MANILA, Philippines – Get ready, Singapore! The Lion City is about to get its first “taste” of Metro Manila’s iconic House Crispy Sisig with the opening of “hayop,” The Moment Group’s first restaurant venture abroad.
The spin-off of Filipino restaurant Manam is set to open soon in Singapore’s Chinatown district along Amoy Street, although no exact date has been set yet.
The Moment Group – also behind Ooma, 8Cuts Burgers, Mo’ Cookies, and Din Tai Fung – promises to bring a “bold fusion of Filipino flavors” to adventurous eaters and homesick Filipinos alike, as it has always been a dream for them to showcase Filipino food and “our brand of Filipino hospitality” beyond the Philippines.
“The name hayop, borrowing loosely from Filipino vernacular meaning ‘beast,’ is also a hyperbolic expression for something amazing,” co-founders Eliza Antonino, Abba Napa, and Jon Syjuco, co-founders of The Moment Group, told Rappler.
hayop will feature Manam’s iconic House Crispy Sisig on the menu and a luxurious twist to the crowd-favorite Watermelon Sinigang made with wagyu instead of beef short ribs.
Other Singapore-exclusive dishes include Kinilaw, featuring cured hamachi in a spiced chili vinaigrette; and Adobong Dilaw, a different rendition of pork belly adobo infused with turmeric and coconut milk.
Designed to evoke warmth and modernity, hayop’s exteriors and interiors blend cozy familiarity with contemporary flair, creating a warm, homey ambiance.
“I think it’s a very significant time for Manam to be able to go offshore,” said Antonino. The plan is for hayop to keep Filipino food nostalgic and recognizable to Filipinos living abroad, embracing the best local ingredients “wherever that may be in the world.”
“Here, best-in-class renditions of Filipino fare are whipped up with a deft application of poetic license and classical technique,” Antonino added.
“We hope that Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike will have something to feast on when inside the hayop dining room – be it light or richer fare, nostalgic or new, the menu has a diverse spread of dishes from our personal memories and our collective history,” said Napa.
The restaurant encourages guests to reserve their tables in advance through amoy.street@hayopnimanam.com or by calling +6580289012. – Rappler.com
