Anne Bistro

 “Bacolod is ready to taste what is outside Bacolod.” 

Tired of eating the same dish all over again whenever you go out or visit the town? Here’s a new place that you will surely love not just because of the place’s interior and ambiance but you will surely come back to because of the exquisite taste of the dishes that they prepare.

Great food with great quality taste!

That’s how I tag the new Bistro here in the City of Bacolod. What I love the most when it comes to food blogging aside from tasting their scrumptious dishes is hearing the stories behind their success and how they ended up with the idea of being in the food business and industry.

Anne Bistro started because of a dream. It has always been Stephanie's dream to have a small resto or a small food business. And it was destiny that she and Dan met. He grew up in Manila and finished a business degree. Grewing up Dan never imagined to become a chef, he always imagined himself to be a business man. Later on, he developed a certain likeness to food and had always wanted to expand his creativity.

“Bacolod is ready to taste what is outside Bacolod.” And Chef Dan is here to show Bacolod what they are missing out and at the same time part of his cuisine here is to cater to the Ilonggo tongue.

“When you do a Filipino food, I can imagine that there are so much people better than you in terms of Filipino food but in terms of comfort food it’s like a small story from the kitchen or particularly me, what makes me feel at home. So when I eat this matters..this menu items, sometimes it makes me weak on my knees especially when I am on the past and I need to taste all the food items that is coming out, when it is executed properly there’s that burning passion in my body that this is my food…” - Chef Dan said when asked why he’s concept is more of international comfort food.

Why Bacolod and why this kind of food?

Since 2013 he’s been coming back and forth in Bacolod. He fell in love with the place because when he goes up to the mountains like Don Salvador Benedicto or Lantawan, he sees so much rolling hills and green pasteurs which reminds him of his trip to Europe, Italy and France. And so he decided to give Bacolod that kind of region.

Their specialty is pasta and all pastas are served fresh traditionally from Italy and in terms of Carbonara, they don’t use cream just authentic parmesan and egg. And just a little tip, you should eat it while it’s hot because if it turns into the room temperature, the parmesan and egg will naturally solidify. 

Another specialty of theirs is the Gnocchi, a sauteed potato based pasta. This I can say is also a must try from their menu most especially if you're a potato lover.

For the appetizers they have croquetas, rabas and pintxos which is from the past region of Spain. Their croquetas is bechamel based that when you eat it, it’s likeit pops in your mouth. Porchetta is a little hybrid of what Italians do. They don’t use authentic Italian seasoning or stuffing, they use their own local produced. It’s basically the lechon belly version of Italy. 

Surprisingly their best seller is the Rabas, one of my favorite from their menu and as well as the Fish Rendang. Bacolod people loves squid and the Rabas is a version of Calamares although its is cut into strips. They fry it and serve it with basil and mayonaise and pinakurat. Their rabas is not gummy contrary to others but it is very tender. And the Rendang is usually from Thailand and it is served in beef but Chef Dan got was is abundant in Bacolod which is Blue Marlin so he made his own version of Blue Marlin Rendang.

Craving for seafood is not a problem! They also have Oyster Popcorn! It is battered, deep fried fresh oysters served with spicy mayo.

If you're craving for burgers and fries, no worries! They've got you covered as well. Their pulled pork sliders sandwich is made of barbecued pulled pork with crispy onion and garlic aioli sauce. 

They serve complimentary dish as appetizer before serving you the main meal course. It is a combination of the different dishes you ordered, so everyday it is served differently.

They developed dessert items and one of their front liners is the Deconstructed Turon. I suggest that you try dipping the pieces in the ice cream because you can really appreciate the sweet taste. I swear it is so delicious that just by writing this review I’m already craving for it once again!

“Transparency, I think that’s what sets us apart” -Chef Dan

What separates them from others is the authenticity of their food. They priced it to the point that it is not too much but at least they make up for the quality. They make it fresh and do all the production in the kitchen all by themselves, they don’t have a commissary and other people outside of the establishment who does the food for them. And as well as the transparency that serves as the symbolism of their kitchen. It is very open that the guests can see everything that they do. Deep inside they’ll know that the food being prepared is clean including the kitchen. The cooks and the Chef all look professional and they don’t contaminate the food. They want to change the stigma that  anytime you peek into their kitchen, no matter how much attitude their guests would give them, they would still do their job.

What perspective do you want people to see once they hear ‘Anne Bistro’?

Today in this age, their is molecular gastronomy and those other amazing avenues of food but tthere are questions such as “makakabusog ba yan?..”, “is it flavorful?”, “is it safe?..” They want to set a standard or what the whole world should know as the standard. And they want the Bacolod people to experience that quality food and service.  

“Life is also a gamble. If we make it then thank the Lord, if we don’t, we still thank the Lord for the lessons we’ve learned.”

Anne Bistro just opened last December 22, 2017. They started it not knowing that they will open a place like this and with their connected passion in this industry, they just went for it.  

Truly life is a gamble but that is up to us if we take the risk or not. If we win and succeed than good, and if we don't then let that be an addition to our insights in life. 

Location

12th Street, Corner Aguinaldo, Bacolod City

Photography by: 

Reegin Acosta & Christoph Sagemuller

 Special thanks to:

Karla Ape