Mijo Reserva offers a San Miguel Premium Beers pairing menu
SPANISH CUISINE is known for bold flavors, balancing smoke and brine with acidity and richness — and San Miguel Brewery presented how their beers match well with it over a pairing dinner on Oct. 19.
San Miguel Premium Beers, each paired with a special dish, are now available on the menu of Mijo Reserva. Located in Uptown Parade, Bonifacio Global City, the restaurant offers classic Spanish dishes reimagined through a modern, progressive lens. The restaurant is headed by Filipino chef Enrique Moreno.
According to the chef, each of the seven pairings was crafted so that the premium brews provided by San Miguel would complement and elevate the flavors on the plate.
BEER PAIRINGS
The meal began with two starters: Jamon Croquetas with béchamel and Jamon Serrano Aioli, and Fabes Con Almejas featuring Manila clams with white beans and cilantro salsa verde, both of which were paired with San Miguel Premium All-Malt. The croquetas were crispy on the outside and warm and creamy on the inside. The clams and beans were spiced up by the bright and herby sauce. The All-Malt served to emphasize the richness in both dishes, balancing the palate with its full flavors without overpowering the food.
The mains were Bacalao Al Pil-Pil featuring grilled salt cod and chickpea ragu, and Pork Tomahawk a La Brosa, mixing a smoked porkchop with achioete pibil sauce. Both were served with San Miguel Cerveza Blanca, its spicy, smoky, and citrus-forward flavors bringing out the robust yet refreshing notes in each dish.
Next came Arroz de Cerdo, a rich pork rice layered with house-made crispy pancetta and roasted lechon, matched with San Miguel Super Dry. Brewed with 100% German aroma hops, the clean and crisp finish of the beer cut through the heavy pork of the dish.
A stand-out was the Black Garlic Salpicao, made of grilled beef tenderloin with fermented black garlic and shimeji mushrooms. The rich black garlic sauce was finished with a San Miguel Cerveza Negra reduction, which was a great use of the dark lager.
The meal ended with a Sticky Date Pudding, also served with a Cerveza Negra. The warm date pudding featured savory-sweet miso-soy caramel, and the cocoa notes in Cerveza Negra complement the accompanying house-made olive oil ice cream and candied pecans. The sweet elements in the pudding and beer combined made it a perfect ending to the dinner.
“This menu is meant to take you to the Spanish side of the world,” Mr. Moreno said of what they concocted, noting that rustic flavors can be found in each dish.
“We make most of the components in-house, even the blood sausages in the paella,” he told BusinessWorld during the dinner. “We smoke the food using santol wood. We like to use whatever’s local.
“That includes the best local premium beers by San Miguel, so it’s really a perfect fit.”
The collaboration menu between San Miguel Premium Beers and Mijo Reserva is available until Dec. 19. — Brontë H. Lacsamana