I’ve received a lot of emails and responses regarding the Between Bites Top 10 Best Date Places (2010) entry and have had many requests on an updated edition for quite some time. It took a while but it’s never too late to make every Saturday or whatever appointed date a LOVE day.
Between Bites Top 10 Best Date Places, 2nd Edition
1. Savoy Bistro
Savoy Bistro sits in the middle of East Asian Art Gallery along Kalayaan Avenue. East Asia Art Gallery features carefully selected pieces of art by various artists from the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Cambodia and Indonesia. Other than ogling at each other for dinner, stimulate the eyes and mind first with artwork and one-of-a-kind furniture pieces before getting enthralled with Savoy’s savory dishes.
On the Table
Mussels and Co PHP 270
Since we were almost full from the amuse bouche from the Chef, we decided to get something light for a starter. There is a choice between White Wine and Cream or Tomato Basil for a bowl of freshly cooked mussels.
Tournedos Rossini PHP 980
King of Steaks served with Pan Fried Foie Gras and Truffle Sauce
I still can’t get over the Mussels and Co appetizer when the Tournedos Rossini arrived on the table. The interest did shift right after a bite or two of the medium cooked steak that had a bright pink color in the inside and perfect sear outside. Foie gras –always the perfect comrade for this meaty mouthful and all brought together in an exquisite truffle sauce. Bubba did look for more of that enticing fragrant truffle aroma but I agree that we only caught quiet hints of it.
READ MORE:
Savoy Bistro
at East Asian Art Gallery
8479 Kalayaan Ave., Makati City
(632) 896 5667
2. Wine Bar 1771
Teeming with character, great food and top-notch service, Wine Bar 1771 is interestingly a great place for a date.
On the Table
Oyster Rockefeller PHP 550
8 Baked Aklan oysters topped with creamy spinach, bacon and cheese
Tagged as an aphrodisiac, there’s just something sexy about oysters. It’s smooth texture sliding down without much resistance. Whether served fresh with lemon on the side or as we had it that evening, baked Rockefeller style, oysters are great in starting the mood right.
Grilled Angus Ribeye PHP 1300
For the serious meat lover, 300g pure Certified Angus Beef with a choice of sauce and a side of salad greens, with side dish of sweet potato pumpkin mash
If you’re a gentleman but a little insecure about being macho, pretend to be confident or the grilled Angus ribeye can easily steal the scene from you. If there are other men in the room, they weren’t the real macho on the table –the succulent ribeye was. Take it medium with its inherent juices still very much intact making it maddeningly and utterly flavorful with its natural beefy goodness and laced with its luxuriant fatness. I had several bites of the tender meat that glides easily against the knife.
Quite intriguing here is the ambience, it has that eclectic gentlemen’s cigar club / library feel with corners you’ll appreciate for privacy. The next best thing is its desserts, especially if your date has a sweet tooth. This must not be missed. That and wine… white or rose, to get the mood going.
READ MORE:
Wine Bar 1771
2nd Floor of Café 1771, El Pueblo Real de Manila,
Cor. of J. Vargas and ADB Avenues, Ortigas
Mon – Thurs 6pm to 11pm, Fri – Sat 6pm to 1am
631.7340 / 631.7339
3. The Goose Station
To be filled in once I get the post up. I’ve eaten there but the entry is burning a hole in my drafts.
4. Yurakuen
If you and your beau enjoy Zensho, Sambo Kojin, Yakimix on any regular day, but you’d want to take her to something more special, yet sort of buffet style without the hassle of standing up each time you want more grub, my best bet is Yurakuen. I LOVE Yurakuen and wanted to bring Bubba here for a date but ended up bringing my soul sista since he couldn’t make it.
Yurakuen is the best of the best of Japanese grilled meats. It’s a Teppanyaki paradise, enough said. You’ll enjoy the excellent service, personal grill chef, mounds of other non-grill appetizers from sushi, sashimi, soups and other dishes that of best quality. Like Urameshiya in Little Tokyo is interactive because there’s an activity happening in front of you, Yurakuen is my new version of that. It’s fun, bountiful, definitely not boring and DELICIOUS.
A hallway surrounded with flowing water and colored glass marbles and across a small bridge lead to Yurakuen’s main dining hall that has a three-story cherry blossom tree standing as the room’s centerpiece. The cherry blossom tree leaves are made of lighted glass that can change color or let it remain as glassy white as snow –it’s quite stunning.
Photo Credit: Richard, www.talesfromthetummy.com
READ MORE:
Yurakuen, a Teppanyaki Paradise
Yurakuen at Manila Diamond Hotel
Roxas Boulevard. cor Dr. J Quintos St.
Manila, Philippines
528.3000 / 305.3000
11:00am to 10:00pm
#4 is actually a toss-up between two Japanese restaurants,
Yurakuen and Mangetsu tied at the same number.
4. Mangetsu
To be filled in once I get the post up. I’ve eaten there but the entry is burning a hole in my drafts.
5. La Cocina de Tita Moning
It was an easy drive that Saturday going to La Cocina de Tita Moning, which is located inside the Malacañang compound. We drove through a gated ancestral house and were welcomed in the garden patio with a plate of quezo de bola cheese bread and lemongrass tea. This is also an interesting out of warp dinner date, making you and your date feel like your dining during the 1930s from the plates to the actual house, authentic. You even get a free tour of the whole grand house prior to dinner.
On the Table
La Cocina Gazpacho with a Fresh Crab Salad
The first touch of the cold soup in the mouth awakens your mouth’s temperature, since we are used to warm soup rather than cold. But the chilled tomato-based vegetable soup in a bright stark color had everything going for it in presentation, taste and even temp.
Photo Credit: Richard, www.talesfromthetummy.com
Find in the middle a fresh crab salad that adds profoundness to the whole dish. The tasty and lump crab meat was soft and well-cooked without losing the crab flavor. Croutons and pesto bread on the side present a good texture contrast that blends well with the soup’s thick yet creamy consistency. It’s been quite long since I tasted a soup/opener as wonderfully enjoyable as this. Most memorable cold soup… and it had so many components and layers of flavor, it’s the best soup ever.
Gambas al Ajillo with Grilled Eggplant Salad and Wild Rice Truffle Risotto
This was Bubba’s 1st course, which I took a bite from. The intricate red-white plate design cannot take the attention from this dish either. Various textures and flavors play against and for each other on one plate. Garlic flavor from the gambas is tamed by the smokiness of the grilled eggplant and the wild rice truffle risotto makes peace between the two.
There were about 8 more dishes that evening from their Set Menu we picked that evening.
READ MORE:
La Cocina de Tita Moning, Dining in the 1930s
La Cocina de Tita Moning
#315 San Rafael St. (inside Malacañang compound),
San Miguel District, Manila
(632) 734 2146/ (632) 734 2141
6. Sauceria
The main dining area has “art deco” interiors, retro-techno counter and function rooms.Sauceria’s concept believes in artisan cooking –cooking with the craft in mind. This is the type of cooking that utilizes freshly picked ingredients and making all the rest from scratch. They have upped the ante in artisan cooking by maximizing a comprehensive understanding of food at a molecular level, and modern improvements in kitchen equipment. It has a more casual vibe than other date places but if I were you, I won’t completely rule them out yet.
Photo Credit: Sauceria Facebook
Tuna Tataki PHP 320
Sauceria’s Tuna Tataki was accompanied by mixed baby greens on the side with cherry tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts –the natural acidity and sweetness from the fresh ingredients was sharpened by the grated Parmesan cheese and light soy-lime vinaigrette.
Flawlessly seared tuna had an even coating of ginger, Japanese chili powder, sesame seeds and black pepper on the side. There were different flavors and textures that cracked at a playful palate. Not entirely needed but I sometimes dipped the tuna in the wasabi-mayo mixture it came with and sprit of lemon. I almost finished the entire plate that springs of beautiful colors as well –what a sexy meal this was.
READ MORE:
Sauceria, Artisan Dishes and Sauces
Sauceria Restaurant
25 Bonny Serrano (formerly Santolan) Road
Cor. Sunrise Drive, Quezon City
584.3967
Operation: Lunch, Dinner and After Hours
#6 is actually a toss-up between Sauceria and Bistecca tied at the same number.
6. Bistecca
Bubba and I settled comfortably in the modern interiors of Bistecca. Patrons can opt to have your dinner at the lower dining area or at the second level. Either way the minimalist design of Bistecca, high ceilings and low lighting keep the vibe casual yet romantic and aristocratic.
On the Table
Parma Ham, Asparagus and Poached Egg PHP 350
This second dish with Parma ham, asparagus and poached egg picked up the mood. I love the long and ample slivers of Parma ham that almost disappears in your mouth in an instant. The asparagus gives a wonderful crunch contrast to the thinness of the ham and the supple tenderness of the poached egg. The poached egg was already running when it arrived on our table, breaking already the suspense that we should be experiencing ourselves as our fork and knife cut into the white flesh.
I pierced through the imperfect white dome with my knife and fractured it open, still waiting hopefully that I’d see sunshine gush out. Let’s just say, it was more like sunshine creeping into closed window blinds.
Nevertheless, this dish was clearly wiped out. I’d cut a stem piece of the asparagus, a fragment of the egg and a smaller slice of Parma ham and fork it all together into one scrumptious bite. Light, tasty and delicious.
Truffle French Fries PHP 220
Medium-sized potato fries deep fried to perfection, with its fragrant appetizing smell, provokes one bite after the other.
Cheese Spatzel PHP 220
This European homemade mac and cheese served on a tiny black iron pot. Bubba and I still chose to order this again since we enjoyed the cheesy and soft creamy texture of the Tootsie-roll-looking pasta.
Pan Seared Foie Gras with apples, pear and raspberry PHP 450
The rich, livery, fatty taste is complemented by the natural sweetness of the raspberry sauce while the apples and pears provided a good crunch. Imagine duck butter that makes everything a little extra richer and more luscious.
Strawberry Sabayon PHP 450
Despite the hefty price, this was a revelation. Medium-sized strawberries caramelized to bring out its natural sugar that crystallized and gave a special sweetness.
The strawberries were skinny dipping on this light custard like sauce that was creamy and it balanced off well against the relaxed tanginess of the strawberries.
If you ate elsewhere, please do drop by Bistecca afterwards for that Strawberry Sabayon. If your date loves the taste of fresh strawberries that’s naturally sugary and fleshy, she’d go gaga over this.
READ MORE:
Bistecca in Joya Rockwell, Steak Whim and More
Bistecca and My Gluttonous Heart
Bistecca
122 Joya Tower,
Rockwell, Makati
(632) 403 5231
7. Maimee’s Garden
Not all date places have to be during a dinner setting. If you want a Sunday lunch date, it’s also good to see the true beauty of your date under broad daylight, instead of dimly-lit places. It’s refreshing and there’s a bounce of energy usually during the day that the night only see a partial of. Maimee’s Garden Café is a garden-setting restaurant situated in a converted portion of a 50-year old house of Maimee. The home garden café to a degree reminds me of Lemuria –you know, partially hidden, somewhat secret, but open and eager to welcome guests.
Lemuria serves fairly sophisticated dishes while at Maimee’s, home cooked meals that bring comfort can be found.
On the Table
Cream of Three Mushroom Soup PHP 100
Creamy bisque made with 3 kinds of mushroom, served with garlic bread
Lately, I’ve been craving incessantly for orgasm-inducing mushroom soup. It’s a season for mushroom appreciation for me. I even tried cooking mushroom soup from scratch last June.
Oriental Citrus Salad PHP 275
Fresh mixed greens with grilled chicken and mango strips, cranberries, mandarin orange and chopped pili nuts, in a special citrus, sesame seed oil dressing
Beautiful bright color specks of mango, cranberries and mandarin orange and white chicken meat spread out in the field of crispy fresh greens. The citrusy sesame seed oil dressing has a tendency to be on the sweet side instead of counterbalancing against the acidity. As long as my salad isn’t swimming in the dressing, I’m good.
READ MORE:
Maimee’s Garden Café
20 E. Jacinto St., Little Baguio,
San Juan City, Metro Manila
(632) 724 1538 / (63) 917 500 6208
https://www.facebook.com/maimeesgardencafe
8. Society Lounge
Whenever I pass by Makati Avenue, I see Society Lounge, where Schwarzwälder restaurant used to stand. The food menu is inspired by French Fashion Food wrapped and presented in a touch of modernity combined with fine products to convey the theory of “Feed your soul with taste of food.” This is Chef Patrice Freulson’s concept.
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What is daintier for a date than trying out 12 small plates of dishes? Society Lounge offers a 12-course degustacion and every small course is a conversation piece.
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READ MORE:
12 Course Degustacion at Society Lounge
Society Lounge
G/F Atrium Building, Makati Avenue
Cor. Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
(632) 408 1852
#8 is actually a toss-up between Society Lounge and Old Swiss Inn tied at the same number.
8. Old Swiss Inn
Specialties include their in-house cured corned beef and several fondue selections. Not only is the restaurant a traditional Swiss house, it also offers many other varied cuisines.
2008
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2011 – I was much thinner in 2008. I need to exercise.
Fondue Bourguignonne PHP 1040
You can always get their cheese or chocolate fondue, but the last two visits, it was the beef fondue that we uttered to the wait staff clad in a Swiss outfit. It is prime beef tenderloin cubes dipped in hot oil with a carousel of sauces (love the peppercorn sauce!), served with slim French Fries.
READ MORE:
Old Swiss Inn, Old Sweet Memory
Old Swiss Inn
G/F Olympia Towers, Makati Avenue
cor. Sto. Tomas, Makati City
818.0098
9. Tsukiji
For top authentic Japanese dining experience, weekly produce flown straight from Tokyo, your direction should be headed to Tsukiji. Behind the restaurant is the same brilliance behind Milky Way and El Cirkulo, owner Chef J. Gamboa.
Tsukiji Restaurant serves premium Japanese cuisine prepared by Chef Nobu Onishi and his team since 1989. The Osaka-born chef moved to Tokyo to pursue his dream of becoming a Master Sushi Chef and experience was what he gathered for over 30 years working at prestigious Sushi Restaurants in the Ginza Tokyo Area.
Photo Credit: Oliver Strewe
Wagyu Ohmi Sirloin (180g) PHP 4,200
Tsukiji restaurant serves the exclusive wagyu ohmi beef, which is known for its melt in the mouth quality. Let me repeat that, melt in the mouth quality. If you have heard me say that in this site before to define uber tender beef, forgive me… I didn’t quite get what that phrase meant until Tsukiji’s Wagyu Ohmi Beef. I tell you, I understood “MELT IN THE MOUTH QUALITY” in its fullest after a taste of Tsukiji’s wagyu.
The meat had that very lightly sweet taste in its natural juice. I don’t mind the very unglamorous experience of holding heavy sauced barbecued ribs with red orange basting dripping down my hands but this, Wagyu Ohmi Beef… must be respected in every bite. The almost milky meat with hushed fatty counterpoints dissolves but the encounter, of taste and presence, resonates.
READ MORE:
Tsukiji Restaurant
3/F, 900 Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road),
Cor. Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
843.4285 / 812.2913
Operation Hours: Mondays to Sundays, 11am to 2:30pm and 5pm to 10pm
#9 is actually another toss-up between two “Tsu”, Tsukiji and Tsumura tied at the same number.
9. Tsumura
Sashimi Moriawase PHP 890
The assorted Sashimi Moriawase set comes with a selection of fresh and imported fresh sashimi and a sampling of uni. The mixed set has a variety of raw fish that I’m not that familiar with, as well as beautifully cut squid, salmon, tuna, and mackerel. Unfortunately, other than the usual sashimi suspects of salmon, tuna and sometimes mackerel
Wagyu Beef Usuyaki PHP 600
Supple mushrooms wrapped in thinly sliced Wagyu beef –very tender, flavorful that it’s mighty impressive. The mushrooms were very light, in mellow contrast of the excellent beef. It is simply an indulgence in fine food. The taste is divine.
READ MORE:
The Way a Sushi Should Be at Tsumura
Tsumura
2nd Level 88 Corporate Plaza
Sedeno corner Valero Streets,
Salcedo Village, Makati City
(632) 887 4848/ (632) 4850
10. Visayan Room
To be filled in once I get the post up. I’ve eaten there but the entry is burning a hole in my drafts.
Obviously, this entry is still a bit under construction and will be updated once the three restaurants are published. Hang on tight! Love is love.
Between Bites Top 10 Must Bites 2011
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