Irbille Edible’s August Pop-Up will marked his last Pop-Up of the Summer season. It also marked a continued partnership with Noel House Programs in that he donated 10% of the dinner’s proceeds to local Seattle Women in need.
new look to the menu
The Food:
calabasa: summer squash, fried blossom, longanisa sarsa $10
The squash was nicely cooked with texture that wasn’t too soft and wasn’t too hard. The longanisa sarsa was the element of this dish that really shined through. It had a nice deep and salty flavor that highlighted the squash and did not overpower. Despite being deep fried, the blossom was light and airy. If all vegetable dishes were prepared this way – I may consider crossing into the dark side and becoming vegetarian!
gabi: garlic prawns, coconut braised taro leaves, forbidden rice $16
The prawns were plump and perfectly prepared. Each bite of the prawn was flavorful with an ideal firm texture and as the dishes focal point, they were pleasant to look at. This was my first time eating braised taro leaves and I thoroughly enjoyed it. They brought a deep earthy flavor that contrasted nicely to the more bright flavors of the prawns. This was also my first time eating forbidden rice, and if I were to take a blind-taste test between it, and white rice – it’d be a toss up. However, texturally, forbidden rice grains are a little larger and rounder than calrose or jasmine rice – it reminds me almost like an arborio rice.
nanay’s adobo: braised pork, leeks, poached egg, garlic rice, adobo $14
If you’re going to serve an item advertised as adobo in a Filipino Pop-up/Restaurant, then you’d better be sure you’re bringing your A-game. From a flavor profile’s standpoint, Chef Irbille and his team was on point. The braised pork was tender and there was no missing the soy sauce and vinegar flavors that are staples in this dish. I wasn’t able to make out the leeks however- they were unfortunately masked beneath the strong and bold flavors of the pork adobo. Adding a subtle creamy flavor to everything was the egg yolk – from the perfectly poached egg. The one critique I will have for this dish is regarding the portion size – which was very small for my liking. Generously gauging, there may have been two-tablespoons of pork between the rice and egg. Our dinner party consisted of three – Cherry and I as well as Cherry’s 11-year old god-daughter. Each of us literally had 1-spoon full of the dish before it was gone.
My Conclusion:
Chef Irbille has always created and served wonderfully flavorful & delicious dishes. He continues to present great interpretations of Filipino Classics while still paying homage to the originals. Having been to six of his Pop-Up’s I can honestly say that he is growing in his creativity and plating. That being said, as your average consumer, I am unaccustomed to the world of fine dining – which Chef Irbille and his Pop-Up’s border on. Though presented beautifully and with fresh and local ingredients, I find his dishes are little overpriced for the amount of food served. In order to walk out on a full stomach, be prepared to shell out $40-$50 per person – which may be little to some, but as a monthly supporter of Chef Irbille and his Pop-Ups, my pockets are on fire.
nw gourmand 