In cover photo: Blackbird is housed in the former Nielson Tower, which was built in 1937 by British businessman Laurie Nielson.
Amidst a seeming restaurant boom in Metro Manila these past few years, a restaurant has brought the restaurant dining experience in the sprawling metropolis to a higher, loftier level.
In July 2014, Blackbird opened its doors, immediately earning the reputation of being the “hottest table in town”. Behind this new restaurant is Colin Mackay, an experienced chef and restaurateur whose portfolio includes Sala, Sala Bistro and People’s Palace.
Blackbird's version of the classic Baked Alaska: burnt meringue with a cold soft spongecake inside, countered by the tart raspberry and passionfruit
What makes Blackbird so unique among other restaurants today is that it is housed in the Philippines’ first airport, the Nielson Tower. It does not only boast of an impressive repertoire of international dishes but a remarkable and tasteful example of optimizing cultural heritage as a restaurant concept.
Built in 1937 by the British businessman Laurie Nielson, the building is an Art Deco gem located at the heart of today’s Makati Central Business District. Portions of present-day Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas used to be the airport runways. After the war, the airport was refurbished by Philippine Airlines and continued to serve as an airport for a few more years until eventually reused as a police detachment, office spaces, a restaurant (Nielson’s by Glenda Barretto) and until 2013, as the Filipinas Heritage Library.
Indian cuisine is represented at Blackbird by a tender spiced grilled chicken served with Basmati rice, sweet mango chutney, eggplant and a lentil soup.
“Twelve years ago, I had a birthday party here. My friends had planned a party for me upstairs, which was the old control tower. We brought in some food, had dinner and I thought that it was a fantastic place to have meals in,” MacKay recalls.
“The next day, I went to Ayala and I told them, ‘Look – you’ve always wanted me to open a restaurant here in Makati. If you want me to do it, I’ll open it at the Nielson Tower. But they said that it’s not possible since it’s a library [the Filipinas Heritage Library].
The main dining room's monochromatic theme adds a dash of elegance to the dining experience
“A year and a half ago, Ayala informed me that the library was moving out and they’re thinking of redeveloping the building. They asked if I had a concept and I said ‘yes’. So I came up with a pitch, they liked it and we started the project,” MacKay recounts adding that after presenting his concept and menu, the attendees all applauded.
“The Ayala brothers and one of their sisters were very pleased with the concept.”
MacKay’s good friends, Ma. Asuncion “Baby” Imperial Anne and her husband Damien “Coco” Anne helped him design and tangibly execute his vision, which today diners and visitors can enjoy and experience.
A view of the main dining room
A concept above the rest
“The whole concept is about airports and aviation while the inspiration is from the Art Deco period,” Mackay says.
Reminiscent of airports, one enters Blackbird through the former pre-departure area which is now the bar and lounge, bathed in luscious jewel tones of saffron, cobalt blue, aubergine as well as brass – colors associated with the Art Deco era. Adding an extra panache, Italian Eramosa, high quality brown marble, is used for the main bar while travertine floors make it hip. Here, one can unwind and leisurely begin the Blackbird experience by having a sip of reinterpreted classic cocktails which aptly includes the Aviation, a pale blue gin-based martini with lemon, maraschino and crème violet with lavender bitters on top, giving the old classic a nice aroma.
Symmetry is a recurring motif in the design and concept of the restaurant.
The former departure area is a chic place to enjoy after-office snacks and drinks al fresco
“Our logo is a reflected B and B, which looks almost like an origami fold as reference to Asia. Symmetry is also felt in the building. A central axis runs all the way down from the entrance to the back, symmetrically dividing the sides. From above, the building actually looks like an airplane, a fuselage with a central aisle and wings,” MacKay explains.
Unlike the lounge, the monochromatic Grill Room sports an ambience of muted elegance and gentility. The subdued interiors accentuated by the blue-colored seats allow diners to absorb and take in the Art Deco feel of the place, allowing their eyes to wander and observe the fine details of the structure.
“It was a conscious decision on my behalf to keep the dining area simple so that people can see the different facets of the building. We left the original windows intact. We laid-out a new flooring in the Chevron style, which was very common during that era. When we removed the ceiling during the renovation, we discovered this old narra mezza luna design, which we left exposed for people to observe and appreciate the features of the building,” MacKay explains just before he points to the two clocks gracing the room.
A view of the control tower of the former airport at night
The two clocks allude to departure and destination times in airport departure lounges. One reflects the current Manila time while the other is set to California time as an eloquent reminder of first ever Asian flight from Nielson Tower to cross the Pacific to land in Oakland, California.
“We thought it was not pertinent to put old photographs of the airport because well, we’re already here! We’re letting the building shine. We want people to appreciate it for what it was.
“In fact, it’s not about me. It’s not about my food. Blackbird is about the building, its heritage and what it stands for,” MacKay says with a tone of conviction.
Blackbird's popular prawn Scotch egg wrapped in earthy betel leaves and matched with a spicy coconut chili sambal
Accessible and flexible
Since he wants more people to get to know the history and heritage of the country’s first airport, MacKay and his team integrated the themes of accessibility and flexibility in Blackbird’s menu.
The concept does not restrict the menu to certain hours of the day. Blackbird serves all-day breakfast and also has 2 different menus: Blackbird Day and Blackbird Night, a reference to a line from the song “Blackbird” by the Beatles.
The multi-faceted character of the building allows a variety of people to come and enjoy the restaurant – just like today’s airport experience. One does not get the impression that it’s required to dress to the nines to dine at Blackbird but it’s also a restaurant where one would like to bring VIP guests to or have an intimate dinner for 2 or 4. The former control tower is a more private dining space, accessible by climbing the spiral staircase that graces the center of the Grill Room.
Blackbird’s concept of accessibility and flexibility can also be compared to the variety of dishes it offers which ranges from Indian to North African, Italian to Thai, English to Vietnamese.
Blackbird also offers a comprehensive afternoon tea menu
“With the advent of the Internet, more people can be exposed to travel, trends and cuisines. Younger people, in particular, have a more worldly view. I believe that when you’re targeting a wide spectrum of diners, you have to come up with a comprehensive selection. Our menu comprises of a contemporary take on Asian and European cooking, centered around grilling – as reference to the trend of grill rooms during the 1930s, an era of colonial luxury hotels, ocean liners, a time when travel was elegant and luxurious.
“I want diners to understand the concept of the menu. Our foundation is classicism but with a contemporary edge. Pricing is not excessive. You can have a dish for as low as 400 Pesos or you can be by yourself and spend at least 2,000 Pesos. It’s about variety and flexibility,” MacKay shares.
A popular appetizer is the prawn Scotch egg wrapped in earthy betel leaves and matched with a spicy coconut chili sambal. It is both light and packed with flavors, complimented by the contrast of textures.
Indian cuisine is represented by tender spiced grilled chicken served with basmati rice, sweet mango chutney, eggplant and a lentil soup.
Mushrooms, guanciale, fontina, thyme, truffle oil pizza
For meat-lovers, options include the Blackbird Burger made of chuck eye and rib eye beef with Scamorza pickles and tomato chili jam or the flat iron steak with kimchi and hot sauce.
For dessert, an old favorite, Baked Alaska, is given a new twist with the addition of tart raspberry and passion fruit to the delicate and decadently sweet meringue.
Take-off to past, present and future
For this writer and for others, dining in Blackbird is like being in gateway – an experience of connecting or reconnecting with the past, present and future. The writer’s grandfather, Capt. Felixberto de Jesus, trained as a pilot in Randolph Field in Texas, USA during World War II and eventually joined PAL. He might have walked through Nielson Tower and flew or landed planes on its airway. For some elderly Filipinos, Nielson was where they rode planes to go to Baguio to spend their Christmas holidays there.
Blackbird today serves as a venue where people can enjoy and unwind over good food and drink but also touch base with Filipinos’ aviation history.
Lemon meringue tart, pink peppercorn crust, lavender praline ice cream
MacKay shows his maturity and wisdom as a restaurateur, not to mention, respect for Philippine heritage (he has been living in the Philippines since 1996) when he says that he hopes “people start thinking about the place where they’re dining and try to appreciate it and not just think about it as another fad or fashionable place.”
“I’ve run restaurants in this city for 17 years now and they’ve never been conceptualized as fashion fad places. What I build is consistency – in the food, service, and the total experience. That’s what I want to do with this restaurant – I want it to flourish. I don’t want it to change,” MacKay shares, unintentionally sounding as if he’s giving a piece of advice to the many younger chefs and restaurateurs in Manila trying their best in making their own creations soar.
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About our ICONtributor
Joaquín Carlos U. de Jesús or Quino to friends and colleagues is an advocate of Fil-Hispanic heritage, a freelance tour guide for Mania's San Miguel district and lifestyle writer for several magazines. He likes to write about Philippine culture, art and history as well as the Catholic Church. He is a member of the Heritage Conservation Society.
As recognition for his essay on José Rizal, the European Union sent Quino to Europe to retrace the significant places related to the life of the national hero. He also has a children's storybook published by a foundation for seafarers' families.
He enjoys cooking, traveling and classical music. Quino is part of Customer Experience's Strategy and Touchpoints.
