102 – On Eating And Reliving The 90s: Wooden Spoon, Katipunan Avenue

(EDIT: Confirming that this establishment is officially defunct after seeing the storefront. Wooden Spoon’s Katipunan Avenue branch has closed. Also forgot to mention that the Kapitolyo branch has long shuttered. Timestamp: 9 November 2017, 07:54 am.)

(AUTHOR’S NOTE: All pictures in this post courtesy of CJ Andres.)

Before I begin, I would like to ask you a favor. Kindly listen to the song below, by the English jazz group Shakatak. Does it sound familiar or memorable to you? If so, what is the first thing that comes into your mind?

If a certain cooking show comes to mind upon hearing this song, then we’re almost the same age. For those unfamiliar, the tune above was used as the opening theme of an iconic program on Philippine television: Cooking with Sandy. Hosted by outstanding chef and food writer Sandy Daza, the show aired on ABS-CBN 2 around the early 1990s before jumping to ABC 5 a few years after. When its run ended near the close of the decade, Sandy went to the United States and stayed there for some time before returning home and establishing Wooden Spoon.

What’s with the name “Wooden Spoon”? In the show, Sandy uses a large wooden spoon as a cooking utensil. Whether it’s stirring soup or sauteing garlic, he uses the implement to do the job. No need for fancy metal utensils. Iconic and simple just like his trademark wooden spoon, and you can see this in his take on Filipino cuisine through the restaurant’s dishes. It’s no surprise, being a scion of culinary powerhouse Nora Daza. I guess it really runs in the family.

The Katipunan location was among Wooden Spoon’s first branches when it started out. As of this typing, only the Power Plant Mall branch in Makati remains open. Wood was used extensively in this location, reminding diners of simple times and home-cooked meals. However, white is also utilized for a two-fold purpose: to give an illusion of space and to give a monotony from the brown wood. Do note that this location is not exactly the best place for private functions due to the limited space; their location in Kapitolyo is more suited for this purpose.

I’ll stop here, so check out the pictures below to see how our meal went; this was a rather late lunch. Do check out their Facebook page here for updates and promotions.

Just reading the name Sandy Daza brings back a lot of memories.

The element of wood is evident.

This piece right across our table sums up the restaurant perfectly.

The place where we sat offered a view of Katipunan.

Loved the motif on this lamp; it looked like noodles up close.

Crab Pancit (P145): Creamy crab and egg sauce on a bed of crispy noodles.

The magic happens when you stir the sauce and noodles as soon as it’s served.

Flaked Sting Ray / Kinunot (P259): Their take on the Bicolano dish does not disappoint.

The creaminess and spice brought by the coconut milk and chili is well-balanced, rounding off the taste of the sting ray.

Sigarilyas at Daing (P170): I’m a fan of simple dishes like this; sigarilyas and flaked fish combined with a rich coconut milk sauce does the trick.

If you ask me though, some bagoong (shrimp paste) will brighten this up.

Fiesta Rice (P145): Now this is a literal fiesta!

We weren’t able to finish this, so we took this home instead.

Two happy diners!

If you’re a 90s kid like me and you would like to relive the time when you watched his show after the Saturday morning cartoons, I invite you to visit. Until the next review, bon appetit.

Wooden Spoon By Chef Sandy Daza
329-A Katipunan Avenue,
Brgy. Loyola Heights,
Quezon City 1108