Tasting Notes With Woldy Reyes
Extra! Extra!
07 November 2021
Chef Woldy Reyes, a queer Filipino-American, began his career in the fashion industry, before leaving the field to set up Woldy Kusina and pursue his passion as a chef. Drawing inspiration from his heritage, Woldy focuses on high quality seasonal ingredients, playing with bold flavours like sweet, sour, tart and spicy to create modern Filipino comfort food with a plant-centric twist.
Woldy Reyes and Lani Hailliday
Roasted Maitake Mushroom With Tamari Coconut Sauce
- We loved your Roasted Maitake Mushrooms, can you share the magic behind it?
Of course, here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
Tamari Coconut Sauce
13.5 oz can unsweetened coconut milk (about 400ml)
½ cup tamari
½ cup distilled white vinegar
â…“ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black pepper
½ teaspoon chili flakes
Roasted Mushrooms
2 pounds Maitake (hen-of-the-woods)
¼ cup vegetable oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
3 oz fresh watercress (about 85g)
Fresh scallions, chopped for garnish
Steamed Jasmine Rice for serving (cooked according to the package instructions)
1. Preheat oven to 425°F (about 220°C)
2. Place mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the mushrooms until dark, caramelized and tender for about 25 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat, heat up vegetable oil. Add in yellow onions and cook until translucent. Add in garlic, bay leaves, black pepper and chili flakes. Cook and stir until garlic is cooked and fragrant.
4. Pour in coconut milk, tamari, vinegar and maple syrup. Stir with a wooden spoon and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the adobo sauce simmer until it slightly thickens (10-15 minutes). Check for seasoning. Carefully pour the adobo sauce in a vitamix blender. Before blending, allow some air to escape and partially close the top and blend the adobo sauce until smooth. Return the sauce to the saucepan and keep warm.
5. Divide jasmine rice into bowls. Arrange mushrooms with the rice and spoon over adobo sauce. Garnish with chopped scallions and watercress.
- Can you tell us how you curated the wine selection for the evening?
I curated the wine selections from for the dinner because, just like how I cook my food, I do it with intention and care and Vivanterre does Natural Wines with the same approach. I specifically chose the Orange Contact because it has flavor notes of summery peach and floral, which pairs nicely with my Filipino-inspired menu. The Red Gamay lends itself with notes of white pepper and spices which goes wonderfully with my Roasted Maitake Mushrooms and Bitter Greens with Pink Peppercorns. Overall, the pairing was delicious!
- A final question, can you tell us a few of your favourite spots here in the city?
My favorite store is Beverly's, a homeware shop owned by my friend and stylist Beverly Nguyen. She carries a well thought out selection of kitchen tools for your home and a chef like me always needs tools.
Ursula in Crown Heights, Brooklyn is a New Mexican-inspired café owned by my friend Chef Eric See. I love his delectable blue corn scones and indulgent sopaipillas.
Sincerely, Tommy – a lifestyle store and coffee shop in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. It’s a space the supports creatives and a place in which to be inspired.
