David Ong: Crafting A Global Gastronomic Experience

Written for: PURVEYR Issue 5: Global, 2019
Photos by: Law Tapalla

It used to be tucked behind a nondescript door inside an unassuming wine shop. But upon entering the space that is now illuminated by a flood of natural night, it’s clear that The Curator is coming out of the shadows and putting its best foot forward. Not much has changed since they opened in 2013 — there are still no signs outside to signify that you’ve arrived at one of the best bars in the continent, nor have they painted the bare concrete walls still showing many cracks on the surface. In that breath, The Curator has stayed unequivocally themselves.

To this day, some people still call them a speakeasy of sorts — perhaps expecting to utter a secret password or turn a hidden knob before being able to enter. But co-owner David Ong wants to clarify that, no, this isn’t that kind of place for gimmicks or trendy come-ons. In fact, he and his partner, Jericson Co, are far less theatrical about it than those “Must- Visit Speakeasies in Manila” list articles would allow.

Instead, The Curator is still just your neighborhood cafe, serving you a cup of Joe or your taste-tailored negroni with a side of “how’s your day?” You may not be able to Instagram your conversation with the barista, but the experience they want to deliver is far more valuable than the number of likes you’ll get from a kitschy neon sign picture.

The Curator does what they do with utmost gusto and pride. You can try to find out what their secret ingredient is which landed them on “Asia’s 50 Best Bars” list for three consecutive years now — but don’t expect it to be some rare cognac bottled since Jesus walked the earth, or opulent liquor you can’t pronounce without first doing a Google search. According to David, a hearty blend of hospitality, passion, and thirst for quality is what put them on the international map.

The 32-year-old entrepreneur has worn many hats — having dabbled in retail, considering a bout with banking, and dipping his toes in service work himself. It has no doubt been an interesting climb to the top of the global food and beverage scene. But if you ask him, the hike has barely even started.

To start, could you share a little bit about your career journey? What attracted you to the food and beverage industry?

Well, I was born and raised in Manila. I went to Xavier pretty much all my life, before going to Ateneo for two years. I was exposed to the food and beverage industry from an early age. My mom started out as a home cook before eventually putting up a restaurant with her friends, which she now owns and manages by herself. When I was younger though, around six or seven years old, my Tito (Uncle) Jappy would wake me up early and take me to the market. We’d cook every Sunday using the ingredients we hand-picked. So just imagine a seven- year-old me, mixing stuff on top of a chair, just doing whatever they told me to. Soon, my mom enrolled me in cooking classes, and that’s where I got to learn the more technical stuff. My dad, on the other hand, is part of the International Wine & Food Society, where he served as president for over ten years. From him, I got to learn stuff like appreciating drinks. I drink wine and all, but I can’t say I know it like my dad. Whiskey feels more like my territory. I feel confident saying what I feel about it, but then again, taste can be super subjective.

Anyway, eventually, I had to move to Vancouver. I juggled school with a few part-time jobs. I started out in retail, actually. Clothes. After, I tried my hand at being a barista, but it wasn’t until I worked in Shanghai years after that I really developed an appreciation for cocktails and nightlife in general.

What brought you to Shanghai?

I was working for the government, and they sent me to go to the Shanghai World Expo in 2010. The real fun, though, was outside of work when I got to explore the city. I would say that Shanghai felt a bit tangled at the time. Even now, I think it’s still progressing in terms of nightlife and F&B. The year I was there, cocktails were so new. And coming from a much different drinking background — I’m talking college shots and beers — it all felt so foreign to me too. I mean, they were still decent.

You’ll notice in Oto that some drinks are actually inspired by those days, like the ABC shot. I started giving them out first as a joke, but eventually people started looking for it. It’s what I used to drink all the time in college, like in pubs and bars. So going from that to cocktails was completely mind-blowing for me.

So fast forward to 2011 and I’m back in Canada. I was job hunting and back into coffee as a barista. But it was only then that I fell in love with specialty coffee. Prior to that, I went to New York, where I had this grand plan of becoming a banker. But as life would have it, I moved to Montreal because I loved the city and the people. My parents also gave me an ultimatum, allowing me a two- year period where I could do what I liked before really settling down with my career. But ultimately, I returned there with my own five-year goal — which was The Curator, EDSA BDG, and Oto, basically.

You were one of the first establishments to break into the market when there weren’t many people delving into third-wave coffee shops or even concept restaurants. What was the food and beverage scene like back then?

In the ‘90s, right before I left, there were already some people who were beginning to make their mark, like Margarita Fores with Cibo, Gino with Cafe Ysabel, and Chef JP Anglo with Sarsa. I remember Wildflour was just starting out, and Bruce Ricketts had just opened Sensei Sushi. It was very old school. These guys have been around for as long as I can remember, and they truly set the bar and the pace. When I got back, I knew what I wanted to do, which was basically specialty coffee and cocktails. There wasn’t anyone at all who was actually doing it yet then.

Why not just put up a restaurant, since that was what you were exposed to?

No, that just wasn’t me. At first, I wanted to do this beverage thing for me, but then I met my partners and it made more sense. It became more for us, and then it became for the neighborhood, and then now it’s for Manila, and for the Philippines. The mindset has changed along the way.

How much has the scene and the community changed since then?

Well, fast forward to five or six years later, and I still feel like we’re a very, very small market, but there are a lot more to choose from. The community has been exposed. When we were starting out, wala talaga (there was nothing at all). We had to run the marathon. Now, when a new place pops up, people are more curious and open to it. Not just for coffee shops, but also cocktail bars and food concepts. It’s evolved for sure. And with the help of social media, it’s a much different playing field.

“It became more for us, and then it became for the neighborhood, and then now it’s for Manila and for the Philippines. The mindset has changed along the way.”

Let’s talk about The Curator, one of your main ventures that has distinguished itself as one of Asia’s top destination bars since opening in 2013. What was it like, putting it all together in the beginning?

So to tell you about how we started out, I was at Rabbithole in Hong Kong. This guy and this girl were sitting next to me and catching up. I knew they were familiar, because they both went to the same school as I did in Vancouver. I was just eavesdropping, hearing them talk about things like fermenting ginger beer.

So I’m looking at them with the biggest “what the hell is this guy saying?” look on my face, but I was so interested that I shared my coffee with them and decided to just join in the conversation. We ended up talking for hours about coffee, cocktails, et cetera. A month or two later, I go back to him, saying, “Hey, let’s do something together.” And that’s when The Curator came about.

Our first project was my Tito (Uncle) Jappy’s Fred Perry Café. The following week, we did another event. Actually, when it comes down to it, there are only a few key people who we owe The Curator’s success to. Before we even opened shop, they would get us for all their events and just help put us out there. Until now, I always say that if any one of them comes knocking at our door, we’ll always make time no matter what. After a while, we moved to Archives. Then we found a space at the back of this wine shop, decided to renovate it, and officially opened on December 5, 2013. That was almost five years ago.

Why did you decide to call it The Curator?

Like in an art gallery, the curator decides which pieces go in and out, on the walls, and off. For us, it’s the same thing when we speak of our bottles and our menu. If you look around our shop, the items you see on the shelves are just a third of our inventory. There are a few bottles we pull out, and some that we only use every now and then. Same with our menu — we switch it up every now and then. Right now, we’re working on a menu where we can’t repeat a single ingredient — whether it’s lemon, lime, sugar, what not. Might be weird, but we’ll see what happens. It’s all about curating that experience.

Tell us about the space.

It’s so straightforward. We didn’t do much when we renovated it other than remove the wallpaper. Now, it’s just bare concrete. We built the bar, but that’s about it. We put in some tables and chairs, kind of designed to feel like a home. We wanted it to be a place conducive for interaction. That’s where the sense of community comes in. It’s well thought-of, even with the paintings on the wall. They were done by our friends who are regulars at the shop. Instead of a brief, I gave them a playlist to listen to so they could get to know the vibe I wanted to convey. That vibe is basically being able to foster a sense of family. I want our customers to walk in and not feel like they’re just customers.

Okay so now that brings me to our logo. If you take a look at it, it just looks like a coffee cup. If you flip it, it becomes a cocktail glass. So like, coffee and cocktails, right? But what people don’t usually notice is that it’s also an ampersand. An ampersand means “and” which signifies an addition of something. For us, what we want to add is value and experience. That’s why it’s hard for us to expand The Curator or our other concepts. It’s less about the place, and more about the people. And that’s something that you can’t just replicate.

Another thing is that The Curator isn’t a speakeasy. A lot of people seem to think it is because there are no signs outside. But honestly, it’s just the building that won’t permit us to do it. And before, you had to go through this other wine place before entering our coffee shop. But it’s really not!

Well, you’ve surely come a long way from being known as “that coffee shop inside that wine place.” The Curator has recently been included Asia’s Best Bars list for the third year in a row. Did you ever anticipate this level of recognition?

Not really. First, let me explain how it works. It’s similar to Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and the voters are mostly industry people — from bar owners and bartenders, to distributors and critiques. It’s around 200-250 members in the “Academy” which I got to participate in. What we did was identify cocktail capitals in Asia and in the world. Even if it’s kind of a popularity contest, early on, I already knew how important it was to put Manila on the map. It was less for recognition, but more for adding us to that network and having more people from around the globe come visit us.

If you’ve noticed, we always try to bring in guest bartenders from other countries at The Curator and Oto. We fund these out of our own pockets. It’s costly, yes, but I don’t see why more places aren’t doing it. For us, it’s a way to bridge cultures and relationships — just showing these people that, “Hey, there’s something in Manila too.” And we make sure to show them a damn good time so when they come home, they can tell all their friends about it and hopefully come back. It’s really great for building that community.

Sorry, does that answer your question? But yeah. Not really. But I’m glad!

You yourself are very well-traveled and connected with the international F&B community, even having the chance to also be a guest bartender abroad.

I remember right before we opened in 2013, I was in Singapore with my mom and dad. I flew in to see the coffee and cocktail scene there. To me, I already saw them as leaders in the industry. From them, it just branched out. I mean, Japan already had a solid scene to begin with. Hong Kong was young but it had so much potential.

Then there was Taiwan, Seoul, and Bangkok doing their own things. They were all emerging and had a head-start early on. Knowing that back then, I just kept thinking, “how do we get to that level?” On my end, I’ve always made it a point to get out there every chance I get and just preach about the gem that is Manila. I tell everyone, “well, we might be small, but we’re not here to compete! You might like it anyway.”

Having experienced the industry everywhere, what sets Manila apart from the rest?

Filipinos are gifted with two things right away. One is the lack of a language barrier. Even if not everyone is fluent, they can communicate and get their point across. In places like Japan, even ordering a cup of coffee can be a challenge if you don’t speak Japanese. But not here. The second is that we’re naturally hospitable. In the number one bar in Asia, Manhattan, 75% of the staff is Filipino, which includes two of their head bartenders, Cedric and Gab. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I think that you can give any Filipino the tools and the skills, anything is possible. So if Manhattan can do it, why can’t we?

I mean, speaking from my own concepts, The Curator 19 and Oto — I can’t argue that these are completely original ideas. We have a lot of cool bars, of course. For The Curator, it’s very stripped down to the bare details — and that’s its appeal. Oto, on the other hand, is much more polished. Before anything, it is first a listening room, so we really made sure to invest in the sound system.

They’re both quite different from each other, no? Then you’ve got other bars like Yes Please, which is going for a more 90’s vibe. There’s also Versus Barcade, which is all about that gaming x alcohol combo. I’m not sure if I would say that they’re unique from the rest of the world, because I’m almost certain that other bars in the world have thought of the concept. But what we do offer is that classic Filipino service. It’s just a really different flavor.

On that note, what do you think makes a bar “world-class?” Obviously, it’s not just about making good drinks. On Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ website, it says their criteria includes having a dedicated, passionate team.

Once again, I go back to hospitality. When I was part of the “Academy” for Asia’s Best Bars, I voted based on hospitality. I’d like to clarify, too, that hospitality and service are two different things. To me, good service is getting a greeting when you walk in that door and when you leave. Your cutlery is always arranged and ready. Your glass of water is never empty. And your meal arrives on time. But hospitality is on a whole other league. It’s the bartenders and baristas really putting in that extra effort to make a difference to your day.

You’re probably not going to remember that your waiter refilled your drink. But you might remember being told to have a nice day. Personally, I appreciate creative and concept-driven cocktail bars. But at the same time, I’m happy to just sit down and talk to the bartender while having a really well done Old Fashioned. Sure, I pay attention to their techniques. What ice are they using? What alcohol mix? Did they ask for my preference? How do they shake? But to me, they’re not deal-breakers. Hospitality is still what does it for me.

Would you say then that treating people well is the key to success? How has it played a part in your own achievements?

Yes. I can’t even remember the last time I had a particularly mind-blowing drink, but I do remember how people have treated me as a customer. It’s just natural for us to want to feel taken care of. Whether you’re a first-timer, a regular, or someone from the industry — we make it a point to make every visit worthwhile. You see it in each aspect of the shop — how we decide which bottles to bring in, where we source our coffee beans, how to keep our menu fresh and exciting, et cetera.

But — okay, you might be tired of hearing this by now — it’s still the people you remember and that makes you want to go back. That’s way more memorable to me than a good drink. I understand that it’s still a business, yes. But anyone who is truly passionate about the F&B industry knows you’re in the wrong field if you’re just looking to cash in and get rich.

On The Curator’s part, I wouldn’t say we’ve succeeded yet. It’s an achievement and a huge opportunity, no doubt. But there’s still so much room to grow — not just for us, but for the entire local industry. For years, we were the only Filipino bar on the Asia’s Best Bars list. Why? What can we do about it? There’s so much more we can all offer. After the awarding, my partner, Jericson, and I realized that we were both getting tired. I’ll admit I’ve been feeling burnt out.

When the ceremony happened, I just put my hand on his shoulder and went like, “No matter what happens, let’s just have fun. Let it give us new motivation.” I mean, don’t get me wrong. That moment was still surreal. It really hit us how far we came from our little make-shift room with pixie lights and plastic chairs. We were so grateful. But at the same time, that was the moment when we realized we could do so much more. Not just us, but Manila, in general. We all stand a fighting chance, collectively.

“At least, we’re finally on the map... We have to show them what they came here for, and that we’re worth it. Because we are!”

With everything you’ve shared so far, it’s clear that you hold your staff to a high regard. What do you look for in people who want to be part of the team?

It’s not important to us how good or bad you are at making coffee. Personality comes first. Like now, we have a couple of newbies. One of them used to work at a call center. He calls himself the “Inked Coffee Guy” on Instagram because he has a lot of tattoos, and well, he’s a coffee guy. He’s such a people person, and that’s why we got him. On the other hand, our other staff used to be a language professor in La Salle. She’s also a writer, but now she’s taking a break because she wants to pursue coffee as a profession. They’re both new, but we really make it a point to invest in our staff so they can help us push our concept forward. Really be a valuable addition to the team.

I think another thing that sets us apart is that our team might be much smaller compared to the others, but each and every single one of us is highly invested in what we do. All partners are heavily involved with the job, even the dirty work. We all just live and breathe it together with our staff.

I also read somewhere that you guys keep a Black Book where you keep every custom recipe you have ever made for a customer. Not a lot of bars do that, but what made you come up with it?

It was actually my partner Jericson who thought of it. It’s so we never forget people’s preferences. So while we have our set menu, if for some reason you aren’t happy with it, we take it as a challenge to make something you’ll actually like. And if a customer tries it and actually ends up enjoying and having a good experience because of it, well, how could we just set it aside and forget? Instead, it goes straight to our Black Book. All about going that extra mile.

How else do you think establishments can go that extra mile? Or how can they help raise the bar for the local F&B culture and ecosystem?

Oh wow, there are a lot. The first would be to start things on the right foot. Don’t open a bar just because you think it might be cool or you want to make money. I hate to burst that bubble right away, but this really isn’t the industry for people who just want to reap profits. Unless you’re a club — clubs can make a lot of money. But cocktail bars? Nope. Take a Whiskey Sour, for example. That’s bourbon, lemon, sugar, and egg whites. It’s only four ingredients, but already your expenses clock in at a hundred Pesos.

The food costs can set you back even more. Some of our ingredients take so much time and effort to prep. This pistachio syrup that I’ve been working on, for instance, is not only high cost but there are so many steps to it. It’s such an intricate process involving straining and toasting and blending and so much more. Not everyone is willing to do that. So what others do, instead, is they try to cut corners. Perhaps they compromise the quality of alcohol and settle for something cheaper, or use concentrates instead of real juice. It’s understandable that people want to maximize their budgets, but it’s not always worth putting customer satisfaction and experience at risk.

Once more, going the extra mile.

Yes, go the extra mile. Sounds cheesy, but it’s true. We also spend a ridiculous amount of money on research and development. Lately, our challenge has been how to be more sustainable. It’s not enough to just use a metal straw and call it a day! Just kidding — effort is effort. But yeah, so, I guess another way to improve is to keep learning new techniques and exploring your palette. Diversify your flavor combinations even if it sounds weird. You really never know until you try! If you have the chance to travel and expand your perspective, that’s great too. I mean, if you look at many of the people who made waves here, it’s usually those who really went outside their comfort zones to be inspired by things they wouldn’t have otherwise seen.

They started outside their roots. Chef Allen Briones worked in Dubai. JP Anglo spent some time in Australia. And even Jordy Navarra of Toyo Eatery was in Vancouver for a while. Even for me, it took going to Shanghai and living abroad to realize what I wanted to do and how I could make the industry better at home. I think that’s what I really appreciate with this new generation of creatives. In my batch, most people would only travel with family and only a handful would actually go around for the purpose of exploring and learning. I’m not even just talking about food and beverage here. I see it in art and music — just a general openness to experience things that wasn’t there before.

But of course, not everyone is privileged to be able to travel just to discover things. There are a lot of other ways to broaden your horizon. That’s where good old resources like books come in. We have a special library inside the shop where I keep some of my most favorite books, and they’re for everyone to read. One of my go-to books, for instance, is Liquid Intelligence by David Arnold. He’s a bartender, but he looks at making drinks from a scientist’s approach. Very chemistry meth lab type of stuff, but for beverages! Then there are other classic cocktail books with recipes passed on from generation to generation. It’s hard to imagine them without tasting or actually seeing them in the flesh, but again, flying out isn’t the most practical solution every time you hit a creative slump.

Lastly, finding the right team is so, so important. Don’t hire just for hiring’s sake. Make sure each staff member has the right mindset. They should be there because they want to be there, and they want to be a part of that wave. Yet again, it starts and ends with the people — more than anything.

“To me, good service is getting a greeting when you walk in that door and when you leave. Your cutlery is always arranged and ready. Your glass of water is never empty. And your meal arrives on time. But hospitality is on a whole other league. It’s the bartenders and baristas really putting in that extra effort to make a difference to your day. ”

Going back to our local setting, what do you think is The Curator’s place in the Manila night life or bar ecosystem?

I think people look at us in two ways. The first is a point of help or reference. I imagine if someone reads about us, they might be wondering a few things — such as, what makes us good or bad? What made us win an award? I like to think that someone out there is inspired, and at least tries to get their foot out the door because of us. On the other hand, people may also look at us as some sort of authority because of how long we’ve been here and our contribution to the scene. Our team might be young and relatively new, but everyday we rise to the challenge of becoming better.

I would say Oto is a place for people who are just getting into cocktails. It’s located in the bottleneck of Manila nightlife — Poblacion. People flock to the area every single night that you’re bound to end up inside our walls at one point or another. Basically, it’s a good gateway. The Curator is where we really try to push the envelope on what the local beverage industry can do through our experimental drinks. Some might say it’s intimidating, but it’s supposed to be more exciting!

And where do you think the local industry is headed now?

Like I said earlier, this new generation of creatives is so promising in the way that they actively seek out new ideas. And they’ve got this openness to new concepts that is very unique to them. But while that’s great, it’s important not to get lost in that sauce of wanting to do something different. Sometimes, it matters more to do something better. I hate doing things half-baked.

While I like that more brands are cropping up, creating diversity, and giving people more options for places they can go to, I just really hope those owners are in it for the right reasons. Not just because they want to be Instagram-able or ride with the trends. But because they care about the community and the people they can potentially uplift. There are so many possibilities other than making money.

Do you think that more brands and establishments should strive to achieve a global mindset? How important do you think that is in pushing the local industry forward?

You know how I said that most of the “OGs” of the F&B industry started outside their roots because they traveled first and then brought back the concepts here? I think it’s just as important to start from home, which — again, I know — goes back to the people. Nurture that Filipino hospitality and pride first, and the rest should follow. Don’t start the journey, thinking, “Oh, I want to be successful like this international coffee shop.”

We shouldn’t be looking to others as a measurement of success anyway. Do it because you’re proud of what we have, and because we deserve to be noticed for it. The past few years have been very kind to us. In these recent months, we’ve seen the most visitors than we have ever welcomed. It’s crazy. At least, we’re finally on the map. But now comes the follow-through. We have to show them what they came here for, and that we’re worth it. Because we are!

What’s next for you and your team?

Like I mentioned earlier, expanding Oto or The Curator is such a challenge because their experiences just can’t be replicated. The way that we reinvent ourselves, instead, is by switching up the menu or changing our offerings of the bottles or our coffee. Another challenge is how to integrate the new people on our team. Hiring is a big deal for us.

So now, we have to find a way to ease them into the family while still letting their original personalities shine through. Other than that, we do plan to still bring in more guest bartenders from around the world. One of our baristas also won this contest called the Philippine Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, so we’re all headed to Brazil for the global finals. Our anniversaries are coming up real soon, too.

Personally, though, what’s next for me is just learning how to take it easy more. I was very serious when I said I was getting burnt out. I’m 32 — I’ve got a shelf life in this industry! Just kidding. But yes, so I’ve been trying to invest in myself more. Even if I love what I do and I’d never trade it for the world, I still get tired. I just opened a beverage program with Jordy at Toyo Eatery. That will probably eat up a good two days a week for months. It sounds like a lot of work, but for me, it’s a great way to hit the refresh button.

It’s healthy to look at things with a different, fresh pair of eyes sometimes. There could be things you’re missing out on because you’re focused on the wrong thing. I know I go on and on about taking care of your people, but I have to remember that I’m part of that “people” too. Only when you take care of yourself and your people can you be at your best, enough to open up more concepts, or push existing ones forward. Teamwork.

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You can follow David Ong and his concepts on: Instagram: @davidong, @thecurator_, @oto.ph