Casual American dining restaurant, Rub Ribs, has met a lot of success with locals for the past 6 years it has been open. With 6 outlets across the Metro, Rub Ribs has discovered the right formula for delivering food that is accessible both in cost and flavour. We spoke to Chef Martin Kabigting, who shares with us how he uses dips to give his dishes more depth.
“Filipinos like everything with sauce,” he says, and just one visit to any Filipino’s pantry will show just how true this statement is. Malinamnam is the way to any Filipino’s heart (via the stomach, of course), and sawsawan an integral part of Filipino food culture. Top it off with the Asian culture of eating “family-style”, where all the dishes are shared in the middle, it makes sense that dishes served with dips are a local hit since they are often easy to share.
“Dips give the main item a fuller flavour,” explains Chef Martin. “In a simple dish, you can bring out all kinds of flavours just by [pairing it] with different kinds of dips. [It becomes] a different experience while eating it.”
This is likely why some of Rub Ribs’ most popular dishes feature some of their house-made dips. On top of their popularity, using dips in your menu has become incredibly easy with ready-made components like mayonnaise available in the market.
“Back in the day, you’d have to mix eggs, oil, and other spices and ingredients [to make mayonnaise, but now] the sky’s the limit in terms of imagination,” Chef Martin says. “I’ve seen some people mix it with jus or fruits . . . with Lady’s Choice, it’s so easy to use, and . . . it gives a simple main dish a whole new meaning if you mix it with a new dip.” And using pre-made mayonnaise greatly helps in reducing food waste, which Chef Martin tells us is a constant problem that restaurant-owners and chefs face. “You can prepare your dips ahead of time and use them for days after [because mayonnaise] is a stable ingredient.”
Another benefit of using mayonnaise in your dips is its inherent full flavour. “It really gives fried dishes a very nice texture,” says Chef Martin. “When you’re eating something hot and crunchy with mayonnaise, it gives a nice pop to the dish. Aside from the convenience, it’s the flavour that [mayonnaise] gives to the dish, and the ease [in which it allows you to be creative].”
Check out these recipes in the link below to see how you can play around with Lady’s Choice mayonnaise.
