THE BLACK PIG! Alabang’s Secret Charcuterie, Bar & Restaurant by Chef Carlos Garcia @theblackpigmnl

THE BLACK PIG is a Charcuterie (shop for prepared meat products), Bar & Restaurant by Chef Carlos Garcia, former chef at London-based Michelin Star French Restaurant, Gauthier Soho.

He — together with first time restaurateur couples Steve & Tricia McDonald and Anton & Berna Garriz — teamed up to offer well-curated, European-inspired dishes with Spain’s black Iberico pig as the highlight. They also offer signature draft beers and a good selection of wines.

The Black Pig has already been making waves in the foodie community. I couldn’t believe that such a place could exist in the Alabang area at first, but it’s great that it’s located in the south for a more casual feel. It’s also great that they’re family-oriented and most importantly, affordable.

Here’s our The Black Pig experience…

The Black Pig is located on the 2f The Commercenter in Alabang (Think Studio Kitchen and Mona Lisa). The extension mall is still not occupied and only the Black Pig is open for now.

The facade is a bit intimidating and we were hesitant to bring the kids. It’s a good thing they allow casual attire.

It’s a popular hangout for foodies and celebrities who know of this secret place.

THE BLACK PIG MENU: A LA CARTE | DRINKS MENU | WINE LIST | SAUSAGE SELECTION

The menu and drinks are well-curated and each dish provides a unique experience.

Meet Steve McDonald and Chef Carlos Garcia, who left his Gauthier Soho stint in London to move to Manila and make a difference in the Asian scene. 🙂

Here’s Brewmaster Anton Garriz, who is proud of their extensive line of Holgate craft beers from Australia.

✮ The Black Pig Beer Flight (P350). MMA (Mt. Macedon Pale Ale) – ESB (Extra Special Bitter) – Road Trip (American IPA) – Local Craft Beer Hefe Weizen

Try their craft beer samplers to start off your meal. Begin with the lightest, local craft beer Hefe Weizen, then to MMA, ESB, and Road Trip. I like the Road Trip’s stronger flavor and bitterness. 

If you like a stronger beer, order the Hopinator which is the strongest from the Holgate line.

The main reason they choose this 2F location is for this al fresco balcony overlooking the street. It’s a perfect spot during the cool season, especially at night.

It’s the place-to-be for beautiful Alabang girls. 🙂 

The complimentary bread is baked fresh. We like the raisin bread, mini-Baguette, and the mini-Focaccia.

The soup of the day was interesting — Chilled Pea and Mint Soup with Ricotta Cheese. This is the first time I’ve appreciated a cold soup appetizer.

Admittedly, you may want to think twice about bringing your kids here as the noise can be distracting to other diners. 

✮ The Black Pig Charcuterie Board (P850). (L-R) Jamon Iberico de Cebo, Morcilla Iberico, Chorizo Iberico, Salchichon Iberico, Lomo Iberico

I love their Black Pig Iberico in different flavors. The Jamon Iberico de Cebo was the best, followed by the melt-in-your-mouth Lomo Iberico. The black one, which is the blood sausage is the least one we like.

Best to order their most popular Iberico — Jamon Iberico de bellota, which isn’t part of the Charcuterie Board.

We met with our foodie friends who also own Brasas and they loved the Iberico spread as well.

✮ The Black Pig Cheese Selection (P580). Brillat Savarin, Calvad ‘Auge, Tomme de Savoie, St. Agur

They also serve an array of French cheeses. We love the St. Agur blue cheese and the soft Brillat Savarin white crusted cow’s milk cheese.

The Tomme de Savoie mild, semi-firm cow’s milk cheese was best with the red wine. 🙂

✮ RIOJA, BARON de EBRO, Spain 2010 (P950).

We got a good bottle of Rioja wine from Baron de Ebro in Spain. They serve it at the right cool temperature and pour it through a hand-held aerator, letting the wine breathe for the best flavor.

These days, it’s a plus for a restaurant to offer really good, affordable wines and know how to properly serve them. 🙂

✮ Pumpkin Risotto (P280). Roasted Pumpkin Wedges, Chicken Jus

Among all the dishes we tasted, this was unanimously voted as one of the best dishes of the night. It’s almost like pumpkin congee in form, but with a really good risotto texture. This is best paired with the meats. 🙂

Chicken Liver Pate (P220). Red wine jelly, toasted bread, mixed leaf salad

We appreciated the elaborate plating even for this simple Chicken liver pate. The pate was very smooth with good liver flavor. 

✮ Oven-baked Local Pork Belly & Bone Marrow (P480). Baby carrot, mashed potato, thyme & garlic-infused pork jus

This is very good, especially the bone marrow — yum! This isn’t that unique though since most high-end restaurants already have their own version. 

✮ Poached Egg & Mushroom Puree (P380). Parmesan & Crunchy Soldiers

The boys loved this egg-mushroom mash with bits of parmesan and crunchy soldiers. It’s good to pair with the breads. 🙂

Open Ravioli of Tofu (P380). Ricotta gnocchi & herb sauce

This dish, I think, was overly presented. They serve the tofu cubes separate from the ravioli wraps in a mini-garden mash. It would have been nice if the servers explained why the dish is presented this way to at least help with the appreciation of it. 

A good dish for vegetarians though.

Aidan’s ready to eat war face. 🙂

Meet Berna Garriz, who is also a managing partner at Creative 2.0, Inc. marketing and advertising agency.

✮ Grilled 45-day aged, grass-fed Rib-eye (P1,200). Chive and parsley dressing, garlic puree

We needed more meat to enjoy the wine so we ordered their Rib-eye. This was very good and a better choice than the Local Pork Belly & Bone Marrow.

The rib-eye already comes sliced into smaller pieces. I wonder if you can order this as one big slab of meat.

Here’s Tricia McDonald, who worked at London-based Michelin Star Restaurant  L’Autre Pied and convinced Chef Carlos Garcia to move to Manila.

Now, on to the desserts…

Chocolate Praline Mousse (P290).

This is chocolate mouse with a hazelnut kitkat-like texture inside. 

Coconut Panna Cotta, Pineapple Granite (P180).

Interesting combination of Coconut Milk, Pineapple, and Pistachio. A refreshingly light dessert. 🙂

Rum baba, orange & cream cheese ice cream (P250). 

This is interesting, too — sponge cake with rum and ice cream.

Kudos to Berna, Anton, Tricia, Steve, and Chef Carlos for coming up with The Black Pig! 🙂

I’m very happy that we got to try The Black Pig. I was impressed by their Jamon Iberico, signature dishes, and good selection of craft beers and wines. Best of all, I love the casual family feel of the place and their affordable prices. 🙂

I recommend starting off with the beer flight, the Charcuterie board, and the Pumpkin Risotto. After, order the grass-fed Rib-eye and pair it with some Rioja red wine. Then end with the Chocolate Praline Mousse.

The only downside for me is some of the dishes are overly presented. I like simple and elegant presentations but still functional. Maybe the servers can also be trained to explain the dishes for a better appreciation. 

Budget is about P800/head for a full meal & drink experience.

Congratulations to The Black Pig for providing the best Gourmet Resto & Bar Experience in Alabang!

THE BLACK PIG Charcuterie, Bar & Restaurant
2f The Commercenter Alabang, Commerce Ave. corner East Asia Dr., Filinvest, Muntinlupa City 
Telephone: +632 808-1406
Mobile: +63 917 846-2674
Email: mail@theblackpigbar.com
Website: www.theblackpigbar.com
Facebook: The Black Pig
Twitter: @theblackpigmnl
Instagram: The Black Pig Manila

Operating Hours:
Lunch 12nn to 3pm
Bar 3pm onwards
Dinner 630pm to 10pm

About Black Pig:
Manila’s new destination restaurant and bar, for enjoying a great dining experience with family and friends. 

The Black Pig is inspired by our shared appreciation for two noble creatures: Spain’s black Iberico pig, known to be the finest ham in the world, and our own native lechon, widely regarded as the Philippines’ national dish. Each one has interesting origins and distinct benefits; both are delicious beyond compare. 

This is not to say, though, that we only serve pork in our restaurant. In fact, we serve an interesting mix of European-inspired recipes using fresh local ingredients. We’re always excited to create and to innovate on these combinations of cultures, flavors, and textures.

Live an Awesome Life,

Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com 

P.S. This was their yummy menu for New Year’s Eve. I would love to try their set courses next!