Wine and Raclette Buffet @ Astralis

Last Wednesday, October 22, the recently opened Astralis at Powerplant Mall in the chic Rockwell area opened its doors to wine and cheese enthusiasts as they launched their Wine and Raclette Buffet.

I was sharing a table with Noemi of Pinoyfood.com, Eric of Biyahilo.com and Melo of Pinoycravings.com.  The company already spells diamonds to me, which is timely for the event.  From the same name behind Diamond Hotel, Astralis offers wine connoisseurs a venue to satiate their thirst for some tasteful intoxication.  Every Mondays and Thursdays, wine enthusiast can burble free-flowing wine that ranges from light to full-bodied whites and reds for an economical price of only P650++.  They will feature 5 brands of wine that changes every month. 

For people who enjoy wine with cheese or cheese with wine, Astralis also offers a buffet service of Swiss Raclettes for a reasonable price of P950++. 

The media attendees were treated to a number of delicious plates.  For starters, a cauliflower cheese dip was served with thin sesame and poppy seed sheets and focaccia toast.  The cauliflower cheese dip was mild, and was the perfect opener for an evening of Swiss Raclette.

Melo and Eric both tried the whites while I settled for red as usual.  They both agreed to have continuous glasses of Two Oceans –a Chilean South African wine that has a slightly bitter but fruity taste.  On the other goblet, the Chardonnay I had was really delightful to the senses as the intensity of the scarlet drink is being cooled by the salty cheese and cold cuts platter served to us.  The selection included spicy chorizo Salamanca, Manchego with pink peppercorn and baked camembert.  It was so difficult to choose a favorite since I’m a self-confessed cheese addict.  The beefy flavor of Manchego spiced with a little sweetness of the pink peppercorn competed with the interesting flavor of the baked camembert.  I almost ignored the Frito Misto in the middle of the table –well, almost.  The Frito Misto included fried tempura of squid, mussels, fish and zucchini, garnished with lemon wedges. 

I was so excited for the Swiss Raclette festivities to start that I couldn’t stop munching on the American fries dished up with porcini mushroom dip with white truffle oil.  That porcini mushroom dip with truffle was as delicate as the wines.  It was indeed an evening of progressive taste.

Finally, the executive chef showed us how the Swiss Raclette is prepared.  I’ve had Swiss Raclettes before and it was usually served on an iron cast skillet or on a plate.  A half wheel of Swiss raclette cheese stood before and it was like seeing a diamond in basketball size.  I resisted the urge to grab it and just run, sans a screaming alarm of theft.

Alas, the Swiss raclette was finally served and it was the most delectable Swiss raclette I’ve tasted in Manila.  The version ranges from mild to really strong.  I tried all levels, finding an excuse to put more Swiss Raclette on my tongue.  The texture is quite different from those I tasted before.  It has more bite to it and crunchier.  Diamond Hotel President Cecile Ang shares that texture depends greatly on the cheese use and the way it’s prepared.  They use a special type of melter that creates that difference in quality.  I also liked the accompaniments that total the whole dish, cocktail onions, greens, nuts and pickles.

Aside from these, Astralis also offers three different wine flights hailing from some of the best vineyards in the globe. Vignoble des Verdots showcases the versatility and potential of David Fourtout’s winery – a young and upcoming winemaker in Southwest France. In a short span of time, he has produced excellent quality wines earning him the “Best Winemaker of the Year” award during the Bergerac exhibition in 2002.

Monday/Thursday Wine and Raclette will spruce up your weekday dine-outs and nightcaps backed by the five-star service of Diamond Hotel.

Other dishes that are a must try:

Modern Ceasar Salad

Related Post: 

Melo’s PinoyCravings.com

Noemi’s Pinoyfood.com