May 30th, 2023, Manhattan, New York –The Japanese-Filipino infused and inspired restaurant, Trust Bae, hosted a new dish and wine tasting in preparation for PRIDE month, June 2023, that included ‘sapin, sapin’ a PRIDE dessert commemorating the spirit of the LGBTQIA+ communities.
‘Trust Bae’ is a discreet venue, shaded by crushed gray velvet blackout curtains that run ceiling length to the floor. A fiery neon sign hangs to the right of the entrance bearing the namesake, ‘Trust Bae’, and the bar arches in length from one end of the restaurant and merges into the kitchen entranceway where Chef Tariga enters to offer Trust Bae’s guests, an exclusive and savory dining experience. The ambiance lends itself to a closeness one would want to experience with a partner or intimate friend. Parallel to the bar, an open floor cushioned seating booth runs alongside the length of the restaurant wall. Several small round tables, all dressed with a single flower in a vase are aligned parallel to the seating booth. 
I order a cocktail from the wine and beverage list, starting with the FT Smash; a refreshingly cold iced blended cocktail made of bourbon, sweet papaya, lemon, simple syrup, and fresh mint leaf garnish. The blend of flavors in the beverage is perfectly balanced and complimentary in texture. Chef Targia arrives at the 8-seat countertop and guests are given the option to order from the menu through the QRC code. The Trust Bae menu features Japanese-style cuisine with Filipino flair, as influenced by Chef Tariga’s culinary experience from her youth in the Philippines to her training in Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine. Many of the dishes are notably rich in traditional Filipino ingredients such as palm sugar and vinegar, coconut, and rice. The technique and the presentation of the meals are more formal than the time-honored ways of serving them. Chef Tariga also designed many of the unique vessels for the plating of each course to complement the design of each dish.
The tasting opened with Kaiseki Courses where the cuisine is torched, steamed, grilled, and fried to enhance its incredible flavors. The first course was my favorite, the appetizing Botan Ebi Tartare (sweet shrimp).
Beautiful in presentation and mouther watering in taste, this dis is seasoned with yuzu, uni puree, layered with a sheet of housemade Calamansi jelly, topped with cruelty-free Kaluga caviar plated inside 3D Printed Hands served with a cracker made of sago (tapioca balls) dusted with togarashi.
Chef Tariga paid homage to her mother’s homeland in Southern Tagalog with a regional delicacy called Binalot.
This scrumptious dish is served with coconut sticky rice, and Alaskan King crab, wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf before being covered in a Paksiw foam and topped with crispy shallots.
Another favorite was Chef Tariga’s rendition of Lumpia, the first Filipino dish I’d been introduced to many years ago. Chef Tariga attributes her influence on this dish to her father.
What I appreciated most about Tariga’s rendition is that it included slow-cooked and pulled oxtail, a delicate portion of the ox that is more native to my family’s country, Guyana, South America. The Lumpia is served with truffle cream in a crispy spring roll shell and topped with a punched radish served on an acrylic box, crisp, light, and perfect to the bite.
Nigiri with local seasonal fish sourced by Yama Seafood followed the Kaiseki courses.
Dishes from this section were eloquent in their presentation, like the Sawara Tinapa (or Spanish mackerel, a fish) skin torched then smoked, and garnished with house-pickled Gari and kizami; or the Otoro Taco, a chef’s delicious version of a hand roll, served in a crispy nori shell with caviar and gold flakes.
Vegetarian Nigiri Options are available as a supplemental item.
As previously mentioned, the Dessert course for this month is a housemade Rainbow Sapin Sapin. The rainbow ‘sapin, sapin is a comforting dessert with flavors reminiscent of cassava cake, a Filipino staple. ‘Sapin, Sapin’ is a Filipino mochi comprised of coconut milk and freshly grated coconut meat. This PRIDE dessert has a deeper meaning to Chef Tariga as it is an extension of herself.
The rainbow sapin, sapin at Trust Bae is rolled in golden sesame seed and cornflakes and in the bed of fresh coconut, served in a coconut shell with banana leaf then garnished with pulled sugar and gold. Colors and flavors to create the rainbow include Purple- ube, Green- pandan, Orange – kamote / sweet potato, Red – beet, Yellow – ripe jackfruit, and White – coconut. All proceeds raised for the ‘sapin, sapin’ dessert will go towards ‘The Center’, an organization coined as the heart and home of the NYC LGBTQIA+ communities and welcomes and celebrates everyone. Trust Bae Executive Celebrity-Chef and menu designer, Frances Tariga, holds a special space in her heart for The Center. She aims to use her culinary art talents to support the organization’s efforts in providing information, programs for wellness, healthcare resources, and community connection. Tariga has been seen in such shows as Top Chef, Beat Bobby Flay, and Chopped.
The 16-course tasting menu (that includes the ‘sapin, sapin’ dessert) is served to guests at an intimate 8-seat counter for 90 minutes for $150 per person.
A special thanks and recognition goes to the NYC-based hospitality group Simplevenue, led by restaurateurs Erika London and Michael Sinensky, includes renowned restaurants, such as Sushi by Bou, Sushi Suite, Omakaseed, and Fins and Scales (with locations in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and South Florida) for hosting this extraordinary and hospitable tasting at Trust Bae.
