Inside the kitchen of Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew, the air is rich with the aromas of sizzling meats and exotic spices. At the heart of this culinary haven stands Executive Chef Jerwyn Rabo, a maestro of flavors whose innovative menu has captivated the palates of food enthusiasts. Our exclusive interview peels back the layers of his creative process, revealing the passion and precision that goes into each dish. From the smoky depths of Arroz Negra to the hearty embrace of Paella de Carne, Chef Jerwyn’s creations are a testament to his dedication to Latin culinary arts.
Running a kitchen as dynamic as Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew’ is no small feat, and Chef Jerwyn Rabo faces each day with a blend of fervor and finesse. The challenges are as diverse as the menu he curates, ranging from sourcing the freshest ingredients to ensuring each plate captures the essence of Latin BBQ. In our conversation, Chef Jerwyn shares the hurdles he overcomes to bring his vision to life, offering insights into the relentless pursuit of gastronomic excellence that defines Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew.
Building and the Evolution of Menu
Interviewer: Can you talk about how the culture of Latin America influences the food at Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew?
Chef Jerwyn: A lot of the food in Tittos is centered around the core of Latin cuisine. When we talk about Latin culture it speaks to me on how similar it is with Philippines’ culture. There are a variety of similarities; like how our ingredients are dependent on our region’s capabilities and resources. Geography also comes into play. Where they source their ingredients and what crops are capable of growing in certain regions of their country. Furthermore, you can also ask what common food practices are and what traditions they have. Ask how is the street food culture in that place. Maybe the day to day food for that region. All are factors on how culture affects food. We wanted to encapsulate all these elements and reflect it in the food that we offer in our establishment. Ultimately, I find their culture interesting and worth exploring.
Interviewer: What are your main sources of inspiration when creating the unique dishes for Tittos Latin BBQ and Brews’ menu?
Chef Jerwyn: First we don’t classify ourselves as authentic Latin Cuisine. We wanted a menu where the core would be Latin Cuisine but have various inspirations from Filipino cuisine.
Our main objective was to create and offer dishes that people will still recognize and love despite being a little different in taste and form. We want to stand out and be bold, giving people a different taste and flavor. We just can’t be stationary, we have to find inspiration from everything. So inspiration has to come from so many different places. It can be from recipes we tried out, places we visited, what we see in social media, food stories from friends, food stories from vloggers we follow, what we watch on youtube and tiktok. We wouldn’t want to limit our creativity. We have to open ourselves to anything that we could get our eyes, hands, ears and tongue on.
Interviewer: Could you walk us through your creative process when conceptualizing a new dish?
Chef Jerwyn: I would say that coming up with new ideas is definitely a collective effort of me and my kitchen team. First I talk with my kitchen team to brainstorm ideas for new dishes. Second, we try to study and get feedback on how our customers react to our previous dishes. We check for strong and weak points in our food. Then we move towards internal obstacles. Obstacles like are we able to use and maximize an available ingredient for this new dish. Or challenges like equipment and space formats that would affect future production of certain dishes? Next is research and development of the dishes. Then we start making actual action plans on how to execute the new dishes on a production line.
To be honest most planned dishes are scrapped even before it even touches fire. It’s part of a process. The process that spans for weeks, or even months to make sure we come up with the best possible dish we could serve.
That’s beauty and challenge of conceptualizing and creating new dishes. It is one of my favorite activity, and its the activity that we experience so much failure at. At the end of the day, we gain so much learning from failures. While we also gain pride and joy when we succeed.
Interviewer: How do you select the ingredients for your dishes? And what role do they play in delivering the Latin Flavors you are aiming for?
Chef Jerwyn: Sourcing out the best and quality ingredients is the biggest challenges in creating the best menu possible. I firmly believe that the quality and sustainable ingredients are what makes the dishes good or bad. We had to meticulously source our ingredients with numerous suppliers until we find the right components.
I say Ingredients are king. We base our menu structure through how we can acquire the ingredients sustainably first before committing to a dish. Second, we play around with a lot of herbs and spices that is available locally. Combining the right herbs and spices dictates a lot of the flavor profiles that characterize our food identity.
Combining quality and sustainable ingredients paired with the right herbs and spices; yields to the perfect Latin flavors we and our customers are looking for. These ingredients paired with right cooking techniques and dedicated kitchen team ensures the discovery of new flavors and dishes.
Interviewer: How has the menu evolved since you started at Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew and what drove those changes?
Chef Jerwyn: There’s a lot of evolution with our menu, it’s ever changing. We try to switch up our offerings once a year, this includes our specials. We are working in a very challenging and ever-changing industry dictates that we have to do this on a regular basis to keep up with everything happening around us. Raw materials prices changes everyday, diners have different preferences everyday, and other external factors forces us to evolve and quickly adapt to those changes.
A good menu evolution example was during the pandemic where all most of our customers wanted to dine at home than swinging by. We caught up and started doing easy-to-deliver dishes like burgers and expanded our Street Taco offerings. Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew also started offering Fiesta Platters for parties and gatherings at home.
Inside the Kitchen
Interviewer: What are some of the biggest challenges you face running the kitchen on a busy night?
Chef Jerwyn: The biggest challenge would be ensuring all the dishes coming out of the kitchen are perfect. I think I’m a perfectionist so I would like to achieve that in every dish. What the customers think of our food is really important to me and my team. We are driven by deep passion for food. This passion comes our desire to ensure that every dish that comes out of our kitchen is an experience.
That is our biggest challenge and hurdle and it’s close to impossible to achieve but we still aim for it everyday. We treat busy nights and not so busy nights all the same. Everyday it’s a challenge we accept and we continue to work on.
Interviewer: How do you ensure that each dish that leaves the kitchen has your personal touch?
Chef Jerwyn: My biggest reminder to myself and to my team is to taste then taste the food. Since we do aim for perfection, I want all dishes to be tasted before it goes out of the kitchen. We want all diners to have the best experience consistently. Because of that we want all our dishes to turn out perfect and consistent. Me and my kitchen team must always remember that their are no shortcuts. That type of behavior is not allowed inside our tiled walls. We all need to follow a strict set of standards that we do religiously ahere to achieve perfection, if not, close to and consistently delicious.
Personal Favorites
Interviewer: Could you share a signature or favorite dish? And could you share a story behind one of your signature / favorite dishes?
Chef Jerwyn: I remember eating elote in some restaurant before but I did not like it. When i got home, I started watching videos, read books and started working on my own version. This led me to buying so much corn just to make so many variants of elote trying to find the perfect taste. I loved how the humble corn could be transform into so much more! And as a chef, I love creating and inventing new ways to serve a particular ingredient.
Before learning about elote, I only new about steaming, hot corn kernels with cheese, we sometime see it on nilaga and hotpot. This particular moment taught me a lesson that any basic ingredient can be elevated, be different and delicious given the right attention, love and care.
Interviewer: Can you share a particularly memorable moment or achievement in your culinary career while at Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew?
Chef Jerwyn: There was this one time that a group of Latinos which are not very common here in the Philippines stumbled in our restaurant. I remember seeing them go in Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew and taking their seats. To be honest, I was a bit nervous having real Latino people trying out a Latin themed restaurant. Especially since you expect that they’ll have higher expectations when it comes to having their own cuisine in a foreign country. So much so as we Filipinos would try out a Filipino themed restaurant overseas.
They tried out a number of dishes and they were looking confused while browsing the menu. Of course, it would be understandable since we do not serve authentic Latin cuisine. Once the waiter took the food from the kitchen and served it on their table; I just couldn’t stop looking and observed how they would react. They took a few bites. I could see them nodding their heads. I reluctantly went and visit their table and asked them how the food was. They told me that it wasn’t how they expected it and how it was different but in a good way. I started explaining to them how Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew started and how we plan to use Latin American cuisine anchored in Filipino taste. The guys had smiles on their faces. They told me that they enjoyed the meal, that it does reminds them of home.
Over-all, seeing people happy and enjoying the food is what keeps me and my team continue doing what we do. Not an achievement for most chefs, but for me leaving a smile, and a full belly to customers, is enough motivation to do what we do That is what we aim for at Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew.
What to Expect
Interviewer: Which dish do customers come back for again and again, and why do you think it’s such a hit?
Chef Jerwyn: I would say our Nacho el Gigante would be that item. With all the Nachos dishes in Metro Manila, we’re pretty proud of what we did with our Nacho El Gigante. It has The perfect blend of spices coupled with spiced beef meat with the crunchy texture of the fried corn tortillas and the right cheesness. Another key point is the blending the right amount of salsa to that takes away the richness of the whole dish make for a very balanced, delicious and easy-to-eat dish for the whole barkada. After all, the Nacho El Gigante has always been the star for diners that comes in groups eversince since day 1. Besides our Nachos, I should also say that our tacos are build different too!
Interviewer: What should customers expect day in and day out from your team and the food coming out of Tittos’ kitchen?
Chef Jerwyn: Our goal is to give our customers a unique and fun dining experience. From the moment they step into Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew; we want them to feel like they are in a real Latin American restaurant. From the colors and decors, to the greetings and food; we try to make the experience from ordering to serving a fun and exciting one. Generally, I like seeing and hearing stories about customers that devour the food as they come. Then remembering that they never took photos of the beautifully laid out dishes. In fact, when these same customers come back, they should expect the same, if not a better experience!
Future Plans
Interviewer: Are they any exciting new dishes or changes we can look forward to in the upcoming menu?
Chef Jerwyn: Well, the kitchen team is planning to bring out more fish base dishes. While also researching and testing out healthier food and drink concenpts. Furthermore, we’re also looking forward to creating more hearty specials this coming ber-months. Maybe a noodle special that can be enjoyed in the coming rainy season. Last but not the least, the team wants to work out bringing in more local and sustainable ingredients. Nevertheless, it is important to us that these ideas and plans came from feedbacks from our patrons.
Interviewer: What is your long term vision for the culinary direction of Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew?
Chef Jerwyn: We would like to continue our innovative yet sustainable approach to the menu, coming up with new delicious dishes while continuing to improve on items that may have a need for further improvements. To add, the whole team has looked into planning to offer more personalized menus for intimate events and seasonal degustation meals.. These are just some long term plans that are in the pipeline. So hopefully you guys can follow us on our social media pages for new updates.
Interviewer: Please invite everyone to visit Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew.
Chef Jerwyn: This is Chef Jerwyn Rabo inviting everyone to visit Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew in Kapitolyo, Pasig and Greenhills, San Juan. We’re open everyday so swing by, try our Latin American cuisine and come across a different kind of culinary experience in Metro Manila.
TITTOS LATIN BBQ AND BREW BRANCHES:
Greenhills, San Juan Branch
G/F O Square 2, Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Avenue, San Juan
☎️ 0917 884 8867 / 8296 7776
Kapitolyo, Pasig Branch
16 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig
☎️ 0917 812 2243 / 8535 9212
Needing further information? Go straight here for the full menu or order online here.
Comer bien, amigos and amigas! ?
