The phrase “comfort food” has been loosely thrown around the food scene for some time now. While the term is supposed to be subjective (each person has his/her own comfort food), it is widely used to describe good home-style cooking or classic dishes that are easy pleasers. Comfort food may be fried chicken to some, waffles for another or a stew for someone else. Among the many dishes that may be considered as comfort food, one of my personal favorites is pasta.
My Salta story starts in mid-2017, in another outlet, actually. Before there was Salta, there was Pappare, a food stall in one of the more popular food parks in Quezon City, Food Hive. On a weekday lunch with friend Joy Catiis Cruz (who always seems to find the most interesting, a.k.a. heart-stopping, places to eat), we headed to Food Hive to fulfill her nacho cravings. While looking at the other offerings in Food Hive, I spotted Pappare.
I’ve seen some Facebook posts of Pappare through the profiles of mutual friends, so I decided to give their food a try. Since I’ve already seen some pictures of Pappare’s dishes online, I was hopeful, but not expecting much. Pictures rarely tell the whole story and what looks good in pictures often disappoints in reality. So with a little skepticism, I ordered Crabonara, Pappare’s signature crab pasta dish. I thought the name was very catchy, a play on the popular carbonara. Served in a paper cone and topped with a sous vide egg, the Crabonara looked as good in person as it did on my laptop screen. I don’t say this often, but I was really won over from the very first bite. It was actually shocking, as I’ve been so used to being disappointed when trying out food for the first time. I was so impressed I messaged the owner, Chef Gem Tee, and added her on Facebook. Needless to say, I went back to Pappare a number of times to either have Crabonara again or to try her other pasta dishes.
Fast-forward to a little less than a year since that first bite and I am now at another of Chef Gem’s restaurants, Salta. Unlike Pappare, which is situated in a food park, Salta is a full menu, sit-down restaurant. Aside from her popular pasta dishes, Chef Gem serves Italian rotisserie chicken and other grilled specialties at Salta. If, like me, you’re wondering where she got the names Pappare and Salta, let me explain and give a brief backgrounder about Chef Gem. Pappare means to “tuck into food” or to “eat hastily,” or in our local slang, to lamon or lafang. Her decision to serve pasta was due to a number of things. First, she specialized in pasta. She actually won in international competitions even while still at culinary school for her pasta entries. Second, she wanted to serve something affordable and filling. Last, she loves carbs, especially noodles, because in her own words: “kasi intsik me.” As playful and self-depreciating as she may seem, Chef Gem’s humility belies her talent for cooking and her remarkable sense of taste. When I first met Chef Gem, I was in awe at how someone so young (she’s only in her early twenties), and so slim developed her talents so quickly. I always believed the saying “never trust a skinny chef,” but it made sense after discovering that she used to be much bigger and has always loved food and carbs, in particular. Now back to Salta, which means “to take a leap.” This leap was opening a full menu restaurant and serving much more than pasta. While still keeping with the Italian theme, Chef Gem’s menu at Salta keeps with her desire to serve quality food at reasonable prices. Like Pappare, the servings are huge and the prices are affordable. Salta specializes in roasted and grilled meats like chicken, steaks, pork chops and sausages. Combined with their specialty pastas, Salta is perfect for those who, like me, love Italian but aren’t too fond of pizza. Having been open for just a year, Salta has been so successful that they had to transfer to a much bigger place, just a few meters from their original location. While I can never resist ordering one of their pasta dishes, their Brick-oven Porkchop is not to be missed. Perfectly marinated and brined, it is as tender and flavorful as any pork chop you can have. Salta also offers a few desserts that are worth saving some room for. Their Ube and Tiramisu Panna Cotta cakes are perfect with some espresso-based drinks after your meal.
In a time when young, budding wannabe chefs are a dime a dozen, when serving good food often takes a backseat to celebrity, it is refreshing to meet and become friends with people like Chef Gem. Pappare is less than two years old and Salta, even newer. But by simply serving the food she loves at prices that even students can afford, there is much to look forward to from this young, talented chef.
Pappare is at The Food Hive, 80 Visayas Avenue, Quezon City.
Salta is at 80 Mayaman Street, Diliman, Quezon City.
Call 0917-8309290 for inquiries.
