Graey Eats Manila

CHEF'S TABLE

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 15:20:00 +0000

4.25 out of 5

Chef's Table Restaurant feels like his show ---- modern, but traditional; cozy but cutting-edge; Filipino, but world-class. Let me be say that I never discounted other establishments from being world-class. But Philippine cuisine has been so hard to to push as a legitimate form of world cuisine because of its closely-guarded (or closed-off) recipes and food presentation that leaves it unexplained to foreigners. This is why I'm so happy to see the sprouting of restaurants like "Abe," "Lorenzo's Way," "Fely J," "C2," "Mesa" and this one to show that Philippine cooking is a technical art and is comparable with the other leading cuisines.

The place is spacious, sleek and geometric. Yet, there are Philippine touches interwoven within its architecture, such as having native fiber walls. It is best described by the his architect firm, Buensalido Architects:

"The core idea is that of weaving. This act of intertwining was chosen because of its ubiquity in the Filipino culture as can be seen in different aspects of life – banigs, salakot, salakab, barong tagalog, vintas, and even the native bahag, just to name a few. This idea manifested in different levels of the design – in space, in views, in form, and in materials."

The kitchen is not just an open kitchen usually separated by glass. It is completely open with no dividers or walls, with the countertop dividing the cooking area and dining area. It is actually an ideal type of kitchen to showcase the cooking prowess of Chef Lim, who is used to cooking for the public and the media.

Before we ate, we started off with cocktails. Just like the food, these alcoholic mixes also have touches of Philippine inspiration in it. For instance, my drink, Ellen's Kiss (130 PhP) has the typical pineapple, gin and pomegranate juice found in tropical mixed drinks. However, it's laced with lambanog and lemongrass, adding that native twist. Unfortunately, I wasn't too fond of spicy hot and sweet taste simultaneously, and was a tad disappointed when they added chili to the already complicated concoction.

Ellen's Kiss (130 PhP)

Our appetizers followed: Crab Cakes (370 PhP) and Hot Rock Pusit (250 PhP). These dishes were winners and loved by all. An additional pusit was even ordered before continuing with our entrees. Interestingly enough, the crab cakes was served with sampaloc aioli. However, the sauce didn’t taste tart, and felt more like a creamy Japanese sesame dressing. Nevertheless, we sopped up all the bits and crumbs of the crab and cream. It was the perfect crabcake, bursting with juicy crab meat yet crunchy on the outside, the flavor enhanced by what tasted like panko breadcrumbs.

Crab Cakes (370 PhP)

The Hot Rock Pusit (250 PhP) was cooked between hot rocks, really! This beer-battered concoction bore the checkered rock marks that made the texture interesting and, thankfully, cooked to perfection! It was tender, tasty and the least bit gummy.

Hot Rock Pusit (250 PhP)

We might as well bring out all the bad news before raving about the rest of the entrees. The Pinaputok na Isda (460 PhP), Lato (150 PhP) and Banana Heart Carbonara (280 PhP) were the most boring of the lot. The Lapu-lapu still remained unseasoned even if steamed with lemongrass and topped with tomato concasse. The seaweed or “sea grapes” as the menu so loftily put, looked dramatic with colorful hues from the ripe red tomatoes and tiny pink shallots on top. The seaweed itself looked like tiny green gems, and were not ordinarily that small. However, the taste was unlike how it looked --- ordinary. Finally, the Banana Heart pasta was ho-hum. The banana heart was overwhelmed in the creamy pasta.

Pinaputok na Isda (460 PhP)

Lato (150 PhP)

Banana Heart Carbonara (280 PhP)

The dinner was more than redeemed with the rest of the dishes. The Corned Pork (300++ PhP) was a cup-shaped serving of the most tender pork strips on a bed of laing garnished with lechong kawali bits. I loved how spicy, creamy and intensely flavorful the laing was. And pork skin? Who wouldn’t eat that?! It was paired perfectly with tinapa rice.

Corned Pork (300++ PhP)

The Calamansi Tuyo Spaghetti (210 PhP) was bright and light, with citrus notes from the calamansi juice and tangy from the queso de bola. Tuyo oil and flakes were predictably mixed in. Though often tried and tested in modern Filipino restaurants, it was still well executed and delicious.

Calamansi Tuyo Spaghetti (210 PhP)

The Adobong Pusit Pasta (210 PhP) was a work of genius, and was even better than the tuyo pasta! The adobong pusit had a robust and meaty flavor. The pusit was perfectly stewed in squid ink and spices. I only wish it was paired with a sturdier pasta than angel hair.

Adobong Pusit Pasta (210 PhP)

Indeed, the piece de resistance was the Braised Liempo (350 ++ PhP). It was slowly braised in humba sauce. And was it ever so good! I have never seen liempo that juicy and tender in my life. I didn’t even need to use a knife, it would give with a slight shove of a fork. And the flavor was earthy and concentrated. I would come back just to eat this liempo again!

Braised Liempo (350 ++ PhP)

However, I wouldn’t have that opportunity to do so. Fortunately for the customers, Chef Lim is innovative enough to update and change his menus with seasonal ingredients. As of the moment, it has been replaced with equally tasty-sounding dishes like Chicken Jamon or Sirloin of Beef with sigarilyas.

After dining at Chef’s Table, I have very high hopes for the globalization of Filipino cuisine. It’s a breath of fresh air to have chefs who use our native ingredients proudly with such skill and technique. Restaurants like these help enlighten diners that our own dishes are comparable to those with fancy, difficult to pronounce names. Happy eating!

Menu. Click below to magnify.

Unit 106, The Inifinity Tower, 26th St.,

The Fort Global City Taguig City,

Metro Manila Philippines

(02) 399-1888

Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

ENCHANTE

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 07:30:00 +0000

4.5 out of 5 stars

Enchanté is Chef Jessie Sincioco’s baby after her long-established tenure in Le Soufflé. The place is sprawling, but feels homey at the same time. Think bright yellow walls and colorful plant arrangements. However, there is something aged about the appearance of the place, a little run-down and frayed with its flowered chandeliers and vine appliqué on the walls. I felt quite the opposite when it came to the shocking red bathrooms. It felt luxurious and authentic, as if it were an annex to a French lady’s bedchamber. I only wish that the same kind of atmosphere carried itself throughout the main dining area. Thankfully, the restaurant was generous enough to include a cigar room with a beautiful backdrop of the Parisian thoroughfares.

The design and name of the restaurant gives away the French cuisine that they serve so beautifully. We started with the Virgie Ramos Salad (895 PhP), described as “pan fried goose liver, grilled tiger prawn with scallop and grilled shiitake mushroom in creamy balsamic dressing and raspberry-honey sauce.” The presentation was amazing and the taste just as good as it looks! The goose liver was seared perfectly, the tiger prawns were succulent, and the scallops were cooked just right (it had the texture of butter!). The ingredients blended well with one another; the salad didn’t feel too overwhelming even if it comprised of numerous ingredients.

Virgie Ramos Salad (895 PhP)

I got the Grilled Assorted Seafood in Berlinoisse Sauce (850 PhP). Sea bass, salmon, scallops and shrimp were slathered in a cream sauce accompanied with a wild rice risotto. My only problem was that the presentation was not as appealing as the salad, and that the staff practically used the same garnish as Martin’s ostrich. But the seafood was excellent!!! Just like the seafood in the salad, all were grilled and seasoned perfectly, nary a bit overdone. Another round of applause for the wild mushroom risotto --- Although it had a little too much greens, the flavors were rich, creamy and complimented the seafood like brown on wild rice.

Grilled Assorted Seafood in Berlinoisse Sauce (850 PhP)

Martin ordered the Ostrich Salpicao (750 PhP). We were surprised that it came out as one big slab of meat! It actually felt a little too dense and overly seasoned. I’d return for seconds when it comes to the seafood, but would probably choose another viand for the meat (such as duck) in my next visit.

Ostrich Salpicao (750 PhP)

All in all, it was a delightful new place to dine in. And it’s doubly great that new restaurants are putting up shop in areas other than Makati. Next time you find your way in the Ortigas area, you should seriously consider Enchanté as part of your fine dining options.

Menu. Click below to magnify.

Enchanté

3/F Oakwood Joy Nostalg Center, 17 ADB Ave., Ortigas Center

Pasig City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 425-2650

M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

MEAT PLUS

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:00:00 +0000

4.5 out of 5 stars

I cannot --- CANNOT ---- stop raving about Meat Plus. It's an eatery that has been a cornerstone of Subic. Your trip would not be complete without a visit to this restaurant (then, of course, a hop and a skip across its duty-free stores to burn off that steak you've eaten).

The rating spiked up since my last review not only for staying alive for over a decade, but that it has maintained its superb service, facilities and quality of meats. You may queue up to pay akin to a cafeteria, but the difference ends there. The restaurant is bright, airy and comfortable (except when the crowd spills through its doors); the bathroom is spotless; the condiment options are great; plus, I really appreciate their huge steak knives. How about the food, you ask? Imagine spending a little more than grand for two massive ribeye meals (and drinks)? And it's not just some run-of-the-mill beef, but USDA standard Angus beef from US or Australia!

So please, if you can, just open the chiller to the side of the counter and take out your Angus steak! Don't bother ordering the smaller, local ones from the placard up front. Prepare to drool as your stare at the picture below. I promise you --- it tastes just as good as it looks.

USDA Angus Ribeye (500++ PhP)

Meat Plus MENU. Click on the pic below to magnify.

MEAT PLUS
Building 65 Sampson Road
Subic Bay Freeport Zone
Zambales 2222
tel: (047)252-7091
fax: (047)252-6365

open 10am to 9pm

GRAMERCY TAVERN

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 02:32:00 +0000

4. 8 out of 5 stars

The last time I went to New York six months ago, my best friend took me to Velseka (a Polish/Ukranian diner) and Bonchon (a Korean restaurant similar to North Park in Manila, having the best double-fried chicken wings on earth), while my cousin took me to Matsuri (a Japanese restaurant by acclaimed chef Tadashi Ono), finally dining and partying in Buddakan ( a flashy Chinese restaurant/bar owned by Stephen Starr, who also owns Morimoto; NY trivia: this is the place where Carrie Bradshaw threw her wedding rehearsal dinner).

This was all fun to the palate, but left me wondering that I've tasted all kinds of cuisines but American in a US State. So for the second time around NY for '09, I begged my foodie best friend B to take me to an restaurant that served excellent American food. Without even thinking, she mentioned Gramercy Tavern, although it was a struggle not to try the famous Burger at DB Bistro Moderne, where Daniel Boulud conceptualized a sirloin burger with a filling of boned short ribs braised in red wine, foie gras, and preserved black truffle, served on gruyere and gold flecks.

Gramery Tavern can be described in three words --- homey meets luxury. Expect the graciousness of an elegant American home in the private dining area accompanied with a causal area parked at the bar.

Never too avant garde, never too loud; rather, it draws its strength from gastronomic ideas that are tried and tested, and the freshest of seasonal ingredients that are luxurious but uncomplicated. And one can expect the best from Gramercy, making its mark for more than 15 years, housing the likes of distinguished chefs such as former executive chef Tom Collichio and its current one, Mark Anthony (who has also worked under Boulud).

We got the Four Story Hill Chicken Soup ($ 12/22) and Barley and Butternut Squash Risotto ($ 12/22) for our First Course, and the Chicken ($ 19) and Halibut ($ 22) for our Entrees. Even before we ordered, the waiter took it upon himself to converse with us about the menu, the specials and our orders It is this kind of service that is expectedly excellent, working seamlessly like a well-oiled machine. Although sadly, the starter bread was slightly tough and cold.

The chicken soup was the odd man out, its chicken and ricotta dumpling / ravioli absorbing the bland taste of the broth. Not even the unique taste of salsify upped the flavor level. This was salvaged by the risotto, whose texture was a contrast or rich creaminess from the barley grains that remained al dente. Not only was the delicious squash cubed within the risotto, the risotto was also encircled by its puree. The shiitake was not too strong for the dish; rather, it provided a slightly smoky taste that had a similar note as the barley grains. It was topped off with seasonal miniature vegetables of zucchini, radish and carrot --- an over-all winner.

Four Story Hill Chicken Soup ($ 12/22)

Barley and Butternut Squash Risotto ($ 12/22)

The chicken was roasted to perfection, fanned out in a medley of butternut squash, carrots and brussel sprouts. It intense jus served as the base of the plate. The halibut was more simple in its presentation --- literally just a slab of fillet on top of a red cabbage slaw. Around it was a thick drizzle of hazelnut yogurt sauce. The fish was perfectly seared on both ends, retaining its succulent juice inside. The sauce was a great accompaniment to the fish, refreshing and cooling to the taste.

Chicken ($ 19)

Halibut ($ 22)

complimentary dessert

We capped off the scrumptious meal with a complimentary array of truffles, macaroons and chocolate tarts. After eating in this famed restaurant, I must concur with Frank Bruni's closing statement in his review:

"But like a solid marriage rather than a heady love affair, it has stood the test of time, righting itself when it starts to go wrong, knowing that what’s at stake are a great many warm memories, some yet to be made."

Menu. Click to magnify.

Gramercy Tavern

42 E. 20th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 477-0777

Mon-Thu 12pm-2pm, 5:30pm-10pm
Fri 12pm-2pm, 5:30pm-11pm
Sat 5:30pm-11pm
Sun 5:30pm-10pm

ANTONIO'S

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:38:00 +0000

4.85 out of 5 stars

It's strange that I wouldn't write about one of the top 3 restaurants that comes off the top of my head. Of how the sprawling "Spanish hacienda"-esque property reminds you of the olden days where love came in the form of prose on parchment and serenaded melodies. Where you'd drown yourself in the huge red velvet chairs, watching the sunset from the balcony overlooking the Tagaytay landscape. A place where a violin quartet wouldn't feel out of place. Yes, Antonio's has never lost its feel for romance and good food all these years. Chef and proprietor Antonio Agustin “Tony Boy” Escalante has done a great job in building up Antonio's to be a world-class restaurant, as evidenced by placing a spot in the Miele's Guide TWICE.

lower dining area

Apart from its unique and swoon-worthy setting, it is known for its set meal, which includes the House Salad, Soup of the Day, Sorbet, Entree, Dessert and Coffee or Tea. The choice of entree will determine the price of the meal, with an additional charge for appetizers ordered. It has expanded its menu to include over 20 entrees and a full page of the same number of appetizers. Martin and I decided on sharing the Steamed & Nori Wrapped Tempura Scallop, Lemon Confit (250 PhP) appetizer, while he had the Antonio's Trio (1,900 PhP) of beef, lamb and cod and I had the Barbecue Lamb Cutlets with Garlic Risoni (1,650 PhP).

upper dining area

The appetizer only whetted out appetites. It contained two huge pieces of scallop. The steamed scallop was perfectly cooked to a tender texture, giving in to the thrust of a fork, and holding its own own flavor to the tart lemon confit and chiffonade fried spinach garnish. The stark contrast of the nori-encrusted tempura scallop goes to show the various ways of cooking the same ingredient. It was leaner, meatier and was a good accompaniment to the light cilantro pesto sauce. Considering I'm not a fan of cilantro, I nevertheless enjoyed the sauce and didn't leave a drop of it on the plate!

Steamed & Nori Wrapped Tempura Scallop, Lemon Confit (250 PhP)

The salad was a delight, made fresh from their own organic vegetable farm. The mix of arugula and spinach burst with flavor from dried blueberries, radish, walnuts, beet slices and bleu cheese drizzled with a sweet raspberry vinaigrette. This was followed by a robust white onion soup, very thick and foamy and drizzled with olive oil and herbs. I didn't even have the chance to take a picture of the green mango sorbet, it was finished in a matter of seconds!

House Salad

White Onion Soup

The Antonio's Trio (1,900 PhP) was composed of Beef Fillet on Plancha with Black Pepper Sauce, Barbecue Lamb Medallion with Garlic Risoni and Crispy Cod Glazed with Kombu Sauce on Peppered Egg Noodles. Our least favorite was the Beef Fillet. It was actually quite cold and tough around the edges. By far, the best sampler was the Crispy Cod. It's crispy, but did not fall apart and wasn't too oily. The sampler dishes were small (each could probably be finished in three big bites), so it was surprising how Martin was full when he finished his platter.

Antonio's Trio (1,900 PhP)

My Barbecued Lamb Cutlets was good, but I preferred it less glazed over with oil. To be fair, it was very tender and filling with a sweet tangy barbecue sauce. I didn't have room to finish the yummy risoni pasta or the side of buttered cauliflower and broccoli.

Barbecue Lamb Cutlets with Garlic Risoni (1,650 PhP)

Too bad I didn't leave room for the panna cotta. It was a lovely dessert, using real vanilla bean generously peppered around the cream. It quivered to the touch of my dessert spoon, and was lined with a chocolate and caramel sauce. Martin's dessert was an sorbet assortment of local fruits, namely guava, mango and calamansi. It was wonderfully light and refreshing, and unlike me, he finished the whole thing in minutes.

Panna Cotta with Chocolate and Caramel Sauce

Sorbet Mix

All in all, we enjoyed our dinner in Antonio's. Although I enjoyed my first few visits a little more than this one, I can say that the restaurant has been consistent with delivering food and service above par. It is worth noting that the service was faultless, dishes coming in and out unobtrusively, waiters being called with the slightest wave of a hand and they'd easily customize food to your request. Truly, nothing is more ideal than to celebrate a special occasion with an out-of-town trip to Tagaytay, then, of course, having dinner in Antonio's. If you're one of the few that haven't checked this place out, isn't it about time that you give yourself this gastronomic treat?

Menu. Click to Magnify

Antonio's
Barangay Neogan
Tagaytay City, Cavite
(0918) 899-2866
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

SERYNA

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 20:38:00 +0000

4.5 out of 5 stars

Amidst the heavy traffic and buildings that is Makati is this Japanese culinary gem called Little Tokyo. It houses an array of restaurants, including some convenience stores here and there. But among all of them, two of my favorite ones include Kikafuji and Seryna, both teeming with Japanese customers, a sure sign of authenticity. Kikafuji is more of a busy dining hall, harshly lit with white walls, bright yellow bamboo floors and boisterous crowds. Seryna, on the other hand, is calmer and quieter with dimly lit lights, dark wooden walls and stone accents. Since my family is hyper enough as it is, I preferred bringing them to the nice ambience of Seryna even if the yakitori of Kikafuji tastes better.

The place was packed, not surprising because it was a Friday. Even with a late reservation, we got a bad spot right behind the front door, since that table could accommodate 6. If you’re around 4 people, the best spot would be on the left side, where you sit on a table with sunken floors, as if you’re sitting on a tatami mat with the benefit of keeping your shoes on. Of course, they also have function rooms, but make sure to reserve early since they get booked real quick.

I wasn’t able to take a picture of the tekka maki (145 PhP) and salmon sashimi (235 PhP) because my family finished it in a matter of seconds, they were that hungry. My sister raved about how the seafood was so fresh. The tuna in the sushi was glistening red, and it was expertly wrapped with a dab of wasabi. I didn’t even see the salmon, it was consumed that fast, but I did hear rounds of approval from my very critical family members. If you’re a sashimi lover, and you want to splurge a whole bunch of money, you could order the sashimi tokumori (2130 PhP), which is a whole platter of various sashimi flown straight from Japan! Good thing I was able to take a good picture of the California temaki, which was light, fresh and delicious. The only thing that confused me was that the crabstick was billed separately, but this may be because it wasn’t listed in the menu. Fortunately this restaurant can whip up stuff not written on the menu by request.

California temaki

We also got yakitori (60 PhP per stick) of the following kinds: quail egg wrapped in bacon, asparagus wrapped in bacon and chicken, all a pair each. We split each order of one kind with teriyaki sauce, and the other with salt and pepper. As I said, they were good, with the teriyaki better than the other, but the ones at Kikafuji were much better, complete with perfect grill marks.

yakitori (60 PhP per stick)

The gindara teriyaki (425 PhP) came with the yakitori. I didn’t taste it, but the piece speaks for itself (and not in a good way).

gindara teriyaki (425 PhP)

The saving grace of Seryna, apart from their fresh sushi and sashimi were our two orders of Wagyu sirloin steak (2020 PhP for around 3 pax) and 2 orders of the Wagyu Japan beef sukiyaki (360 PhP for 2 pax). Of course, we got the basic orders of ebi tempura (315 PhP per basket) and fried rice, but it’s really the meat that was worth writing about.

fried rice

ebi tempura (315 PhP per basket)

The sukiyaki is made tableside and doing this made it the presentation special. When we got our bowls, it was apparent that they did not scrimp on the ingredients. The star of the show was the beef, and paper thin strips of these filled the entire container. The soup merely coated the meat and the vegetables, and it wasn’t too sweet either. I also loved the brown beech Mushrooms and enoki mushrooms that tasted just as good as it looked. It was an amazing soup!

sukiyaki made tableside
Wagyu Japan beef sukiyaki (360 PhP for 2 pax)

Just as amazing was the wagyu steak. They served it on the table raw and pre-sliced, along with settling a portable brick grill which allowed us to cook it according to our level of doneness. The meat was cooked without any oil or seasoning, and it was best barely seared on either side since the meat was thin. It was so good even without dipping it in the chives, chili and a soy-based steak sauce provided to each of us. My first bite of that unadorned meat was pure bliss: pinkish, tender with a concentrated flavor of beef with every bite. This is what authentic wagyu is all about. Not one single ligamented portion, where it would give way with the shove of a fork but keep its shape.

Wagyu sirloin steak (2020 PhP for around 3 pax)

The tempura and rice is anticlimactic compared to the wagyu, but still worth noting. The ebi tempura was crunchy and light, and was not masked by too much flour coating. Our half orders of fried rice were well-presented with a huge shrimp on top, accompanied by a rich beef broth. In all, the food was so delicious that we were willing to bypass the dreadful service. For example, my sister’s fruit shake came 45 minutes past the time the sashimi was served. Even getting the bill itself took so long. The ratio of calling the waitress and being noticed was probably 4:1. In defense, it was probably a busy night, and my previous visits weren't as inattentive. Besides, the food all the more made up for anything else. If you can’t book a flight to Japan, this restaurant does a pretty good job in tasting it!

Seryna
2277 Chino Roces Ave.
Makati City, Metro Manila
(across McDonald's in Mile Long)
(02) 894-3855
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

AUBERGINE

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 15:05:00 +0000

My friend told me of this good restaurant in Fort that was connected with a cooking school. I immediately thought Aubergine and led him towards that direction, not knowing that he meant another place! He was too nice to change course, and told me that we should eat there instead, since I’ve been raving about it from here to there. I assured him that Aubergine’s an excellent dinner bet for his first time, and another awesome thing about it is that its kitchen closes at 10pm, later than your usual fine dining.

I don’t know what else there is to say about this, considering that I’ve worshipped this place since it opened and have written about it on occasion. We were quick to decide on what to eat, my friend choosing the Wagyu beef tri tip, while I chose the fish wrapped in bacon with tomato fondue and ravioli (both around 1,200+ PhP). Service was quick and faultless; we were only around 6 customers at that time. On a side note, I’ve noticed that the prices have gone up (The beef tri tip used to be below 1,000 PhP) and that the menu changes at a crawling pace. I guess they have every right to charge an extra premium for such a bustling business, but hopefully they could overhaul some of the dishes instead of change a few of the ingredients of the same order and call it a different thing.

The fish was full of intense and flavorful flavors coming from the rich saffron cream-based sauce, tomato fondue and bacon. I wanted to eat everything and sop up all the sauce with my ravioli, but I stopped myself since my friend didn’t eat his vegetables nor the foie gras. However, I voluntarily didn’t finish my amuse bouche since I found the Brie mousse too sour. Not even the cherry sauce could save it. Below are pictures of our meal.

Sadly, we didn’t have free macaroons or chocolate truffles to close off our meal like we used to. But nevertheless, I still love this place, and would recommend this restaurant to anyone for a truly fine dining experience.

AUBERGINE
beside HSBC, across S&R
32nd and 5th Building
5th Avenue cor. 32nd Street
Fort Bonifacio 1634 Taguig
Philippines
(02) 856-9888
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Su, Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm

*Be sure to reserve before dining.

Hi, Peeps!

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:17:00 +0000

This has nothing to do with restaurants or food, being that it is all about these things. But I can't help it, and I just have to share this out loud: I am now an attorney!!!!! Thank you to all who have made this possible! :D

Gaufres

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:50:00 +0000

Don't you just love Japanese food? I surely do! This also means loving everything else they eat, including their snacks and junk food. Not only do the Japanese pay extra attention to detail, but they're very meticulous with the quality and uniformity of their food products, making sure that it doesn't get "lost in translation" by the time it reaches their consumer. From fancy gift-wrapping and intricately carved boxes to different textures of sticky and crunchy upon eating them, Japanese snacks are the closest snacks I've known to edible works of art. Living in a subdivision near Robinson's Galleria has made the Japanese convenience stores in "Japanese Town" less accessible for me. So it's a blessing that the Northerners have their own Japanese convenience store dislocated from its companions in Makati called "Konbini." Apart from selling foodstuffs and snacks, they also have a small restaurant where the "Tonkatsu Ramen" is to die for. But that's a separate review altogether. For now, there's this snack that the household constantly get when dropping by the store after work called GAUFRES (French for waffles).

It's a big round wafer which has a thin layer of cream inside. There are three packets inside the tin, containing 3 flavors of strawberry, vanilla and chocolate in it. So basically, nine wafers in all. It tastes light, crunchy and slightly sweet all at the same time! It is made by Fugetsu-Do, which is a famous Japanese bakery in Kobe that was founded in 1897. These snacks are a pretty price to pay, but it's worth every peso! Finishing off a pack of these is all the sugar craving you need.

outer wrapper

on the inside

heavenly wafers inside the plastic packet

GAUFRES by Fugetso-Do at the
Konbini Store
57 Connecticut Street
North Greenhills, San Juan
Metro Manila
02(7224263)

VAN GOGH IS BIPOLAR

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:26:00 +0000

4.5 out of 5 stars

Jetro Rafael is a true artist, and is reflected with his day job of travel photography. He also happens to have bipolar disorder or manic depression, along with the likes of famous people like Edgar Allan Poe, Ludwig Von Beethoven, Kurt Kobain and yes, Vincent van Gogh. Being productive about his condition, he decided to customize a meal plan to help calm his erratic mood swings instead of taking drugs with extensive side effects. What began as a personal meal guide turned into an idea for a restaurant, and hence, the birth of “Van Gogh is Bipolar.”

Make sure to leave lots of free time when visiting this restaurant because VGIB is a visual treat. His masterals in UP Fine Arts is apparent with the way the place is decorated. Every corner of the wall and table isn’t left empty. From hanging suits and headpieces, indigenous instruments and photographs, to leaving a chiffon divider with a decorative dragonfly, this place is an explosion of the senses. In fact, it got me befuddled in a manner that made me want to explore each and every nook and cranny. I only wish I had more time to take in all that is VGIB.

Even the concept of the restaurant walks off the beaten track, being that it is “semi-self-serve” and non-formal in some ways. Guests write down their names and orders in paper, which they bring to the kitchen window. Jetro or his helpers (who are sometimes his friends) will call out your name from the window, so you can pick up your food. Whenever you need anything, you ring the bell beside the kitchen window. I have used this bell to return my used dishes, request for more sauce or simply ask questions regarding my food. Jetro is quite gracious and says that if you’re not satisfied with your food, you can return it to the kitchen, and they’ll try to cook according to your specification. Apart from this, you make your own tea from materials provided in the center counter, and you’re even encouraged to compute for your own bill. Yes, the honesty system is carried through to the open container on the tea table carrying Palawan honey for 5 pesos per stick, or the travel tissue packs provided in the bathroom with a 10-peso donation box.

It is apparent that profit-making is only secondary to VGIB’s main purpose, which is for Jetro to share two of his numerous passions, namely cooking and photography. Most of the photographs and some of the artworks posted were created by him. And the menu is basically what Jetro eats on a daily basis. And in opening these interests to his guests in a restaurant where he literally lives, he essentially opens his lifestyle and heart to his guests. This sincerity shows through the effort put into the food (where the herbs come from his garden, vegetables from Tagaytay and Batangas, honey from Palawan and black rice from the Mountain Province, all organic!) and the creative way of entertaining his guests. While in the bathroom (where it’s also Jetro’s dark room), peruse through his photos, some books or drop a name of your real love in a bottle with the wilted rose. How about writing a greeting or message in the red healing wall in one corner? Or when dining al fresco, why not try eating from a bed? Not only does he advocate a healthy diet loaded with fresh vegetables, but the eclectic place encourages conversation and languid moments with friends over mood-altering teas.

Our dining area, where we ate by the red-curse healing wall

The menu is as complicated as the venue, perplexing but exciting to read. Once you’re accustomed to their system, though, it becomes as familiar as your favorite worn-out pair of slippers. The menu starts off with the bipolar concept, followed by the “House Rules,” namely:

1. Indoors are reserved for 10 diners only
2. Please enjoy your after dinner tea outdoors to accommodate other diners
3. NO SERVERS HERE. If you need anything, just ring the kitchen bell.
4. Please see the menu & write your name, orders (sic) on paper provided.
5. For tea drinkers: Read the instructions on how you (sic) to make your own tea.
6. After eating, kindly place soiled dishes at the kitchen window and ring the bell.
7. Celebrate your shit life on the red-curse healing wall or put your mark at the tea table.

Then come the Royal Bipolar Meal (Premium Platinum meals with a “narcissistic” serving), the bipolar appetizers, the bipolar salads, the Bipolar Presidents’ Manic Set Meal (Executive Premium meals), Rice Meals (Ford Coppola’s Episodic Meals), Fish Meals (Bipolar Hollywood Happy-Chill Meals), Tim Burton’s Dish of the Day, Tipid meals priced at 44 PhP (Ozzy Osbourne’s frugal Thursday’s semi-manic delight), Bipolar desserts, an explanation of Courtney Love’s Potion of the day (a special non-alcoholic drink), bipolar’s blend and concoctions (which includes teas, cocoas, and alcoholic beverages), Sunday Thanksgiving Dinner Selections, Instructions on how to make your own tea, a chart of the Bipolar diet which tabulates what to take (when you feel depressed, fatigues, stressed or in a bad mood), and articles on the unique black mountain rice as well as published articles on the restaurant. Whew! Quite a mouthful, right?

It’s almost like a book because the menu contains tidbits of information on neurotransmitters that you receive on eating a certain meal, trivia on the ingredients of a dish, how certain ingredients alter the mood you’re in as well as philosophies on life. The categories and the dishes are also named after famous people with bipolar disorder, such as Lord Byron, Isaac Newton, Axl Rose, Sting, Francesco Scavullo and too many more to mention. Noteworthy among the drinks are the Van Gogh Expensive Spicy Beer (299 PhP) where the blend of herbs and spice in the beer brew is home-made, Mel Gibson’s Darkest Sin (sweet vodka with 70 percent German dark chocolate, wild Palawan honey, almond and walnut) and Axl Rose’s Organic Egg-Jaegermeister shot (submerged in hot water for 10 minutes. Served in an egg shell. With wild honey and organic black, spicy sauce – 99 PhP)

But we didn’t choose any of the drinks since my boyfriend and I settled for the Presidents’ Manic Set Meal (a notch lower than the “Royal Bipolar Meal”), which already include both tea AND a choice of red/white wine or the Courtney Love’s Potion of the Day (which is non-alcoholic). I chose President Clinton’s Meal, which is grilled Australian lamb, along with the Courtney Love’s Potion (555 PhP), while my boyfriend picked President Lincoln’s Meal, which is Organic Turkey slow-cooked and simmered with Fresh fruit extracts and Organic Herbs, along with organic berry-based white wine (555 PhP).

We got our drinks at the same time as getting the tea, but the next time we return, we’ll remember to get the tea in the end to cap off our meal. Anyway, it wasn’t much of a biggie because you can refill your house tea thrice.

The organic wine was served with mint and garnished with strawberry. It was organic, light and fruity, but I preferred my drink so much more. The Courtney Love Potion was a mix of some tea, melon, mint, lemongrass, and had diced cucumbers, fresh mint and a strawberry on top. It was refreshing and tasted unlike any other iced tea or fruit concentrate that I’ve drank! I would go back to VGIB if only to drink this again!

From the top clockwise: Courtney Love's Potion, Mango-mint Tea
and Organic Berry-Based White Wine
Courtney Love's Potion - a very healthy non-alcoholic cold concoction made from the most fresh and organic fruit extracts with real fruit bits and pulp, varying from time to time. No sugar added, only wild Palawan honey is used. (144.44 PhP if bought alone)

We also had fun making our teas! From choosing your own teapots and teas (I chose mango for a “happy chill” mood while my boyfriend got avocado for “soothing”), to measuring the tea leaves and mint, it was quite an experience for a first-timer! Be sure to get a shot glass of that yummy Palawan honey to drizzle into your teacups for that boost of natural sugars.

Our turkey soup came along with the set meal, and it was delicious! It was thickened soup infused with turkey broth, and flavored with basil leaves, banana chips and toasted garlic. We finished it in no time, my only minor complaint being that they could have strained the turkey bones before serving it. But it was very tasty, nonetheless, and at least we knew that the savory portions were indeed infused by turkey bones and bits.

Our main courses came, and the dish is a true reflection of the place and menu. It was organized chaos with a burst of color from the fresh fruits and vegetables. My dish almost seemed like the grilled lamb chops were an accompaniment to the star of the show, the black mountain rice. Although the lamb wasn’t as tender as Jetro wanted it to be (he said it wasn’t marinated long enough), it was still satisfactory. But there may have been too little meat and a lot of the bone.

President Clinton’s Meal, Grilled Australian lamb(555 PhP)
"Grass eating animals are always a healthy source of protein which makes you energetic minus the negative effects of chemically fed animals which alter your mood in a bad way."

What was really mouth-watering was the way he prepared the black rice, almost as glutinous as a risotto, and mixed with banana chips, peanuts, mangoes, corn, basil leaves, lettuce, cabbage and edible flowers. Weird combination, but they just seemed to meld into one another perfectly, starting with the sweetness of the mangoes and ending with the soothing and rich aftertaste of the rice. What makes it better is that it is one of the healthy kinds of rice, being completely made of complex carbohydrates and low on the glycemic level.

Black Mountain Rice up close

My companion’s turkey was served inside an orange, and had the same rice accoutrement that ended up outshining its viand. Like the lamb, there was not much turkey, but whatever there was was scrumptious. It was moist and sweet and slightly tart at the same time. I preferred my lamb, though, not because of the flavor, but because I generally prefer lamb over turkey. Both dishes were accompanied with a sauce that tasted like patis and bagoong at the same time, and I chose not to use it because I was already enjoying all the sweetness coming from the rice. There were also much lettuce and cabbage leaves that we ended up making lettuce or cabbage rolls of our food, and we still kept on eating the rice even when there were no more lamb or turkey, it’s that good!

President Lincoln’s Meal, Organic Turkey slow-cooked and simmered
with Fresh fruit extracts and Organic Herbs, (555 PhP)
THE UNIVERSE'S BEST MEAT TO EAT.
TURKEY contains a natural chemical - "trytophan"- that activates serotonin hormones in the brain that flush out bad mood and gives you that super chill mood..."

This place is only open late afternoons. According to an article written by Anne Jambora in the Inquirer, "For a time, his restaurant was open 24 hours, with guests knocking on his door at dawn for some teatime. He was amused at first, he said, since it felt like he had visitors coming over to his house. But when word spread of the place and more people trooped to his place, he decided to open only for teatime (5-7 p.m.); dinner (7-10:30 p.m.); and late teatime (10:30-1 a.m.)."

This restaurant is not the place where you’d be focused on cooking technicalities, but its vibe and creativity all the more makes up for it. Nobody puts it better than Jetro himself, as quoted from the same article where he says:

“You’re not here to experience fine-dining service. You have to go to the counter, ring the bell, write down your order, wait for your order to get cooked and then come back for it at the counter when it’s done. You’re not here for good food, either. You’re here for an experience, to understand the life and world of a bipolar…. Here we celebrate our imperfections; here we embrace our flaws and weaknesses. I set this up as a way of sharing my life and my diet. Van is not about me; it’s not about the place. It’s a personal experience about the people who come here.”
Jetro Rafael : Owner of VGIB

part of the menu. Click below to magnify.

Van Gogh is Bipolar
living art space. cafe.
154 Maginhawa St., Sikatuna Village
(02)394-0188

*open everyday except Tuesday from 5:30 pm to 12:30 am
*cash basis only, wheelchair friendly
Su: 6:00 pm - 1:00 am
Su: 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm

LU

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:42:00 +0000

3.5 out of 5 stars

Heard about this in other blogs, so I wanted to drag my friends to this new dive which opened either early this year or last year. There was much expectation from this restaurant, since an apple doesn't fall far from the proverbial tree, the tree being his father Juan Carlos di Terry who owned the popular "Terry's Selection." With everyone meeting up after-office hours, we were famished and looking forward to an authentic Moroccan experience.

The interior wouldn’t necessarily hint of its culinary origin, what with the hanging industrial lamps, whitewashed walls and sleek colorful furniture. But is certainly looked cool and hip, a great backdrop for fashionable people visiting Rockwell to dine in. Meanwhile, the menu was flirty and playful, with headings that were obviously leading innuendos. Some like it (drinks) "steamy" (hot), "dirty" (cocktails) or "complex" (wines). Or how about starting with a "tease" (appetizer) from "my green mind" (salads), where there's always "time to spoon" (soups) when you're "smack in the middle" of a situation" (sandwiches)? It follows with pasta, meat and seafood, wrapping up with dessert as a "happy ending."

interiors
from http://blogs.stylebible.ph/rajosblog/2009/12/14/lu-at-the-joya/

My friend started with LU’s homemade paprika fries (140 PhP) as a tease, while I shared a single hummus beirouty (120 PhP) with another friend. The fries were pretty average, the fries being paired off with a citrus-mayo dip. To be honest, I preferred the cayenne fries of Good Burger, where the wedge fries had more meat to it and the flavor had more zing and spice. They also used the same side-order in LU’s naughty fish and chips (325 PhP) and Mexican steak frites (675 PhP). As for the hummus, its presentation in a clay pot was remarkable, and tasted really good considering that they didn’t skimp on the quality of the ingredients. The chickpeas were blended well with the tahini, with a splash of rich olive oil and black olives, chopped parsley, paprika and a chili fruit as garnish. But the unleavened bread that a friend commented tasted like hostia was sorely lacking, as if you had no choice but to order another side of it just to finish the hummus. It wasn’t even pleasant to re-order since the bread tasted quite raw and powdery, but we did anyway since it ran out before half of the hummus was even consumed.

LU’s homemade paprika fries (140 PhP)

hummus beirouty (120 PhP)

Good thing we ordered us some "dirty" drinks, cheekily named "diabLU" (280 PhP). A merry mix of lemon, mint and gin, it tasted fruity, masking the treacherous gin which was actually quite a lot in the drink. By the time I slurped this down, my face was heating up a bit. My only side comment was that our drinks looked like this:

But when i checked other pictures of it, it was supposed to look like this.

from http://triportreats.blogspot.com/2010/02/love-lamb-and-lull-at-lu.html

I think our drinks were sitting out a tad long before it was served to us. Tsk, tsk.

At least one of our companions loved his Lu’s Ultimate pork chop (520 PhP), because not everyone was too pleased with theirs. The chop was slathered with tangy orange-achuete sauce, paired with sweet potato mash and caramelized onions. It’s actually pickled onions, though in the Mexican steak frites order, they say it’s caramelized, since we had the same side order.

Lu’s Ultimate pork chop (520 PhP)

Another friend got the poached white flounder on lemon risotto (475 PhP). She enjoyed the fish thoroughly, but only toyed with her risotto, leaving a big portions untouched. She found it too wet, and didn’t agree with the way it was cooked.

poached white flounder on lemon risotto (475 PhP)

LU’s naughty fish and chips (325 PhP) was ordered by my last friend, who complained of how little it was from the get-go. It was basically 8 pieces of the same homemade paprika fries and 3 small fish sticks, with tartar and honey mustard sauce. She wasn’t blown away with it, and probably finished it in less than 10 minutes because there wasn’t much to eat with.

LU’s naughty fish and chips (325 PhP)

My Mexican steak frites (675 PhP) probably looked the most impressive, as written, the arrachera hanger steak, caramelized onions and melted cheese placed in a huge wooden block. It also contained a salad, the same paprika fries and onion rings as the starch sidings. Garnering much ooohs and aaahs from my tablemates, I didn’t feel as awestruck once I dug into it. The two steak pieces were thin and miniscule, one containing the melted cheese. They were only generous with the salad, which had a tasty vinaigrette. Even fries and onion rings were spread out so that it looked more than it seemed.

Mexican steak frites (675 PhP)

I surely spent more than a grand, while the others spent roughly a grand, but most of us still weren’t full. We ended up ordering more food in Reserve, while the others we met up with were in the middle of their nth tequila shots. Apart from the discrepancy of the price and amount of food, the service was slow and inattentive. No one minded us when we were calling out to the waiters (we drank our cocktails and ate our starters outside), two of us having to go inside and walking up to the waiters on separate occasions. We had to ask for water, because they didn’t provide us with any, and we had to call them to refill our glasses. Our entrees were at least half an hour wait, even longer for some of us. It could have been an off or busy day, but my companions said they wouldn’t be revisiting the place anytime soon. I might try this place again with another set of friends, giving benefit of the doubt that it might just be too busy at a Friday night. Hopefully, it will be a better visit since the mix of ingredients and the rich flavors of some dishes seemed promising.

Menu. Click to magnify.

LU Restaurant, Rockwell
G/F Joya Bldg., Joya Drive, Rockwell
Makati City, Metro Manila
(02) 403-3991
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

ROMULO CAFE

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:08:00 +0000

3.75 out of 5 stars

Romulo Café is a relatively new restaurant which opened late last year along with good company near its streets: A Taste of LA, Zuchinnni’s and Katre. The architecture is cool, clean, chic and predominantly white, all thanks to the skills of famed designer Ivy Almario. Her husband, Yong Nievas (of the former Salumeria, thanks Noni) is the proprietor of this establishment, which serves Filipino comfort food, the name of this place coming from the grandfather’s surname. Admittedly, you can’t really tell that it’s Filipino food that they’re serving since the place is a little too modern. The only trace of Filipino art is a floor-to-ceiling poster of the poem “I am Filipino” halfway up the stairs.

Interiors

"I am Filipino" poem

Exteriors

The menu is brief, but put-together, consisting of only two pages worth of Filipino food with a modern twist. Even if their specialty is the Boneless Crispy Pata Binangoonan (PhP 595) (which I shall try on my next visit), it was only Martin and I, and we weren’t that hungry to eat something fit for 4. So we settled with the Flying Tilapia with 3 Sauces (290 PHP), Honey-Garlic Pork Spareribs (235 PhP) and the Pinoy Nachos (75 PhP) as our appetizer.

The nachos looked better than it tasted. It was kamote and taro chips drizzled with melted kesong puti, keso de bola and tomato. When we ate it, all we tasted were taro chips. The queso de bola sauce was surprisingly bland since queso de bola is normally salty and piquant, and the kesong puti was sparse, with only around 5 small cubes of tomatoes. Fortunately, the main dishes were tastier than the appetizer.

Pinoy Nachos (75 PhP)

The fried tilapia came with three types of sauces: sweet chili garlic sauce, honey bagoong and pickled ampalaya & soy vinegar. We left the chili garlic sauce alone, as Martin preferred the honey bagoong, liking bagoong to begin with. I preferred the third sauce of pickled ampalaya and soy vinegar. As much as it sounds unappetizing, it was pretty tasty and reminded me of a soy-based dipping sauce that Chinese restaurants serve.

Flying Tilapia with 3 Sauces (290 PHP)

The honey-garlic pork spareribs was also delightful. Contrary to the Pinoy nachos, this dish tasted better than it looks. The boneless pork ribs were simply placed in a white bowl. What brought it to a different level was their secret honey garlic sauce, which gave a tangy sweetness to the meat. Thankfully, this also didn’t seem too high on fat since the transparent sauce around it came from sticky honey, and not from oil-based sauces like adobo.

Honey-Garlic Pork Spareribs (235 PhP)

All in all, this resto has clean, no-frills comfort food, with an ambience perfect for barkada gatherings or quiet, intimate dinners. Check out this place for a new dining facet in Tomas Morato. Oh, and props to foodie Noni Mercado for giving me first dibs on this resto lead several months ago!

Menu below. Click to magnify.

Romulo Cafe
Scout Tuason cor. Sct. Dr. Lazcano
Quezon City, Metro Manila
(02) 332-7275
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

SINN'S

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:29:00 +0000

4.5 out of 5 stars

Sinn’s is named after the proprietor of the restaurant, Tomas Sinn, who is also the owner of another award-winning restaurant, Blue Danube. This restaurant is located at the new trendy Wembley Square Centre, where it takes the elegance of fine dining and makes it more approachable by offering affordable prices and professional, friendly service. It actually reminds me of Serendra or Bonifacio High Street Area, where it is newer, smaller and a little more edgy as compared to the VA Waterfront of Cape Town that could be likened to Greenbelt. The concept behind this restaurant is to have it capture the ambience of an upmarket inner city hotspot. It was very successful because of its location, where Wembley Square is located within an industrial site, sort of like NY’s meatpacking district, as well as its interiors with its geometric light fixtures, metal columns and walls layered with wood, mirror and slate.

Interiors

When at Sinn’s, one should also try the Sbar (adjoining the restaurant), where this cocktail lounge offers tapas style snacks and a wide range of classic cocktails and boutique style wines. After your delicious meal, one can go to Sinn’s Deli beside the Sbar, where you can get fresh bread or tapenades to bring home to your loved ones. They also do they do free wine tastings here every Friday from 5-8pm.

Sbar

We started with a Rocket Salad with Crispy Bacon and Pecorino (R 65 / 387.89 PhP). The salad was really tasty, tossed with a light vinaigrette dressing, as well as generous amounts of bacon, pecorino shavings, herbed croutons, cherry tomato halves and alfalfa sprouts. Their alfalfa sprouts look different from ours since the seeded ends are dark, but the taste is very much the same. Rocket leaves are basically arugula, so it is very spicy and nutty and are great raw as salad leaves. Overall though, I think what made this dish delicious was the addition of bacon and cheese. You can’t really go wrong with that, and adding these to a nutritious salad makes the salad more than just tolerable, but enjoyable.

Rocket Salad with Crispy Bacon and Pecorino (R 65 / 387.89 PhP)

For main, we had two Grilled Prawns (R 99 / 590.78 PhP), Fillet of Salmon (R 119 / 710.13 PhP) and Prime Aged Karan Beef Sirloin (R 99 / 590.78 PhP). All were beautifully decorated, but the Grilled Prawns were the least attractive, even if it did have an interesting flavor. Taking from Indian influence, it was basically eight prawns served with a light curry sauce and curried basmati rice. It tasted better than it looked, though, and was very light and healthy, where the shrimps did not drown in the rich yellow curry sauce.

Grilled Prawns (R 99 / 590.78 PhP)

The Fillet of Salmon was grilled to perfection and served on a whole grain mustard mash and Hollandaise sauce. It was decorated with the same black sesame lavash as in the prawns, forest mushrooms, beet chips and a protea flower, Africa’s national flower. This dish may be even more luscious and fatty than the prawns, as the hollandaise was poured all over the base of the plate.

Fillet of Salmon (R 119 / 710.13 PhP)

I liked my Prime Aged Karan Beef Sirloin the best. You had a choice of rösti (German/Austrian potato patties) or French fries and a selection of these sauces: wild porcini mushroom, Dijon mustard, garlic butter or red wine. I chose the rösti with red wine sauce. Karan beef is basically an integrated beef production organisation in Africa, much like America’s USDA. The steak was juicy medium well, and sopped up the red wine sauce beautifully. It came with a side of porcini mushrooms, 3 rösti patties and a whole grilled onion. The meaty taste of the steak, with the creamy mushroom side order, piquant flavor of the red wine and the sweetness of the onion woke up all the taste sensations in my mouth. Not only was there a good flavor explosion but also a combination of texture, with a thoughtful touch of crispy string sweet potatoes on top as garnish.

Prime Aged Karan Beef Sirloin (R 99 / 590.78 PhP)

Sinn’s is not only a great dive to eat in, but is also cool to be seen in. I would head back to this restaurant in a heartbeat next time I’d take a trip to Cape Town!

Menu. Click below to magnify.

Wembley Square
McKenzie Street
Gardens
8001
Cape Town, South Africa
Open from 9 am to 11 pm

AICA

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:18:00 +0000

In the spirit of empowering its students to fight for their goals and achieve their dreams, the ACADEMY FOR INTERNATIONAL CULINARY ARTS (AICA) is giving away a scholarship to aspiring chefs who would want to take up INTERNATIONAL CULINARY ARTS & PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN MANAGEMENT. All you need to do is fill up the information provided for here, and you may stand a chance to enroll in their diploma course for free! Hurry! A valid entry will be selected on 3 February 2010, to begin classes on the 8th of the same month.

ZENSHO

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:03:00 +0000

4 out of 5 stars

Zensho is a decade year old, opened in 1999 and owned by Alan Acosta who used to be a regular customer of Kimpura. Wanting to put up his own restaurant, he hired some of the regular cooks from that establishment to put up Zensho. I guess one of the things that have made Zensho so popular is their unique “Eat-all-you-can” promos where customers order their dishes a la carte, but still have unlimited Japanese food for only 595 PhP. It’s cheaper during lunch where it’s only 495 PhP. So far, this is the only restaurant I know within the whole of Metro Manila that does “eat-all-you-can a la carte style” rather than an "eat-all-you-can" buffet.

Their “Eat-all-you-can” menu is practically complete, divided into: Appetizers, Zensho’s house specialties, Soup, Robotayaki, Teppanyaki, Salad, Tempura, Menrui (Noodles), Nabemono (Shabu-Shabu), Sashimi, Sushi and Yakimeshi. Make sure you don’t eat more than you can chew, as any leftovers would be double the charge.

Interiors

We ordered all the dishes a Pinoy would usually get in a Japanese restaurant: sashimi, sushi, tempura, kakaige, oyster motoyake (baked oysters), cuttlefish teppanyaki, tofu steak teppanyaki. mixed fried rice, steak teppanyaki, lamb chops teppanyaki, yakiniku (Beef barbecue) and yakitori (Chicken barbecue). Whew! To think we were only two! ☺

Assorted Sushi and Sashimi

Steak Teppanyaki (front) and Lamb Chops Teppanyaki (back)

Mixed Fried Rice and Miso Shirin Soup

Oyster Motoyaki

Ebi Tempura and Kakiage

Yakiniku (Beef Robatayaki)

Yakitori (Chicken Robatayaki)

Tofu Steak Teppanyaki

We wolfed down everything, and were very satisfied with what we got: The steak, even if it was local, was succulent and tender; the lamb was also cut into cubes and tasted just as great; the yakitori barbecue literally melted into your mouth once you bite into the skewered meat slathered in sweet teriyaki sauce; and the baked oysters stood true to its house specialty category, as it was fresh and loaded with cream and butter, perfect for slurping the sauce off its shell. I even loved the four season shake where the fruits were fresh and not concentrate.

yummy Four Seasons from fresh fruits

The tempura and kakaige were pretty average. The tofu steak was a little too sweet for our taste, and the cuttlefish somewhat fishy. But this was just a minor glitch to the well-oiled machine that this restaurant is, as everything else were exceptional, especially the service and promptness of our orders. For instance, the staff were kind enough to charge my laptop in the most convenient outlet, and they were very enthusiastic with our inquiries. They were also considerate to keep the teppanyaki griddle heated so that the dishes that laid there remain heated while we were eating. Our entire order came within a span of ten minutes, and we never had to ask the waiter to refill our water glasses when it emptied out. Finally, this place is also a blessing for smokers who can do so inside, as they keep all of the exhaust of the griddles open so that it would not annoy non-smokers.

Allan cooking fried rice at the teppanyaki griddle...
great service!

This “eat-all-you-can a la carte style” has remained unchanged for over six years and has remained popular for the simple reason that it’s the best bang for your buck in terms of its category, a mile away from Saisaki or its other contemporaries. I’ve eaten here more than a handful of times, and each of my visits here never disappoint. The ingredients are fresh, including the sashimi, the service is beyond reproach and the place is clean and comfortable. Apart from the 4 teppanyaki tables, there are also 3 private teppanyaki rooms perfect for meetings or get-togethers. So if you’re looking for a safe bet to take your family, barkada or a hungry loved one (like in my case, haha!) to dine in, Zensho’s the place to be where as they say, “We’ll cook it fresh as you order.”

Menu of the "Eat-all-you-can a la carte" below. Click to magnify.

Zensho
168 Tomas Morato Ave., South Triangle
Quezon City, Metro Manila

(02) 929-1069
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 2:30 pm
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 6:00 pm - 10:30 pm

LA REGALADE

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:54:00 +0000

4.5 out of 5 stars

I may be a bit rusty with my descriptions, but I'll give it my best with this restaurant that I've visited again quite recently after the Bar. La Regalade is located in Pasay Road, home of several well-established restaurants such as Milky Way or Nihonbashitei. But it also has relatively new restaurants like Azuthai and fellow French eateries La Cabane or Cicou. Certainly, this strip of road will never die out of places to eat when restaurant ideas fizzle out of your head. And gratefully, La Regalade is also open on Sundays, where most other fine dining restaurants remain closed for weekly cleanings or days-off. It gives families with busy work schedules options for other places apart from mall or chain restaurants.

There is nothing too striking with the ambiance of the place, compared to the cozier feel of Cuillere or cool modern spaces of La Cabane. But it has made its mark by gracing us with a menu created by Chef Raye, a two-star Michelin chef. The food is rich and hearty, far from the frilly and overtly fancy French dishes that one expects. Yet, in as much as people have reviewed their portions to be hearty, my friends and family say otherwise. But hey, maybe French food in general have small servings...and this may probably be why "French women don't get fat" as quoted from M. Guiliano's title.

La Regalade has finally given out its own menus, apart from the last time I visited where its offerings were posted solely on chalkboards and chalkboard pillars. Yet, the chalboard remains for daily offerings that change with seasonal ingredients as well as transitory dishes.

warm, crusty bread

One of the dishes I ordered on my first visit was the Salad Foie Gras (490 PhP), which was actually a simple but clean-tasting salad of mangoes, nuts and mixed lettuce on vinaigrette. Unfortunately, they don't serve it now, but for that pan-seared foie gras craving fix, you can actually order it on its own by request, since the one on the menu is terrine accompanied by country bread and house salad (that does not serve people like us who aren't fond of terrine well). Their pan-seared version is accompanied by cooked mangoes with a balsamic reduction. Even with the fruit, it was so rich that I asked for lettuce to munch it with. They were quite agreeable about it and gave us some salad lettuce with a mild dressing that made the starter all the more delicious.

Salad Foie Gras (490 PhP)

Along with the salad, I remember ordering the Duck Leg Confit (980 PhP) and Lamb Navarin (865 PhP) as main of our first visit. It's been so long ago, but I do remember enjoying the duck, and a tad less for its Lyonnaise potato siding since its lard-y taste was overpowering. However, I can't help but compare it to the confit of Aubergine, which has consistently had a crispier skin and juicer meat the three times I've ordered it.

Duck Leg Confit (980 PhP)

Indeed, the star of that meal was the Lamb Navarin, where the sauce was light and flavorful, and the meat firm enough to hold its shape, but practically melted in your mouth. Even the vegetables absorbed the rich flavor the sauce, and was a treat to eat. This traditional lamb stew tasted almost like caldereta, but a richer one, with hints of wine and rosemary.

Lamb Navarin (865 PhP)

At another instance, we got three orders as starters: the Escargots en crouton (290 PhP), Assiete de fromage (400 PhP), and Pan seared foie gras (by request). My parents loved the escargot on tomato confit, with herbed butter sauce and served with sourdough crouton. They said it was tasted better than the order that they got in Lemuria. The cheese platter was also simply presented with a side salad with radish sticks and some walnuts. The cheeses were goat cheese (the white balls), bleu cheese (the triangular spotted ones) and brie (the clear and rectangular cheese). We liked the goat cheese the most, since it was so fresh and creamy without any sour aftertaste.

Assiete de fromage (400 PhP)

Foie Gras de Canard Poelé (Pan Seared Duck Foie Gras)

For main, we got four pieces of Piece de Boeuf, sauce a vin rouge (steak, 6 oz. at 1050 PhP), Grosses Crevettes aux Poires et Oignons (Roasted Prawns with Pears and Onions, 870 PhP) and Boeuf Bourguignon (solo at 400 PhP) with a side of couscous (100 PhP). I find it amusing how my family always gets steak in whatever restaurant we go to, even if it’s not a steakhouse, and this is no exception. The rib-eye was served with a bed of roasted garlic and onions and a small tower of French fries. The steak was succulent, and though it had big chunks of fat, the family says it tasted a lot like Elbert’s. High praise indeed, for steak amounting to less than a third of Elbert’s price. The steak was very meaty but could be sliced easily with a butter knife, the flavor also coming from its high marbling of yummy fat. It still tasted good even without the sauce, and the family actually preferred it without, choosing the peppercorn sauce from time to time when it arrived.

Piece de Boeuf, sauce a vin rouge (steak, 6 oz. at 1050 PhP)

Dad said the prawns were just okay, and we all laughed when he said that manang could whip up something like that. Of course, he was just kidding. The Beef Bourguignon was also just okay, especially compared to the Lamb Navarin which was also a stew that tasted much better. Considering that they simmered the beef for several hours in wine, it was still kind of tough, and the sauce was lacking but overpowering. Good thing there was couscous, and it was very good to scoop up the sauce which also counterbalanced its strong flavor.

Grosses Crevettes aux Poires et Oignons (Roasted Prawns with Pears and Onions, 870 PhP)

Boeuf Bourguignon (solo at 400 PhP)

I forgot to take pictures of the desserts, but we did order the Puit d’Amour (Baked meringue, 220 PhP), Ile Flotante (soft poached meringue on crème anglaise, 180 PhP) and the La Tarte au Chocolat Tiede (warm chocolate tart, 250 PhP). They were all good, but we liked the tart the most, and the baked meringue the least. The latter was served with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate syrup. We though this would be the best dessert, but when it came, there was just too much hard meringue for the chocolate syrup frozen on a small portion on the center of the plate. Could say the same for the ice cream stuffed inside the meringue. The Ile Flotante was good, the soft meringue being topped with crystallized caramel and almonds. It tasted like a fancy brazo de mercedes, and I liked it because it wasn’t too sweet unlike the previous dessert. Finally, the icing on the cake was the warm cocolate tart. It was actually molten chocolate cake served on a hard chocolate cookie crust. It was warm, gooey and perfect to top off our French food feast.

Ile Flotante (180 PhP)
picture care of allanko.net

All in all, the dining experience was great and fun; not mind-blowing, but very pleasant. The staff was very attentive, though may not know all of the menu; some of the food were just average, but the remarkable dishes of escargot, steak and chocolate tart more than made up for it; the portions were not as big as expected, but the food is truly warm and hearty comfort food. This is a place where one would be excited to take a date to, bring an intimate group to celebrate some event, or take the family to have those fancy Sunday dinners.

Menu. click below to magnify.

French Bistro, Makati
820 Arnaiz Ave.
Makati City, Metro Manila
(02)750-2104
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
Su, M, T, W, Th: 6:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Su, Sa: 12:00 mn - 1:00 am
F, Sa: 6:30 pm - 12:00 mn

APOLOGIES

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:19:00 +0000

I won't be adding any entries, from 2 months ago, adding another two from this note. Should keep priorities in check... much to my disappointment of updating this site.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:34:00 +0000

5 out of 5

** Didn't have time to write a complete article on this, so I just consolidated some articles (NY Times, NY Metro Dining, etc) that wrote good articles on it already, which also reflect how I felt when eating here.

The biggest star to emerge from the casual-dining scene is David Chang, named 2007 chef of the year by GQ and Bon Appetit for running Manhattan's Momofuku empire, consisting of three tiny restaurants right near one another that often play Led Zeppelin loud and have posters of John McEnroe on the wall. "So much in the late '90s and this decade was about service and serving mediocre food. I would rather be in an uncomfortable environment serving delicious food," says Chang. "I remember working at a restaurant, and they told us these statistics that the thing diners care about most was service and second was décor and third was food. And that made me mad. I said, 'Screw it.' That was the motto. Screw everything else — just worry about the food."

Chang compares the trend toward smaller, casual-dining restaurants to what happened to retail clothing 10 years ago, when department stores got destroyed by boutiques. "You're going to find funkier little restaurants that aren't for everyone, just like clothing stores aren't for everyone," he says. "Look at the jeans stores. There are 25 different stores that just sell jeans." His menu reflects his background as a Korean-American chef who came up through the seasonally obsessed kitchen at Craft doing his take on Japanese noodles plus, it seems, whatever else he feels like cooking. Thus, the “Momo" ($16) or Momofuku ramen was born—a large bowl of ramen noodles laden with impossibly tender Berkshire pork belly and shredded pork shoulder, showered with market vegetables, topped with a lightly poached egg. Its broth was very rich and dark, as it was simmered with roasted pork bones, shiitake mushrooms and bacon. By a mile, this is the specialty of the house. Cecile, my NY banker friend, was quick to order this for us, telling me how much she loved this restaurant that she would order this when she needed some comfort food.

“Momo" ($16)

But before we gobbled the ramen, we started it with Hanger Steak ($22), which has nugget potatoes, kimchi and butter. It was perfectly cooked, very moist and pink on the inside, the marinade of kimchi giving it a unique flavor. Unfortunately, the serving was also small for sharing alone, so we also grabbed another appetizer before our ramens.

Hanger Steak ($22)

Since Cecile chose, it had to be the equally famous pork buns ($9): A sock-puppet of steamed bread filled with thick-sliced pork belly dressed with hoisin sauce, cucumber, and scallion. Hot sauce optional. It is phenomenal.

Pork Buns ($9)

Anything that gives more people easier access to David Chang’s steamed pork buns is a humanitarian advance. So if that were all that had been accomplished by Momofuku Noodle Bar’s recent move into a larger space — there are 65 seats, up from 27 — it would be enough. But that isn’t all. With squat stools at communal tables in addition to tall stools at counters, the new Noodle offers a little more comfort. It’s set up like its more lauded sister, Momofuku Ssam Bar, though it has a paler hue and a perkier spirit, playing the blonde to Ssam’s brunette.

The menu has expanded, especially in a section titled “Cold,” where you find dishes including hamachi with blood orange ($16) and smoked duck with cinnamon ($14). Kitchen equipment has also been upgraded.

And there’s now soft-serve ice cream ($4), from a machine at center stage. It stands as an emblem of the polymorphous, mischievous Momofuku spirit, whereby East, West, high and low matter less than what strikes Mr. Chang’s fancy, like a cold braid of pistachio and cannoli flavors in a cone.

If the florid praise that has flowed Mr. Chang’s way is starting to grate on you, here’s your palliative: there are numerous miscues at the expanded Noodle, which competes with Ssam and now Momofuku Ko for Mr. Chang’s attention. Kevin Pemoulie, a partner in Noodle, runs the kitchen day to day.

The grilled octopus ($13) was rubbery. Duck confit rested on eggs that were billed as “soft scrambled” ($24) but that registered as an unappealing porridge. Although the noodles in the ramen dishes ($9 to $15) had a terrific mouth feel, the broth on occasion lacked spirit. And none of this struck me as any bargain in the context of a first-come-first-served operation that remains cramped.

But service was expert, and so, in the end, was most of the kitchen’s output: hefty, succulent prawns ($18) on buttery grits enriched by a poached egg and pork stock; a new dish of deep-fried chicken ($21 for a half, $40 for a whole) that’s not encased in batter, so it has an un-oily crunch; those famously plump smoked chicken wings with garlic and pickled chili ($11).
Steamed chicken buns ($9 for two) were better than ever, the pulled dark meat crisped on a new high-heat griddle. Will they challenge the hegemony of the pork buns? I think not. But that’s only because there’s nary a sandwich in this city that could.

menu. click to magnify.

171 First Avenue
in between 10th and 11th street
New York, NYC

noodle bar hours of operation
sun - thurs:
12pm - 11pm
fri - sat:
12pm - 12am

SALA

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:57:00 +0000

5 out of 5 stars

The first thing you think of Sala, when going to this place, is how inaccessible it is. Sure, it may be neighboring Greenbelt 5, but the only way to get here is to walk through a maze of streets, nary a parking slot available next to it. But don’t let its inaccessibility deter you --- it’s a small sacrifice for what could probably be your best restaurant experience.

When you go up the stairs of the building and see the big banners spelling Sala per letter, you wonder how you could have missed their signage driving through Makati Avenue. And then when you reach the top, you are pleasantly surprised at the building you see in front of you. It’s actually quite small, a one-storey building sandwiched in between the PLDT Building and Locsin Building (where the British Embassy is). To even call it a building would be ironic, because it looks more like a room with glass and cement walls and a thick metal ceiling. But instead of detracting from its ambience, it only adds to it, making it more charming and intimate despite its modern furnishings.

Sala used to be in Malate, Manila. But they relocated to Makati, making it more accessible to yuppies and professionals in the business district. To make things easier, Sala was divided into both Sala and Sala Bistro, the first being their fine-dining version and the latter being the more laid-back branch in Greenbelt 3, which serves up Sala’s famed Sunday Champagne Jazz Brunch. These restaurants, along with People’s Palace, are owned by chef and entrepreneur Colin McKay. He hired Chef Carlo Miguel, of Mezzaluna fame, to be its Executive Chef early 2008, who started cooking up new dishes, keeping old Sala favorites.

Sala is simple, yet contains sophisticated hints of luxurious upholstery, smoked mirrors and shell-shaped sconces. It is mainly in white, with its floor, tablecloths, walls and raised ceilings. And it is complimented by the warm brown colors of the wooden side paneling and chairs. There is nothing which stands out architecturally, because they expect the setting to be a blank canvas for its food. Service is on spot, with the waiters being attentive but not hovering. Upon entering, they even offered me a bag hook to hang mine by the side of the table.

There were only 13 dishes to order for that day covering both appetizers and entrees, fitting in one page. Changing their menu every several weeks make up for the small number dishes offered, so that next time you visit, you’d have a fresh set of choices. While we placed our orders, we were offered bread from a metal basket carried by the waiter, which for that day was a chewy rosemary bread sprinkled with sea salt as well as sesame lavosh, which is a crisp, unleavened flat bread. They also set 3 small quiches in front of us, our amuse bouche. It looked deceptively plain, a normal pie with cheese melted on top. But when you bite into it, there was a burst of flavors that told you what you were eating wasn’t just any quiche. The phyllo pastry crust was perfectly flaky, which grounded the other flavors of portabella mushroom, cream spinach and cheese. It was meaty, yet light; creamy yet zesty. Eating something like this raised the bar for the dishes that we ordered.

And we were not disappointed. Far from it. Our appetizer of Twice Baked Souffle with Prawns, Feta and Dill (420 PhP) as well as the Portabella mushroom, ricotta and thyme ravioli with parmesan and white truffle oil (460 PhP) were both divinely inspired. The soufflé has been a best-selling mainstay since Malate, and has never failed to please. The soufflé has been baked hours ahead of time, and baked once again to form a crispy, cheesy crust, where the chef surrounds the plate with even more parmesan and feta cheese, garnished with basil, to make it more decadent. While the crust is crisp, the inside remains creamy and delicate, with the feta, prawns and dill blending seamlessly with the beaten egg and flour mixture.

Twice Baked Souffle with Prawns, Feta and Dill (420 PhP)

While the soufflé is rich and decadent, the ravioli is refreshing and savory. Homemade ravioli pasta is stuffed with light ricotta cheese and portabella mushroom cooked in truffle oil, its mild-smoky flavor giving way to the tart flavor of fennel and orange slaw that beds the pasta. Rocket microgreens is used as a garnish, as well as a side of basil oil and another side of truffle oil. When you bite into the perfectly al dente pasta, its delicate ricotta flavor is played up by slaw, teasing you with its light, acidic notes. You feel revived, yet satisfied, and all the more expectant of your main course.

Portabella mushroom, ricotta and thyme ravioli with parmesan
and white truffle oil (460 PhP)

The entrees were a sight to behold, its plating quite brilliant. The Minted Lamb Loin and Confited Lamb Shoulder with Eggplant Mashed Potatoes, Roast Peppers and Pomegranate Molasses jus (960 PhP) was the most experimental and playful. The Lamb Loin was seared and baked perfectly medium rare. It was pink on the inside and it was so tender and juicy. Mint encircled the lamb loins to offset its aftertaste. It was accompanied with a bed of diced zucchini and pomegranates, the latter picking up the sweet flavor of the lamb dripping sauce that was spiked with the same fruit. The entire thing was topped with the confited lamb shoulder, where the process involves it roasting duck fat after marinating overnight in spices. It was well worth the process because it brought a rich, earthy side of the lamb. We all loved how the sweet flavor of the zucchini and pomegranates lent itself to the rich taste of the meat. There were much textures and flavors involved, and you can’t help but leisurely savor every bite.

Minted Lamb Loin and Confited Lamb Shoulder
with Eggplant Mashed Potatoes, Roast Peppers
and Pomegranate Molasses jus (960 PhP)

We also picked the special of the day, which was a type of special Australian Tenderloin (900+ PhP). It was seared before putting in the oven. It was also very tender and it matched its side dishes of mashed potatoes, French beans and portabella mushroom well. We actually loved how they grilled the portabella mushroom to make it stay so soft and flavorful. It almost melted in your mouth, and brought a new dimension to the meat when you ate the mushroom with it. However, its jus was overpowering (maybe from the wine mixed with it) and we preferred eating the tenderloin with the side dishes alone.

Australian Tenderloin (900+ PhP)

Finally, we also chose the Grilled Australian Bobby Veal Tenderloin with Green Pea Risotto and Braised Veal Cheek with Smashed Root Vegetables (980 PhP). We loved how the taste was almost a yin-yang of flavors. The veal cheek to the left had an intense flavor, braised in a sauce that stood up to the strong flavors of the root vegetable siding. It was braised for such a time that it was literally fork-tender. I never even had to use a knife! Meanwhile, the veal tenderloin to the right had a mild taste, that was matched by the soft, pleasant flavor of the pea risotto. A sauce that was slightly sweet encircled it. It was fun alternating from the cheek to the tenderloin, then back, loving how the same ingredient could taste so different from the other. However, the tenderloin wasn’t as tender, and it was even sort of dry. But that may have been my fault since I told the kitchen to grill it medium well.

Grilled Australian Bobby Veal Tenderloin with Green Pea Risotto
and Braised Veal Cheek with Smashed Root Vegetables (980 PhP)

We were so stuffed from our appetizers and entrees that we didn’t even have room for dessert. But I heard that the panna cotta laced with berries is one to die for! If only we had more room to eat more of their creations. Good thing there’s a second visit, a third visit, a fourth visit….

p.s. pictures care of my photographer friend, Keisie Marfil :)

MENU. Click to magnify.

Sala, Makati
Podium Level, Locsin Bldg., 6752 Ayala Ave. cor. Makati Ave.
Makati City, Metro Manila
(02) 750-1555
M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm

PETER LUGER'S

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 05:30:00 +0000

4 out of 5 stars

Has Peter Luger grown tired of us, or have some of us simply grown tired of it? This venerated and venerable New York institution opened in 1887, and visits to the steakhouse around its 120th birthday suggested an inconsistency at odds with its legend. When Peter Luger is on its game, the gruffness of its waiters is pitch-perfect — more amiable than obnoxious — and the charred, sizzling, butter-doused porterhouse is a steak more breathtaking than any in the city. But sometimes the service is just plain chilly, and the steak misses its mark, and that's when you notice the flaws in other menu items and wonder why you shouldn't just visit one of Luger's rapidly expanding number of clones, which are less brutally illuminated, more consistently courteous and, unlike Luger, take credit cards.
---Frank Bruni

I begin the review by a passage from Frank Bruni, one of my all-time favorite food critics. Apparently, most of the reviews on it in the NY Times has been written by him, who maintains a love-hate relationship with Luger’s.

And I can understand why. Service can be pretty erratic at times, efficient the next; steak can taste breathtaking at one visit, the meat not so great the next, masked by a truckload of butter for its sauce.

I heard a lot about Luger’s ever since I was a child. Bar none, the steak place of choice would be Luger’s. Sure, we may have up-and-comers Craftsteak and BLT Steak, and even similary old and established places like the Strip House or Keens Steakhouse, but nothing comes close to the porterhouse whose taste has been imitated even by Wolfgang. In own country, the prized steaks of Mamou copy their technique, serving the platter on top of inverted plates, with the steak cut into long strips, drowning in butter.

Upon entering, you’re confronted with a bar up front, the dining rooms dividing into two at the corner of the bar. Lots of traffic up front, waiters talking loudly, moving through crowds impenitently. The place has rich wooden accents, the place brutally lit, the dining rooms even brighter with its light-colored walls.

We reserved a table weeks ahead, but we still weren’t able to get one within 30 minutes. The service is brusque and slightly peevish, to the point that you feel apprehensive on inquiring about the table duly reserved for you.

Regardless, the food is supposed to make you forget everything. But before we get to the steak, maybe it would be best to elaborate on the ritual that is Luger’s. My friend told me in all seriousness not to order from the menu…in fact, not to even ask for the menu. I looked at her in a weird way. No, it’s really like that, she assures. It is standard to get the porterhouse, calling it steak for 2, 3 or 4. That was the only choice that made sense, along with the creamed spinach (of course) and the German potatoes (naturally). If one ordered off the menu, you’d get sneers from the staff and people coughing out “tourist.”

Not wanting to be made fun of, we did exactly as was told. Some of us still took a chance and tried asking the waiter what pair of side dishes would be good with our steak for 4. With a suggestion that sounded more like an order, he barked “German potatoes” and the “creamed spinach.” And yes, we’re back where we started! Adding only a slab of bacon as appetizer, we were set for our dinner. Before the waiter placed our orders, he brought two breadbaskets, containing various white and wheat bread, some with oats, rye or salt. They were huge and hearty, much like how the rest of their food would be, with the only complaint that they weren’t hot and probably have been out of the oven for the past hour.

The slab of Canadian bacon came way before the steak did, and it was literally just a big slab of bacon. More of a fatty teaser, the four of us merrily picked on it while we ate our bread and chit-chatted on their NY moments. And after probably ten minutes, our steak came, along with the spinach and the potatoes.

Canadian Bacon

The waiter put two inverted plates in front of us. Then he set the steak on top of it. It was already sliced, ready for serving,. He then put some of the strips of meat on each of our plate, then scooped up the juice and butter and drizzled it over our steaks.

(after the waiter served out steak)

(our half-eaten steak for 4)

What left us awestruck though was the size of the meat. My picture (with my point and shoot camera) could do it no justice, as it was of more gigantic portions in real life. My closest estimation would probably be thirty inches in diameter. Yes, thirty inches of sizzling meat, charred on the outside, and medium-rare on the inside, with its own cattle flag proudly stuck in front of the meat. It was USDA Prime Beef, family selected and dry aged in their very own aging box.

up close and personal

Porterhouse is similar to the T-bone, both containing two valued portions called the tenderloin and the short loin found on the middle-rear back of the cattle. Between the two, the tenderloin is the better area of beef, which the porterhouse contains compared to its T-bone counterpart. Because of this, an extra muscle is located in its center on the upper side. Needless to say, it is a choice cut of beef.

(picture off of the NY Times)

As much as the presentation was great, beef gigantic and its magnificent appearance, there was something off about it. The meat wasn’t as tender, with a big chewy part due to the muscle in the middle. Perhaps it wasn’t properly aged, and the meat was slightly overdone in the tenderloin area (it cooks faster than the short loin). Our friend apologized for the visit, and said that it wasn’t like the last time she ate here: where the beef was luxuriously rich, crunchy on the edges, but tender near the bone, its intense meaty taste melting in your mouth and giving in to the slightest movement of her knife. Also, I read a later review which said that “If you have more than 2 people in your party, order multiples of steak for 2. If you order the steak for 3 or 4 you won't get the same cut and you'll miss out.” I wished I got to read this before going there and blowing off around a hundred dollars.

I liked its steak sauce, though. It was very tangy, with strong hints of tomatoes, onions, horseradish and molasses; slightly sweet, but with a zesty kick at the end. My friends loved the creamed spinach, but detested the Germen potatoes, saying that the latter was overcooked. On the other hand, I preferred the German potatoes to the spinach, because the latter had this aftertaste that didn’t match the flavor of the steak sauce. Besides, I liked crispy potatoes, and even if it was slightly dry, the steak’s sauce compensated for it. Oh well, each had their own preferences, but the consensus was that steak looked better than it tasted.

Steak Sauce

Creamed Spinach

German Potatoes

All in all, Peter Luger’s was an experience that I wouldn’t mind trying again for a better steak experience. It might have been off because there were too many people at that time, with nary a chair empty in both dining halls.

Bring cash and leave your sensitivities at the door. This is an institution that one HAS to go for that great NY steakhouse experience.

ate in:
Brooklyn, NY
Peter Luger, Inc.
178 Broadway
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11211
Reservations:
(718) 387-7400

other branch:
Great Neck, LI
Peter Luger of Long Island, Inc.
255 Northern Blvd.
Great Neck, N.Y. 11021
Reservations:
(516) 487-8800

CICOU

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:12:00 +0000

.5 out of 5 stars (for me)

Heard a lot of buzz about this French bistro. Mostly good, compared to La Regalade, which is why I convinced a couple of my girl friends to accompany me there on a food trip. One of them agreed with much approval, after coming from a dinner with her family giving them the "vip" treatment. She even suggested good picks, such as the uni soup, the pork kurobota, the sea bass and the millionaire's pasta (not on the menu).

The restaurant is housed in Hotel Celeste, and one wouldn't notice that there was a restaurant to its front side. I mean that in a good way, because the restaurant blends effortlessly within the quirky modern-baroque feel of the place. The restaurant, though, contains more classic pieces, muted yellow lights (compared to the bright cheery whites of Celeste) and even wall fabrics.

There is only one page for the menu, and we were quick to order because our friend had already narrowed the choices down for us, picking the "Tomato" under their Hot Appetizers, as well as the "Sea Bass" in the Main Course. The waiter also highly recommended it, claiming it to be their best-seller. We couldn't request for the Millionaire's pasta (pasta with all the expensive trimmings, such as lobsters, foie gras, etc) since they didn't have any pasta to cook with.

It was refreshing (literally and figuratively) that our amuse bouche would turn out to be ice cream. In an "Iron Chef" twist of fate, it turned out to be balsamic ice cream with parmesan shavings in it. There was also a large circular puff pastry on top, just to balance off the tartness. I got bowled over with my first spoonful, the flavors were very intense...and tart! Actually, it's very good, but I'm not a fan of things tart and acidic in general. I was hoping to get to the middle of the scoop, thinking the vinegar flavor was stronger outside since I saw dark balsamic swirls ringing the sorbet glass, but when I dug deeper, it had the same tart concentration.

The Tomato (250 PhP) looked like a pizza of some sort, only that the crust was a puff pastry. Its "sauce" was eggplant caviar, which actually lacked taste. The mozarella and olives only brought color while adding nothing to the eggplant. Perhaps the only ingredient which brought it to life were the sun-dried tomatoes circling the pastry. As well as the parmesan shavings, though I didn't taste much of that, either. My friend and i had to add much salt for good measure. It was alright, but nothing to rave about just yet.

Tomato (250 PhP)

So their best-selling Sea Bass (680 PhP) arrived with much expectation. I was thinking that it must be good since the fish wasn't exactly that big. I was even able to take a picture of the entire plate without anything else just to make the fish look a little bigger! As I was eating it, I was relishing the sauce...truffle oil just makes everything taste good, especially if it's loaded with cream! I just slathered the sauce over the mashed potatoes and the fish, eating the leeks sparingly because it was a little tough.

Sea Bass (680 PhP)

I had a great time talking with my girl friends, and i really didn't have much to say anymore about the dish I was eating until...the sauce ran out! I guess that wasn't much of a problem, I mean, the fish must be good anyway, right? But I remember this incident distinctly, because my friend Julia was talking about Boracay when I chewed into something FISHY. Sea bass isn't supposed to taste like this! Wait a minute....I skimmed my fork over and through the fish....it was flaky....and brown! I've been so used to meaty, succulent, white sea bass without any fishy aftertaste whatsoever. As far as I was concerned, was it even sea bass to begin with? I stopped eating, and handed my plate over to Julia, asking her if I was just imagining that fishy taste. Her eyes start to widen in recognition, as my other friend Myta also grabs a forkful.

"I know! It tastes like Bangus! It probably is bangus!" exclaims Julia.
Myta interposes, "yeah, sea bass never looked this brown. It wasn't like that the other time." The other time being when she ate here with her family.
"I know, right?" I agreed.
Julia goes on to say that her mom eats that for breakfast with tomatoes and onions, making calls to her aunts and uncles about how weird this sea bass tasted.
I ask Myta to call one of our chef friends to ask if sea bass really look and tasted like this.
In the meantime, I was debating on whether to ask for the chef or not. I was never a confrontational customer, but I was really upset with the fish. The least I wanted was an explanation if I were to pay that much for something I disliked.
Myta just came from talking with our chef friend, and he ended up saying that we were being fooled if what we described to him was sea bass. Sea bass usually didn't flake, nor was it brown with such a fishy taste. That bolstered our courage to ask for the chef and ask him about it.

So I called the waiter, explained to him our situation, and asked him to call the chef. There we were, leisurely chatting and eating, waiting for the chef to come out. Lo and behold, rather than the chef coming out to answer our queries, another waiter comes out with a BOWL OF RAW FISH ON ICE. He then goes to say that the chef was showing us the fish he prepared our sea bass with, and that it was called "Apahap," a "local" sea bass. All of us were flabbergasted....to bring the customers a bowl of raw fish???!?!! What were we going to do with it???! We just nodded and the waiter left us.

At this point, my friends and I were furious with the treatment we were getting. Julia all the more called relatives and friends, telling others about that incident. All of us were in agreement when it came to still wanting an explanation from the chef. So one of us calls the waiter to ask for him AGAIN, and the waiter just nodded his head and disappears through the kitchen doors. They most likely called the pair (the chef and his wife), but I think the latter didn't even feel the need to talk to their customers? I don't know... but suffice to say, we ended up waiting for idle time.

Julia adamantly insisted not paying for the fish should the bill arrive. As much as I wanted to, I knew that I'd pay for it in case the restaurant asks, just so that they wouldn't think I'm mooching off a meal. Worse part is, I was too full to eat another bite in a different restaurant, even if I wanted to just to make up for that awful fish. Our patience was wearing thin, and we finally called for a waiter one last time. I think the chef arrived only because we were teetering to the edge of losing our tempers. What fanned the flames was when we saw Chef Cyrille and his wife dilly-dallying around the place schmoozing and talking with their friends, both knowing that we wanted to call either of them, but none of them responding to our requests.

When he came, he shook our hands and asked what the problem was. So we repeated our "fishy" story, and how we never came across that kind of sea bass, let alone "Apahap." He goes on to explain that it's a local fish, that even other countries like Singapore call it "Asian Sea Bass." Fine. Okay. But then I went on to explain that the fish had a fishy taste, and that I was surprised that sea bass would taste like that. He just let that statement go with a, "Sorry you didn't like my recipe," without looking the least apologetic or concerned. I added that we were a bit offended because we tried calling them several times, but he was quick to reply that he was busy preparing the food in the kitchen. He said this with such ease, knowing that Julia saw him just around the corner entertaining his friends.

Not feeling mollified one bit, we just asked for the check. The waiter comes in with a plate of some pastries. When we said that we didn't want it, he replied, "Hindi, talagang binibigyan namin yan." At this point, we all just wanted to go since we were so angry, adding insult to injury in that the dessert given wasn't even one to make up for the unsatisfactory service.

We left in a hurry, Julia giving added info that all the more compelled us never to go back (I'm telling this story with her permission). Her Tito, who's a doctor in Makati Med, mentioned to the wife of Chef Cyrille one time that he's good friends with the owners of Celeste. He was planning on bringing the Board of Directors to have dinner there, and was half-joking when he asked for a discount. Much to his shock, she said, "You should have told me ahead of time. We could have planned a budget menu."

In so many words, it is apparent that my companions nor I have any intention of returning to this restaurant. Even assuming that the fish was indeed apaap, or a kind of sea bass, or even if we were wrong, there may have been ways which could have salvaged our disastrous trip:

They could have offered to replaced the dish with another one to our liking.
They may have offered to waive the expense of that dish, which we would have refused to do, but at least there was an act of good faith.
A simple and sincere apology would have even been acceptable (without any qualifications) because, as this phrase has always been used, "The customer is always right."

MENU. Click to MAGNIFY.

Restaurant Cicou, Hotel Celeste
San Lorenzo Drive cor. A. Arnaiz Ave., San Lorenzo Village
Makati City, Metro Manila
(02) 887-8080 loc. 242
M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 6:00 am - 10:00 am
M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Need your Help...

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 02:15:00 +0000

For those who have seen the old layout of the webpage and the new one (right now), which would you prefer? Comments would gladly be appreciated! Thanks!

S'MAC

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:23:00 +0000

4.5 out of 5 stars

I just saw the folders of restos I would want to write on, and it's still so numerous :o At the risk of delaying some work, I decided to write on my New York line-up since it would be harder going back to these places unlike the ones in Manila.

I'll start the line-up right with this cute little place called S'MAC. It's a quaint place in the East Village that serves nothing but....you guessed it, macaroni and cheese. It's been featured in several shows and magazines for being a restaurant with such a specific niche. Nothing intimidating about it when you enter, at all. The interiors are small but sunny, literally, since the furniture is all in yellow, except for the red brick wall to one side and the red trimmings on the wall. The decoration is modern, yet kitschy to the point of being cute. Wired chandeliers, inverted cone lamps, those kinds of things.

It's called S'MAC cos it's owned by Sarita Ekya. Her recommendations are posted along with the rest of the menu on the counter, and you place your orders here like in fast food joints or a canteen. Actually, her recommendations make all of the menu, but there's another section where you can build your own mac and cheese and you just tell them what toppings to place. The great part is, they have take and bake, where you can order then bake and eat your S'MAC later at home, as well as delivery. They're also considerate enough to provide you a choice of regular, multi-grain or gluten-free elbow macaroni, with or without breadcrumbs on top.

My friends and I got a nosh (being the smallest serving, then major much, mongo and partay! the last one serving aroun 8-12 people) of Buffalo Chicken, Parisienne and Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese. You know it's American sizes because when it came to us, our noshes still looked huge, and we regretted getting three servings because we were still up for brunch (which became a 3 pm brunch, the line was that long) at Prune later.

All three of them looked the same, the sauce slightly differing in hues of yellow. But once you bite into it, it's a world of difference! The Cheeseburger ($5.75) is for the hearty meat eater. As described, it's "ground beef done to perfection with onions, garlic and a hint of ketchup and mustard. Don't forget the best part - a combination of American and Cheddar cheeses." It honestly tasted like a cheeseburger, and I liked it out of the three because of it's mild but beefy taste, and is likeable to most palates.

The Buffalo Chicken (&6.75) is basically "cheddar & American cheeses with boneless chicken pieces and buffalo wing sauce. We’ll even top it off with crumbled blue cheese if you’d like!" This had the most zing and spice, and I had to reach for my soda several times because my mouth tingled after (but in a good way, of course :) The taste of this mac and cheese actually grows on you as you get accustomed to its bold, chili-barbecue flavor.

Lastly, the Parisienne ($6.75) is written as "mac-n-Cheese for the "upper crust". Creamy brie, roasted figs, roasted shiitake mushrooms & fresh rosemary. It's addictive!" I liked this the least, though my friends love it. I guess I'm not used to my mac and cheese, which is usually savory, being somewhat sweet due to the figs and brie. I love brie, but alone or baked by itself in philo. The shiitake was a brilliant addition, though, and I could really taste the flavor of the rosemary permeate the entire dish.

From top to bottom: Parisienne, Buffalo Chicken, Cheeseburger

Even if we said that the servings were big (considering that we're still going to eat less than an hour later), we gobbled everything down it was that good. Creative concept, fairly quick service and easy on the pockets...It's a great hole-in-the-wall that is truly unique to NY.

Click on the MENU to magnify.

Manhattan's East Village
345 East 12th Street
between 1st and 2nd
212-358-7912
212-358-7917

Monday- Thursday and Sunday: 11 am - 11 pm
Friday - Saurday: 11 am - 1 am

Delivery is available for free, on orders of $15.00 or more, from Houston Street in the south to 23rd Street in the north, and from Broadway in the west to Avenue D in the east.

There is no minimum for delivery if you live on 12th street between 2nd avenue and avenue A, or on 1st avenue between 11th and 13th streets. Otherwise the minimum order is $15.00 with no exceptions.

UPDATE

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 12:56:00 +0000

Aubergine 4.8 - 5 stars

I need not describe Aubergine yet again because of my last review on it, which was already quite exhaustive (to read/reread the previous Aubergine entry, click here). Needless to say, in my next visits here (three, to be in fact), it has remained consistent in providing excellent meals and service. Although there may be others who disagree, I prefer to stick to visits I personally experienced (which, fortunately for me, have been all good). Of course, everyone is free to voice out their own opinions, and I would gladly message any replies that would need my response.

I'll only talk of my most recent visit, because this was the only time I brought out a camera, and I still remember the taste quite vividly. In the next resto reviews to come, I may be inaccurate with the details because the restos waiting to be reviewed have been sitting on a backburner due to the heavy load of my "day job." If only I could do this for a living, I'd be in foodie heaven! *wishful thinking* But enough of my rambling, and back to Aubergine.

When my friend, Anna, and I went to the resto on a Saturday night, the place was packed. I forgot to reserve, which is why we got the bar tables near the chef's window. Even if we were on high chairs and tables, we didn't mind since it wasn't so uncomfortable, plus we got an unobstructed view of the kitchen where you can see the ISCAHM people prepare your food in front of you. (see pic to the upper left)

The complimentary bread and creamed butter was the same as before, as they served it with their signature mascarpone cheese and eggplant spread (that looked like pate, but tasted way better). The bread was kind of tough, though.

Our amuse bouche (the chef's gustatory calling card) for that evening was a breaded fried vegetable ball. Even if it sounded strange, your misgivings would be dispelled when you eat that tiny morsel. I wasn't really sure what vegetable it was, but the flavors were so intense, and I loved scooping it up from its bed of diced cucumber with mint and yogurt, dotted with tomato coulis.

The menu has been modified somewhat, and I guess some of the prices have also gone up because they can afford to do so at this time. The favorites have stayed on the menu, starting with the duck confit (760 now 850 PhP), the Wagyu beef tri tip (980 now 1,100 PhP), the Chilean sea bass (980 now 1,100 PhP) and the baked pesto and horseradish encrusted lapu-lapu (660 now 720 PhP). They've replaced the grilled tuna steak nicoise with coriander and ginger flavored tuna steak, the gindara with lobster tail and fried scallops and the over-roasted chicken with US Cornish game hen, to name a few. Since I've tried all of the regulars but the confit, I chose that dish, while my friend Anna picked the US Cornish game hen.

The food took awhile, and the staff were quick to apologize for its lateness due to the heavy crowd of customers. It's a good thing we weren't ravenous, and kept up our heavy banter of conversation since I haven't met up with her since her side trip to France.

We weren't disappointed with the wait, as our food came to with a grand flourish. The presentation took our breath away, and I have always marveled at their intricate presentation. Anna's US Cornish game hen two ways (690 PhP) is an oven roasted leg stuffed with mushrooms and foie gras and grilled breast served on sauteed spinach, rosemary flavored potato gratin and Grand Marnier jus. I didn't get to taste her chicken, though she was raving about its flavor, being cooked two different ways. I did get to try her gratin, which was flavored in rosemary, and gave that wonderful je ne sais quoi, the delicate aftertaste of the herb lingering in the back of your tongue past the cream, cheese and potatoes. It went well with everything, even dipped in froth and the Grand Marnier jus, blending acid and starch in a merry mix of savory flavors.

US Cornish game hen two ways (690 PhP)

My French Duck Confit (850 PhP) was served with creamed brussel sprouts and parsley marbled potatoes. Confit is a cooking method that renders the duck in its own fat (considering that duck is pretty fatty anyways), and they cooked the duck to perfection. The skin was even and crispy, and the meat was so succulent, that I couldn't stop eating. The food even made me stop talking, which is quite a feat for a chatterbox like me. I also loved the brussel sprouts, and how it didn't taste bitter as I normally expect it to be....but hey, it was creamed, so you can mask a lot of unwanted flavors that way, I guess. However, I found the potatoes too sparse, as well as the duck's own jus, with the cream overpowering the rest of the flavors. They also seem to decorate most of their dishes with the same technique to the foam, which may be novel in some but not all the dishes.

French Duck Confit (850 PhP)

Even with that critique, I loved my food, and it won't stop me from going back here again when they have a menu overhaul. The service was top-notch, and I was even embarrassed that Chef Schallenberg asked on how our food was during two "extenuating" circumstances --- one, I was mid-conversation with a client on the phone, and the next I was chewing on a mouthful of duck! I had to garble out a "delicious" and really, it wasn't just lip service.

complimentary pralines

click to magnify MENU. Degustacion to the right.

UPDATES

noreply@blogger.com (Today, Manila. Tomorrow, the world!) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Chelsea 3.75 Cuillere 3.5

I already wrote on Chelsea and Cuillere...but I've eaten there several times again, that I just couldn't resist whipping out my camera and taking pictures of the other dishes that I've ordered. I won't describe the restos any further (just check the links provided above), but I will give some comments on the dishes. So far, Cuilliere will have to remain at 3.5 stars, while Chelsea will go up from 3 stars to 3.75 stars. The latter restaurant has gotten accustomed to its dishes, and is able to execute them well consistently. They have also expanded their menu to include separate sections for pizzas, pastas, cheeses, sandwiches and meats (ribs, chops & steaks). On the other hand, Cuillere has stayed the same. At least it hasn't gotten worse, either.

On CHELSEA:

The Chelsea 100% Pure Angus Beef Burger
P350.00
Beer battered Onion Rings/ BBQ Sauce/ Ginger-Lemon Mayonaise

It was a really good burger!!! The beer-battered onion rings topped the burger, and they were generous to include another side of thick-cut wedge fries. The meat was rich, and juicy and looked so appetizing with both sauces, jumbo tomato slice and onion rings. Orkun ordered this, and though I always chastised him for ordering dishes that are too "safe" (as a foreigner, he never tried venturing out into the more exotic dishes), these are one of the few "safe" dishes I didn't mind him ordering. I even finished off his fries, dipping it it in the yummy tangy mayo. The prie isn't so bad either for its size.

Pan Roasted Gourmet Sausages: P495.00; Bacon Soaked Sauerkraut/ Mashed Potatoes/ Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

This is Pao's (mika's boyfriend's) favorite dish, and I felt bad he ordered it with all of us there. Being the nice guy that he is, he shared it openly with all of us. Being the "walang-hiya" (shameless) people that we were, we just chomped down the pieces of meat down happily. This is also a great dish! There were 4 different kinds of sausage. I'd love to tell you what they were, but this pic's real old, my apologies. How can you go wrong with sausages and cream? It even had spices such as chopped parsley, different-colored peppercorns and salsa in it. The sausages also came from their very own deli, so you know that the quality is fresh. And the sauerkraut? Yes, fried in bacon drippings. Again, how can you go wrong?

Slow Cooked Norwegian Salmon: P350.00; Salsa Verde/ Classic Mashed Potatoes/ Toasted Pinenuts

Mika ordered this for herself, and this is one of the dishes that has stayed on the menu even with their menu overhaul/expansion. This is what I said about it before:

My other friend, Moe, had the Slow Cooked Norwegian Salmon (350 PhP). It was served on a dark Japanese-inspired plate, with salsa verde, roasted tomato rice cake, toasted pine nuts and blanched asparagus spears. The steamed fish looked kind of bland, and Moe said it was just okay. He agreed with my comment on it looking like it tasted “healthy” (Oh no! Spa food :S) . The salsa verde reminded me of pesto, because that was what was usually paired with pine nuts, though I never got to taste his dish because I was too full. I’ll just assume that he liked this dish enough to not leave a crumb on the plate. But still, Chelsea reminds me of a cooking school where they have all the freshest resources at their disposal, but then the complicated cooking techniques were somehow a bit off, as if we’ve got the end result of the culinary students, and not the chefs.

This time, the salmon tasted better! It still tasted healthy, but looked more appetizing. They kept the salsa verde as a siding, and were more generous with the portions. It's not in the picture, but the vegetables were slowly roasted and taste even great by itself (and reminded me of a ratatouille). The salmon's blandness (because it was steamed) was spiced up with a pesto-based sauce, toasted pinenuts and a circular drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction and olive oil. It tasted good on its own, but when you combine it with the salsa verde, it felt like it was brought to life. And the price hasn't changed after two years!

Jalapeño Cheddar and Emmenthal Cheese Fondue
P395.00
Crispy Tortillas / Bread/ Potatoes/ Market Vegetables

Myta ordered this for the group. She says it's one of her faves, as well. It certainly isn't the famed fondue of Old Swiss Inn spiked with kirsch, but it's actually a pretty good variant of the fondue. It had more items to dip with, with me loving the marbled potatoes and cherry tomatoes. The jalapeno cheddar gave the fondue a little kick, and for 395, it's way cheaper that Old Swiss's 700 a piece Waatlander.

Chelsea Market and Cafe
Serendra Piazza Ground Level McKinley Parkway, Fort Bonifacio
Taguig City, Metro Manila
909-7011
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

On CUILLERE:

Chorizo Arrabiata
P295.00
Angel hair pasta in chorizo arrabiata sauce

Anya made me taste this and its simplicity is what made it delicious. I also love the fresh shaved parmesan on top. I wish though that there were more chorizo than tomato chunks.

Here are the pictures of what my other friends ordered. Sorry I didn't get to check it on the menu, but one is lamb on skewers, while the other one is a stuffed chicken leg. I won't comment on these because I didn't get to taste them.

What I did order, though was the Filet de Bœuf, Sauce Fromage Bleu (Tenderloin Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce, P545 - not in the picture). I ordered this because this is what my cousin got the last time I blogged about it, and I was raving about it. This time I won't rave about it so much anymore. It was good, but not spectacular. The meat was hard to cut through, and the artichoke pieces were missing with the spinach siding. The steak lacked that robust flavor associated with quality cuts of meat, and the blue cheese dressing was actually a way to mask what it lacked. Though I did like the rice pilaf that I chose as a side (it's either that or mashed potatoes).

Cuillere
Serendra Bonifacio High Street
The Fort Taguig City, Metro Manila
(02) 856-3325