BORACAY — Award-winning food writer and F&B veteran Angelo Comsti takes his passion for food to the next level with the opening of his own restaurant Hain, which is also the main dining outlet of the Boracay property of homegrown boutique hotel chain The Henry.
Located just off Boracay’s main road, The Henry and Hain provide a different kind of ambience in this beach paradise. Set amidst lush tropical foliage, The Henry exudes a lazy, hacienda feel, and the al fresco Hain, which overlooks the inviting pool, adds a hipster vibe with its austere stylings.
“I thought that, after doing my regional cookbook called ‘Also Filipino,’ the natural progression would be to practice what I preach, in this case, to serve the regional dishes I immortalized in the book and discovered when I traveled to 22 provinces so that many people can actually taste, acknowledge and appreciate them. Not many have the luxury of travel so for me to provide an avenue for them to try these dishes would be ideal. Luckily, my good friend Hanky Lee of Henry Hotels approached me and offered me the space to do so,” Comsti told ANCX.
Hain, which opened in August 2023 and has already been included in Tatler Philippines’ list of best restaurants, focuses on regional dishes from across the archipelago. Diners can expect familiar favorites like adobo sa gata, Batangas lomi and Bacolod chicken inasal, alongside lesser-known specialties like Tawi-Tawi’s chicken pianggang.
“Since Henry champions everything local and I do too, it was only fitting to open a Filipino restaurant,” Comsti explained.
“There are many Filipino restaurants on the island, but what makes Hain different from the rest is the fact that we carry a lot of regional dishes that others don't. On the forefront are our Aklanon plates like the bestselling linapay and inubarang manok. We also have kansi from Bacolod, batil patung from Isabela, as well as tinuom and laswa from Iloilo,” he added.
Linapay, similar to Bicol’s laing, features shrimp and coconut meat wrapped in taro leaves and simmered in ginger and coconut milk, while inubarang manok is cooked in a broth of banana pith, ginger, libas leaves and coconut milk.
But alongside these authentic regional dishes are more playful takes on Filipino favorites like the Hainanese Arroz Caldo (poached chicken in flavorful ginger rice porridge), Bibingka Pancakes (with salted egg, cheddar cheese, salted egg sauce and desiccated coconut), and Sinampalukang Fried Chicken (braised in tamarind broth then deep-fried).
“I thought that it would be nice to offer items also that I kinda played around with. These are things that I've thought of while dining out. My what-ifs. What if I crumbed calamares with cereals instead of the usual breadcrumbs? What if pancit palabok was fortified with crab fat?” he said.
These playfulness is most evident in Hain’s breakfast fare. Instead of the usual silog, Comsti chose to give a Pinoy spin to the nasi lemak, with pandan rice served with sunny-side egg, shrimp crackers, spicy dilis, roasted peanuts, sautéed vegetables, sliced cucumber, homemade sambal and your choice of protein.
“I thought, how can I present our silogs in a different way? We Pinoys surely love our rice and so it has to be there for breakfast. Something I have long enjoyed in my Asian trips is nasi lemak, a coconut rice set typically with a viand, sambal, peanuts, fried egg, etc. It is the perfect iteration for our silog as the add-ons will not just add texture in every bite, but also mas nakakabusog,” he explained.
When it comes to beverages, Comsti asked the help of LICK in El Nido headed by Sly Samonte to provide drinks that will “impart the same playfulness as our dishes.” Among these are horchata, fruit sodas, and “their great tasting coffee made with roasted local beans.”
While Hain is currently thriving in its Boracay paradise setting, Comsti hints at future expansion plans. The restaurant's focus on quality ingredients and regional flavors could translate well to a city location, offering Filipino food enthusiasts a taste of the archipelago's diverse culinary landscape.
“There are plans,” he said. “Happy Ongpauco-Tiu is my business partner here and as proven by her brands, expansion is something she specializes on.”