Coconuts comprise one of the top exports of the Philippines to other countries with the delicious creamy taste of its coconut milk as well as its other byproducts.
This, along with the Filipino favorite ‘tanglad’ or lemongrass comprise the flavors of the Philippines Food Festival’s “Bangkota Special” that will be available soon in Off The Hook.
Chef Eric Olete highlighted that the new sauce “Coconut Cream Lemongrass Sauce” was conceptualized to merge two of the Philippines iconic flavors in the kitchen in a special seafood sauce that accentuates the fresh taste of Off the Hook’s seafood selections.
“Naghanda kami ng isang sauce na talagang mali-link sa ating kultura na tinatangkilik natin – we’ve prepared a Coconut Cream Lemongrass Sauce. Bukod sa sarap ng niyog, yung tanglad ay nagagamit natin sa iba’t ibang ulam so why not sa seafood? Ito yung panibagong flavor na aming handog sa masa para tangkilikin din ng ating mga kapwa Pinoy at ng aming mga customers,” said Olete.
Piles of Off the Hook’s fresh signature seafood items such as huge shrimps, salmon, squid, crab balls and corn are drenched within this creamy sauce. Each bite of the seafood produces that lipsmacking savory taste with a modern twist of accents of lemongrass infused within the sauce.
Customers can decide the level of spice they want for Off the Hook’s “Coconut Cream in Lemongrass”, ranging from mild, medium, or spicy. During our food review, it’s the ‘medium’ level of spiciness that highlighted both flavors the most.
Seafood haven
Off The Hook has been serving a variety of seafood offerings with its special signature sauces and unlimited rice offerings in a ‘Kamayan’ boodle-fight style of presentation for their diners. Since its launch in May 2016, Off The Hook has been making its rounds within the UAE with five branches in Abu Dhabi, one in Al Ain, three in Dubai, with its first franchise in Sharjah.
Rolly Brucales, Managing Director of Off The Hook, shared that he and his group of friends conceptualized Off The Hook with the aim to capture the taste not just of the Filipino market, but to offer unique dish that other nationalities would be able to appreciate as well.
“Off the Hook offers its seafood dishes to the world that’s uniquely Filipino in terms of service with a hospitable heart. Yung mga spices ng ating chef ay ibang klase talaga,” said Brucales, who added that that they have plans to double the number of their branches to 20, with the aim to expand to other GCC countries as well.
Brucales likewise urged fellow Filipinos to support Filipino-owned business to exhibit the spirit of Bayanihan amongst OFWs in the country: “Let’s support Filipino-owned na mga negosyo dito di lamang Off the Hook,but other establishments na Filipino-owned din yung spirit ng Bayanihan dapat nandoon lagi para makatulong tayo sa kapwa Pilipino dito sa UAE,” revealed Brucales.
Off The Hook is a member of the League of Food and Beverage Entrepreneur (LFBE), a subsidiary of the Philippine Business Council of Dubai and Northern Emirates (PBC-DNE). The PBC-DNE is a non-profit organization established in 2001 under the patronage of the Embassy of the Philippines and the Philippine Consulate General of Dubai and the Northern Emirates, and the only Filipino organization recognized by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with the esteemed role of facilitating business opportunities for the Filipino community and their commercial partners in the country.
