NAYAM by Mrs. Saldo’s: A Little Bit of Silang in Rockwell

Chef Rhea Rizzo has brought Mrs. Saldo’s to the city for a second season at Balmori Chef’s Table in Rockwell. NAYAM, her latest pop-up, draws on her French culinary training and the flavors she has encountered across Asia and the West, with a menu that moves from Filipino snacks to Southeast Asian curries and French bistro classics. It runs through January 5, 2027, giving Manila diners another chance to experience the cooking that has made her Silang restaurant worth the drive.

 NAYAM is framed around renewal and hope, ideas that suit a menu shaped by Rizzo’s travels and her willingness to keep exploring. Her cooking draws from many places, including Southwest Asia, yet the flavors come together naturally, grounded in the thoughtful approach that has always been central to Mrs. Saldo’s.

The pop-up brings a little of Silang’s atmosphere to Rockwell, too. At the media preview last Thursday, floral motifs and lush greenery softened the Balmori Chef’s Table, recalling the garden setting of the original restaurant. We began with a glass of delicate, fruity white wine, a refreshing, sprightly sip as we perused the menu. For a moment, a hectic workday felt like a leisurely brunch.

The menu opens with snacks: generous little plates made for sharing. Dilis and peanut chips, Rizzo’s take on ukoy, come with kaffir lime aioli, whose citrusy lift cuts through the fried crunch. Grilled prawns arrive with whipped aligue and beef tallow, with sourdough to mop up every bit of the rich sauce. The peanut-and-bagoong Korean fried chicken brings a savory, salty punch to the familiar sweet-and-crisp appeal of the Korean favorite.

Among the starters, the banh mi toast is an inasal-inspired combination of pork jowl, chicken liver, atchara, and annatto jus. The fattiness of the pork gives the dish much of its flavor. Bun cha lumpia offers another take on a familiar format. My favorite is the nam tok beef salad, with mango vinaigrette bringing a touch of acidity to the beef and chicken liver, while the mix of textures keeps each bite interesting. It is savory, tangy, and more substantial than it first appears.

Rizzo’s French culinary training is evident in the technique and structure of her dishes. She knows the foundations of classic cooking, but she is not bound by them. Flavors from her travels find their way into familiar preparations, not as novelty ingredients but as elements that make sense on the plate.

Her time working with Gaggan Anand in Bangkok helped deepen her engagement with Asian flavors and techniques. Since opening Mrs. Saldo’s in 2021 on a former pineapple field in Silang, Rizzo has developed a style that brings those influences together with her French training. The restaurant takes its name from a Zinfandel, while saldo means balance in Spanish. It’s an apt idea for Rizzo’s cooking, which brings together flavors from different culinary traditions without losing the character of each. NAYAM continues in that spirit.

My favorite main is the barramundi meunière. At NAYAM, brown butter scented with kaffir lime brings a fragrant twist to the classic preparation, while capers add a briny counterpoint. At Mrs. Saldo’s in Silang, the pan-fried barramundi is served with crunchy sourdough bits, capers, parsley, and lemon—a version inspired by sole meunière. The technique remains recognizably French, but Rizzo gives it room to evolve.

The other mains carry the same spirit. Salmon comes with Goan curry, crisp coconut saba, and sambal matah. Duck confit is served in gulai ayam with yogurt, cucumber, and mint. Even steak frites, the dependable French bistro classic, gets a lift from makhan pepper sauce with Indian influences.

The combinations may sound unexpected, but the dishes remain grounded in comfort. Richness meets acidity, spice finds freshness in herbs, and familiar preparations take on new character without losing what makes them satisfying. Rizzo is not trying to reinvent every dish. She is showing how a few well-chosen flavors can take something familiar somewhere new.

Rizzo’s appetite for exploration comes with a healthy dose of enthusiasm. In an Instagram post soundtracked by Toto, she shared how she and her team struggled to narrow down the savory dishes they were developing for October and November. The solution was to rotate them throughout the pop-up. Picking a favorite NAYAM dish, she said, was like choosing a favorite Toto song—“Africa,” “Rosanna,” or “Lea.” Why choose when you love them all?

Dessert offers its own pleasures. The dark chocolate tart, with rum mousse and praline, gets a little lift from Maldon salt. Sticky date pudding, a Mrs. Saldo’s favorite, is the sort of dessert you’re always happy to see again. The Earl Grey chocolate cake owes its lovely fragrance to real bergamot, while mango sticky rice brings a sweet, familiar taste of Thailand.

NAYAM brings a little of Silang to the heart of Rockwell. The food is comforting and full of flavor, with familiar tastes made more interesting by a few unexpected touches. Everything feels considered, from the cooking to the warm, unhurried hospitality that makes you want to stay for another course.