisines that will pick up this year? Since last year we saw a lot of Japanese, comfort food, breakfast food.
I think gastropub concepts should be the next big thing. Drinking with food that's well thought of. You don't go there just to drink, and you don't go there only just to eat. Also, more Filipino food; more detailed and more refined. I think that would be a good trend.
Do you have a favorite cuisine when you are cooking and when you are eating? Is it the same?
No, no it's not. Opposite! [laughs] When I eat out, I go for the stuff that I don't normally make. When I eat out I go for Chinese, Japanese, Korean… I mean, I put Korean influence on food but I don't do legit Korean. Oriental–that's what I like to eat when I'm going out. Cooking, more Western, I guess. European, and with Filipino also. I like playing around with those.
What can you never give up eating?
Rice. [Laughs] Sorry, I'm very Pinoy! I may cook other stuff, but I really can't give up rice.
Is there something you'll never eat, or don't like eating?
There's this something I tried, kinchay? They call it ata Chinese parsley. It's like cilantro diba? But it's not. And then they put it in pansit. I cannot. [laughs] My tita would make pansit and then if there's kinchay, I'm like, I'm out! [laughs] There, that. Just that.
If a restaurant were to serve a dish inspired by you, "The Mikko Special" for example, what would it be?
Something meaty with foie gras somewhere in there, and loads of butter.
If you can feed anyone you want–celebrities, local or international personalities–who would you invite for dinner?
Top Chef judges. I'd make food that's refined Filipino. Yeah, that would be really cool.
What would your last supper spread look like if you can choose your final meal on earth?
Very simple. I guess just rice and chicken pork adobo… I don't know, at the end of the day, I really look for it eh.
Any advice for people aspiring to become chefs or restaurateurs?
Well… Think hard about it. And really make sure, that you are sure. I mean, it's great. I really love it, I can't imagine doing anything else. But you really have to love it to do it for a long time, because it's not easy. Especially when you're starting out. But it's really fun. Go for it, but don't just do it because everyone is doing it now, especially for culinary students. Because access now is easier–because when we were starting out I think there were only four schools lang, four big ones. And now there's a lot! And, work hard. Don't be late!
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Niner Ichi Nana holds the Craft and the Spirits Series every other Tuesday, where from 8pm onwards, Chef Mikko Reyes and Erwan Heussaff create food and craft cocktails based on a selected ingredient.
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Additional images courtesy of Hungry Hound.
