On any random flight to Dubai, don’t be surprised if you find yourself seated beside renowned Chef JP Anglo. Part of the post-pandemic reboot of chef JP is to be a transcontinental restaurateur. On top of the popular Sarsa that he’s been known for since 2013, there is now a Kooya restaurant in Dubai that has elevated Filipino cuisine and dining in that area.
A newly renovated Sarsa on Rada St., Legazpi Village is presently JP’s sole home base for local operations, and it was good breaking bread with JP one Saturday lunch. This Sarsa version two is the leaner and a more quality-conscious iteration. It’s a lesson well-learnt on how maintaining standards and quality trumps expansion and economies of scale anytime of the day. He now has a managing partner, and that has freed him up to concentrate on being a creative director and halve his time between Manila and Dubai.
This new Dubai adventure started as an invitation to do a pop-up at a Dubai hotel. When he eye-balled the Filipino population there, and it’s broad spectrum, he realized that while certain Filipino food brands are already present there are often either fast food or buffet service. Championing Filipino cuisine in general, and Negrenese dishes in particular, has been JP’s advocacy ever since. Here now was an opportunity to not just talk the talk but walk it as well.
Since Kooya opened its doors, JP has found a new fire stoking his career as a chef. He explained how several patrons of Kooya have gone up to him. to say they’re extremely grateful that, finally, there’s a place in Dubai where they can bring their foreign bosses and friends to sample Filipino cuisine in a manner that they can be proud about. Plus, it’s become the place for the Filipino community to dine when there’s a special occasion or reason to celebrate. These words are like manna from heaven for JP—validation that he’s doing the right thing in venturing outside the comfort zone of the Philippines.
In Manila, the pandemic saw the various Sarsa’s that dot the urban landscape close shop, and the Rada location became the war room for deliveries and take-out’s. Today, it’s been renovated to very much reflect JP’s personality—his surfing world, his cycling, and love for the outdoors. I used to dine at Sarsa Rada practically once a week, back when I’d be working with Edd Fuentes at his Rada office, so I’m a witness to how popular it used to be and would do great weekday business with all the offices that are nearby.
It was a pleasant surprise to find the restaurant bustling on a Saturday lunch, with people waiting for tables to be vacated. It’s just been a week since Sarsa Rada reopened, so this was testament to how much people have missed Sarsa, and how effective the word of mouth of Rada’s reopening has been. You can take JP to Dubai, but it’s evident that his Sarsa legacy is still a very strong one.
Sarsa is now a pared down, let’s stick to essentials menu, with new dishes dotting the menu here and there. It’s a greatest hits compilation with some new tracks thrown in. My favorite starters are the Bangus Lumpia, and the delightfully sinful Giant Chicharon!
The Inasal Sisig is his chicken version of this ever-popular dish, and it’s something that’s a perennial favorite at Kooya since it’s very difficult to get a Serving Pork license in an Arab country. In the vegetable section, my old go-to, their flavorful gising-gising is still around. Do try their crab tortang talong which is meaty and loaded, and definitely not your usual tortang talong.
Adobong salpicao pusit is one of Sarsa’s specials, with squid fat left inside, so it’s your option to squeeze it out, or just make it part of the feast. The lechon manok with garlic coconut dip is a must-try if you’re seeking something beyond JP’s stand-by Inasal. And there’s the palabok luglug espesyal, if you’re into palabok.
For now, know that if you love JP’s Sarsa and find yourself in Dubai, seek out Kooya, to enjoy a piece of home, while in the Middle East.