An Obscure dining experience in three mouthwatering acts
Somewhere on Paligawan Road in Silang, Cavite is a delicious dinner destination named Obscure Table. So obscure that the restaurant in the quiet neighborhood nestles nondescript on a lush property with a black gate and red-orange wall. The experience starts with the best bread from the restaurant’s pugon—freshly baked focaccia with heavenly spreads like balut pate, eggplant tapenade, coffee butter, and maple walnut cream cheese scallion.
It is love at first bite; more so because the first of three acts of the dinner is done in a garden setting with the glorious Silang sunset as the backdrop. By the time night drops its cloak, the tokwa’t baboy terrine, mini embutido, and spicy Thai pork barbecue have already found a spot in your belly. For starters, they are deliciously good!
Obscure Table was born from a decision between two chefs—Dennis Hipolito and GB Barlao—who stepped away from corporate life to pursue something more meaningful.
Dennis, a dentist turned pastry chef who owns a bakeshop called Joconde, was a culinary innovator for Yum! in Singapore for more than a decade. As part of the company’s R&D, he was in charge of the growth of Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell.
Chef GB, on the other hand, built a career bridging restaurant dining and food industry innovation in restaurants and hotels both in the Philippines and the US. He was a culinary strategist for major food companies like Kagome, Newly Weds Foods, and Griffith Foods at a time when few culinary professionals ventured into translating kitchen expertise into product development and culinary direction on an industrial scale.
“As for the name, both GB and I had spent our careers working behind some of the world’s respected food brands. We were always involved in shaping the food, the concepts and the experiences, yet always behind the scenes, never in the spotlight. The name Obscure pays homage to that. We were the quiet force behind many known products, and now we’re bringing that same passion to our own table,” says Dennis, whose baptism in the kitchen was courtesy of his grandfather, who cooked during fiestas in Bulacan. He abandoned his dental chair, so to speak, and at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York, he found himself pursuing his kitchen passion.
“What excites us now is doing something far more fulfilling: building something of our own, feeding people well, creating experiences and being present for every moment of it,” says GB.
GB adds: “My real immersion in the hospitality world came through my father, who was part of the Philippine Plaza back in 1976. From high school onwards, I was in that world, and it led me naturally to the CIA for my culinary training. Food has never left my life since.”
The delightful moment happens at a three-hectare property (owned by Dennis’ loving aunt) where Obscure Table occupies 700 square meters thoughtfully divided into three distinct areas that guide the dining experience. The Garden structure hosts Act One, the Main Dining Hall is the setting for Act Two, and the Patio Area closes the evening with Act Three for desserts.
They say two or more chefs in the kitchen spoil the broth. Not in the case of the two Bulakeños. At Obscure Table, chef GB leads general management, oversees the financials, and steers the team, while Dennis drives the creative direction, marketing, and innovation.
The end result of their partnership is always mouthwatering. It is evident in the tocho dish of grilled Hamachi head. The fish melts in the mouth, leaving both memories of home and a velvety texture on the palate.
The taste of home is also found in lamb Pata Kare Special, a yummy stew of kare-kare with spiced lamb shank (without the gamy taste) and slow-cooked oxtail and tripe on a bed of steamed string beans, winged beans, bokchoy, and grilled Japanese eggplant. The dip is to die for: bagoong-sambal dip cooked in coconut milk.
The piece de resistance of the dinner is a chicharonillo or cochinillo cooked chicharron style. (My quadruple-bypassed heart could not resist its sumptuous aroma and divine crispiness; I had a bite or two of it. Some scrumptious and glorious mystery was in it when the crispy skin and meat were dipped in a selection of sauces: spicy roasted pineapple, liver sauce, bastardo verde, salsa, pimiento rojo asado, sweet atchara, and pickled radish. It was porcine paradise for this chicharonillo—a showstopper and palate pleaser.)
Desserts at the restaurant are called Sweet Mischief simply because they are sinful in their sumptuousness. The pianono of my childhood is reimagined with oozing caramel cream. The salted egg yema cake with kamias compote is a masterpiece.
“Our north star is simple: everything must be masarap and uncompromisingly delicious,” says Dennis. “Our current menu revolves around heritage and novelty. We take humble, beloved Filipino dishes and execute every step with the level of care and precision we believe to elevate the experience. We play with flavors, textures, and the full arc of how a dish is experienced from first bite to last.”
“We don’t have a label for our style of cooking, but what we believe is this: if we’re going to serve something as familiar as a classic Filipino dish, the experience surrounding it must be something entirely its own and memorable,” GB ends.
Obscure Table is a remarkable, lip-smacking gustatory excursion.
The restaurant is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for dinner service only, by reservation. Between 15 and 20 guests can be accommodated at a time. Reservations can be made through its Instagram at @obscuretableph.
