Up to the Challenge

One of the premier chefs in the country, chef Tony Boy Escalante has not only proven himself to be the creative he is admired to be but a resilient, receptive restaurateur who will not be crushed by any pandemic

- Isabel Martel Francisco

With travel restrictions putting a pause on those pleasant out-of-town trips to his Tagaytay establishments (Antonio’s, Antonio’s Breakfast and Balay Dako), Chef Tony Boy Escalante and his team had to think of a way to respond to this unforeseen setback. Indining operations had stopped for months so, to connect to their patrons, they upgraded their deli.

“Breakfast at Antonio’s and Balay Dako already have physical deli stores where guests can buy homemade products like jams, delicacies, freshly baked pastries, breads and meats too,” shares Escalante. Now, they are offering some of these deli products online, for the Manila crowd, through selected distributors. Added to the fare are newly developed ready-to-cook frozen products but, to clarify, not takeaway ready-to-cook kits. Loyalists will, however, be thrilled to know that available are two Antonio’s classics to cook at home: duck leg confit and 40-day dry-aged steak.