We’ve got a handful of solid Filipino eateries in Singapore that serve up glorious plates of sisig, lechon, sinigang, and the like. But if you’re taking a Filipino friend out for a special occasion, here’s a place that will impress them – and their Lola too. Hayop, the fine-casual offshoot of the wildly popular Manam in Manila, is Singapore’s love letter to the Philippines. Its interiors are stylish and homey all at once, with elements reminiscent of traditional Filipino homes, as well as purple-hued chairs and unique light fixtures that pay homage to Filipino agricultural symbols like ube (purple yam) and fishing nets.
Despite the fancier setting, you can still expect to run into all the usual suspects of Filipino cuisine – just dialled up a notch. Take the honest plate of House Crispy Sisig ($22) for a start, where chopped-up bits of pork jowl and cheek are mixed in a sizzling hot plate. Have this with jasmine rice ($2) as it’s usually enjoyed, but for a winning combination, order the stir-fried garlic rice ($6) instead. While the flavours surely hit the spot, portions are on the smaller side, so to avoid potential table wars breaking out, consider ordering a second serving if you’ve got some serious sisig fans in your dining group.
We also recommend the lumpia ($14 for two pieces). For the unacquainted, lumpia is a savoury spring roll introduced by Hokkien immigrants in the Philippines. While it usually contains pork, Hayop does a vegetarian version using mung bean wraps topped with brown-butter baby carrots, soy-braised young jackfruit, pickled jicama, and a sweet soy garlic mushroom sauce. This is a one-biter for sure. Another side worth trying is the crispy palabok ($26). This spin on the classic Filipino noodle dish swaps out thin rice noodles for crispy glass noodles, which are then drenched in a thick shrimp and annatto sauce to soften and coat each strand.
Hayop serves two versions of the cult-favourite adobo – the adobong dilaw ($36) or ‘yellow adobo’ which substitutes soy sauce for turmeric, and the special Midnight Adobo ($52), which is the restaurant’s reinterpretation of the dish using red wine. Those who prefer pork to beef should definitely go for the adobong dilaw, which sees hefty slices of purebred Duroc pork belly stewing in a fragrant turmeric, sukang tuba, ginger, and calamansi sauce, and topped off with a roasted bone marrow.
A fun-fact about adobo: we were told that each Filipino family makes their own version that’s either heavier-handed on the soy sauce or vinegar. The adobong dilaw here definitely errs on the savoury side especially when combined with the rich and fatty bone marrow bits, so it’s best to have this with rice.
And what’s a Filipino meal without sinigang? Characterised by its sour and savoury profile, this one’s definitely an acquired taste. Hayop brings over Manam’s well-loved wagyu and watermelon sinigang ($56) – a remake of the original that features chunks of grass-fed New Zealand wagyu short ribs swimming in a tamarind and watermelon broth. Make sure to ladle a bit of everything into your bowl, from french beans, to okra, taro roots, baby radish, and of course, slices of charred watermelon.
Desserts are a must at Hayop, and if you’re spoilt for choice, you won’t go wrong with the Halo-halo ($18). Imagine a towering glass of shaved ice topped with nata de coco, red beans, palm seeds, mashed purple yam or ube halaya, and crowned with a slice of flan and ube ice cream. But if you’re stuffed, a scoop of house-made ube ice cream ($6) should sort you out just fine.