The united flavors of Southeast Asia

Emerging niche

THE EMERGING niche of Southeast Asian restaurants is attracting diners seeking a bit of the mystique of the Orient. Western-style service and familiar ingredients are keeping the restaurants within the average Filipino's comfort zone.

Oody's is one of the contemporary Southeast Asian restaurants that are planting the cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and other neighboring countries deeper into Filipino taste buds.

"I think such flavors have become a big trend. The door is now open to welcome these foods into the mainstream," says Maritel Nievera, who co-owns Oody's with husband Dori Shani.

For one month, Nievera and Shani traveled around Asia, exploring authentic specialties in eateries and small restaurants, which were generous enough to give them the recipes of the foods they fancied. "We then brought to Manila what we didn't have here," says Nievera, who also owns Cabalen and is a partner in Mangan.

Located on the second level of Greenbelt 3 in Makati, Oody's has a setting that's accented with mahogany work, glass and stainless steel. It is called Oody's because most of its specialties have noodles as their basic ingredient. "Besides, the name sounds funky, lively and modern," says Shani, who, together with Nievera, conceptualized Oody's' menu. He's also the restaurant's master chef.

While Asian foods have many similarities, each region has ingredients that characterize its cuisine. Thai naam plaa, Indonesian sambal and Philippine bagoong join flavorings and other components such as galangal and wood ear mushrooms to define Oody's' authentic offerings.

FRIED Pork Balls and Fried Thai Noodles with Shrimps, Thai Style (Phad Thai)

"There needs to be an educational push behind Asian cuisines. You can't show Phad Thai noodles to Filipino consumers and expect them to grasp the concept. We want them to taste the quality of our authentic products," Shani says.

While the Asian countries maintain distinct identities, they also have a great deal in common, and their cuisines share history, as well as many exotic spices and sauces and diverse methods of cooking.

Asian cuisines are derived from a long history of explorers and ruling regimes and have evolved over time to blend native and foreign influences within each country.

"Producing Asian food is challenging. But the key lies in understanding the philosophy of combining ingredients," Nievera says.