Khaiba is a pop-up at Balmori Suites Chef’s Table in Rockwell and will run until July 13.
Khaiba is a project by two chefs: chef Sonny Mariano, who has worked at Scout’s Honor and The Matcha Tokyo, and chef Nouel Catis, who is the Filipino behind the viral Dubai chocolate craze. Together, they’ve created a short menu that takes familiar Filipino food and adds ingredients and ideas picked up from the Gulf.
“Khaiba” is a playful twist on the Tagalog word kakaiba—meaning different—and also an Arabic expression of surprise or awe. It’s a fitting name for this special pop-up, where the food feels comfortingly familiar, yet each dish is elevated by thoughtful, unexpected details that shift the ordinary into something truly distinct.
The sourdough bibingka came with liver pate, clotted cream, and date honey. The liver was smooth, not malansa, and went perfectly with the cream and the sweet. It sounded unusual at first, but it made total sense once I tried it. I kept thinking about it after.
The beef sinigang wasn’t a soup dish, but a grilled beef kebab with a tamarind and prune glaze, served on mashed gabi. All the flavors of sinigang were still there, but it’s surprising and interesting once you take a bite of the kebab. For me, it was one of the smartest dishes served.
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The lamb shank kaldereta was braised in coconut milk with apricots and figs (according to chef Sonny). And as we dove into it, the meat fell right off the bone. I had it with basmati rice and kiniig (a smoked meat from the Cordilleras). That combo was smoky, creamy and slightly sweet. It worked so well, I ended up getting more rice.
The miso prawns with Mafti sauce were served in a tomato-based sauce made with tamarind, cardamom, cinnamon, and shrimp heads. I’m not totally sure, but it reminded me of daqoos, the kind of tomato sauce you’d find on Dubai street food. But this one was way richer, creamier and flavorful— without being too much. I was so intrigued by it I ended up scooping the sauce and had it with rice.
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The chicken inasal, made with sinamak marinade, was served with crispy chicken skin on top. A small touch, but it gave the dish something extra. The barramundi sarciado was lighter, sitting on a bed of soft harissa egg which gave the dish an extra edge.
For dessert, the halo-halo was the clear highlight for me. But it’s not your typical halo-halo. It didn’t use ice. Instead, it had an ube cheesecake base, phyllo crisps, pinipig, and a pandan-evap sauce. Creamy, crunchy, not too sweet, and satisfying.
There was also Honey, Mangga Please, which brought back memories of mango float from special occasions. It had graham, coconut cream, and a soft medovik-style cake. And, finally, Habibi, I’ve Come From Dubai, which is a moist tsokolate cake with pistachio soft serve and sauce. The pistachio overpowered the chocolate a bit, but I didn’t mind. It tasted like something your mom would bake when you’re having a rough day, just with extra pistachio kick.
The dishes feel familiar but have just enough to make you see them differently. If you ask me, Khaiba is worth catching while it’s still around.
By the way, I’m still thinking about the Mafti sauce.
