Swiss Dinner @ Vieux Chalet

A lonely artistic candleholder by the window greeted us as we enter the resto-house named Vieux Chalet. One area had an unfinished window. We’re dining tonight in a rustic atmosphere atop of Metro Manila, a place where a pool of lights is swimming in front of your eyes. Antipolo.

It was an evening of charming celebration since it was the 18^th, a significant number to Bubba and I. Bubba was the one who set this dinner date. I’ve always wanted to try this restaurant since I read I good review about it. We ordered 5 items on the menu. We didn’t travel all the way to Antipolo to only try a couple. On the table were:

Swiss Dinner Vieux Chalet Album

Raclette 185

Rico, who was our table attendant that night, discouraged us in ordering the Raclette since the smell might turn us off. Little did he know, we are fans of any cheese –even the stinky stinky I’m going to barf with that smell -kind. On the white plate was melted Swiss cheese garnished with 2 olives, half-boiled potato, and a few pickles. The potato was sweet. The cheese was seasoned with paprika. We loved the sharp flavor of the cheese, which was enhanced by the odor. Smell really affects flavor. The pickle was juicy and sour as expected and a good contrast to the salt of the cheese. The olive, not falling behind, served its purpose in harmonizing the two flavors.

Rosti

 

Simply put, Rosti is potato hash that’s fried. It had the right taste of saltiness. You get a bit of a crunch when you bite it then softness as your teeth sink in the soft texture of potatoes.

Lamb Shoulder 725

 

 

I hesitated ordering this since I found it expensive compared to the lamb shoulder in Kai (and I’m sure Kai pays more taxes and rental rate than Vieux Chalet) You can have the Lamb shoulder in three different ways: with red wine sauce / café de paris/ curry sauce. As expected, only a few pieces of meat were on the plate along side 2 slices of tomato. The first bite tasted fishy. The meat was pretty inconsistent. Some chunks were too tender, like it was overcooked/over-boiled, while others where tough to chew. Overall, the dish was way SALTY! – I can’t taste the red wine in the sauce at all– and the saltiness overpowers the entire meal.

Pasta Padilla 575

 

The recipe is the same as Pasta Alfredo but key difference is the mushroom in Padilla. Nothing extraordinary except that the serving is good for the buck you’re paying for. Mushroom flavor is strong which carried the overall taste of the pasta. Before they bring out the last part of the whole meal, which is the sweet portion. Let me tell you about the service at Vieux Chalet. Rico has to be the most accommodating and polite wait staff I’ve ever met – he doesn’t tire saying welcome every time I say thank you. He knows the dishes by heart and can very well explain what they are. While waiting, we were asked to sign the guestbook and Bubba read some pages and the common denominator of the comments are their acknowledgment of Rico’s high quality of service.

Chocolate Parfait 

The winner of the night hands down!!! It was a rich chocolate dessert that had a mousse consistency – Belgian chocolate yum! Parfait au chocolait! It was served in an Ice Cream glass with apple slices as garnish. I didn’t see any use for it but the plate was dusted with Cinnamon and chocolate powder for added design.

 

Reviews are really relative… first and foremost to the taste and personality of the person writing it. It is also relative to timing and service.

 

Gawd, have to end this abruptly. Cheers to more fun eating!