Cav Wine Shop and Cafe Archives - Between Bites - Bites of Food, Travel and Lifestyle

December 10, 2008 by Janey

After gushing with much gusto about my Cav experience in May, a lackluster dinner last month proved that first impression does not last. I made dinner reservations for two at Cav sometime end of October but because of the Conquer Zambales race, had to move it to another week. Following the great dinner I had in Cav the first time around, I wanted Chris to experience it for himself –so I planned a simple “dinner date” for him.

November 7, Friday, traffic going to Makati/Fort was startlingly light that day. We breezed through EDSA with no hitches and had enough time for our 8pm reservation.

Terrible service really cramps the mood and this actually set the theme for the whole evening. The wait staff taking our orders had his head towards the other direction while we were ordering. His uninterested attitude didn’t bother me at that point.

When Chris’ main course was being served, the attendant wasn’t cautious about the knife he was holding and almost carved through Chris’ nose while he placed the plate on the table. This is when my radar got alerted. We still didn’t say anything trying to ignore the service mishaps in order to save our supposedly amorous dinner date. Freshly ground pepper took another summon before request was heeded.

We ordered wine after the first course and told the waiter but he left immediately after hearing me say wine without even asking how many glasses we were getting. Wine was served only during the main course when I requested for it as early as for the 2^nd course. Water was late, on our main course when it finally arrived. You beckon to waiters and they try to avoid your direction –pretending they didn’t see. This evening was what I call a total wreck.

Chris’ Set

First Course

Classic Beef Steak Tartar with Sweet Potato Crisps, Quail eggs, and organic greens

Second Course

Homemade Lemon and Parmesan Tortellini with Prosciutto di Parma

Main Course

Slow cooked Moroccan spiced Lamb Shank with Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Between Bites’ Set

First Course

Heart of Organic Baby Romaine with Jamon Crisps, Caper Berries, and Truffle Aioli

Second Course

Three Mushroom Soup with Champagne Foam

Main Course

US Striploin “double cut” with Potato Gnocchi and Porcini Truffle Essence (Add PHP 550)

The total cost of the entire dinner for two was close to PHP 4,000. With that amount of money, I didn’t expect a lesser service than fastfood chains –where I’ve had better service actually, wait staff are more careful, respectful and client-friendly. For the money that was burned, I could’ve opted to go to many other places than be disappointed minute after minute at Cav.

For months, when friends asked me restaurant recommendations, Cav was always in the list. Perhaps I should revisit my list again… because I definitely don’t find Cav too sexy anymore.

Cav Album

Cav Excites the Senses

May 21, 2008 by Janey

(Photos courtesy of Bobby De Ocampo)

One of the perks to love about my job is the location of our meetings with the channel affiliates. It is usually in restaurants (mostly in 5-star hotels) over lunch, dinner or teatime. What better way to talk about business but over delectable food.

April 15, 2008, BBC invited JHC and me to a dinner at Cav. This was going to be my second visit to the place. Cav (Cave) is a French colloquial word for cellar and the café restaurant actually has one with an extensive array of wines. As you enter their glass door, the first thing that catches the eye is the high-tech looking chiller that looks like a vending machine. A revolution to the usual classy dressed-to-the-nines wine tasting events, Cav has portrayed wine drinking as less intimidating. It has democratized wine tasting by foregoing the bottles (and the expense of buying it) and making sampling portions available instead.

For the more serious wine enthusiast, they have a cellar that should have a vault for a door since one vintage bottle from Napa Valley costs nearly a quarter of a million. A wine collector must ink a sparkling 250,000 in Philippine Peso on a cheque for a vulnerable bottle! I don’t think you’d see this bottle in the dispenser though, knowing that they throw out leftover wines after 21 days. Many purists would crinkle their nose at this invention, but the machine is technologically advanced to keep the wines from oxidizing.

The unique wine serving system sans a 2-legged server provides different types of cards. A tasting card is your golden ticket to drink the different wine offerings displayed on their “vino vendo”. The temperature sensitive machine dispenses a tasting portion, a half glass or a full glass. They also offer a Loyalty Card perfect for clubs or groups who frequent the resto. In our case, we used a table card where it is provided for each table to be added to the total bill.

The allure that comes with drinking wine is in the ceremony that comes before it. The tempering, opening and pouring –where the excitement builds up in the anticipation of the cork popping open. Even as trivial as the delicate way one holds the wine bottle as if holding a woman. The graceful way of tilting the neck to the glass…

The Noel Bernado styled interior has a European flair that gives a hip and stylish vibe. The dining room is handsome and dimly lit. The welcome is genuine, warm and cordial. They have an ala-carte menu for wine pairings but a 3-course meal sets you back PHP 890 while a 4-course dinner is at PHP 1100 plus service charge and tax. There is an additional PHP 550 if the entrée is paired with steak. Since this was a dinner meeting/relationship building, I wasn’t able to muster the guts to take out my trusty camera to take photos of the food. I was so tempted to order red meat but I resisted since I was supposed to be on a no-reds diet this week.

Three-Course Meal PHP 890

1^st Course: Hearts of Organic Baby Romaine with Jamon Crisps, Caper Berries and Truffle Aioli

The dish, placed on the table by a waitress with a stressed face, looked like a whitish fan with green outline and red dot designs. I thoroughly relished this starter and wished that I didn’t get to the last bite. Oh truffle! The aroma is always inviting and the taste is so eternally seductive. My hands quiver as I slice gently into the leaves of the baby romaine. I softly nudged the bacon bits, capers with my fork closer to the greens and took a bite. How orgasmic!

2^nd Course: Lemony Parmesan Tortellini with Parma Ham

As my taste buds were tickled during the initial foreplay, I was brimming with excitement as the pasta dish was placed in front of me. The tortellini almost melts in your mouth and you are left with the taste that highlights the contrast of citrus and salt from the sharp Parmesan taste. A thin shave of Parma ham that was sitting on top of was briefly slighted. But soon after I gave into sin, it was straddling the side of my tongue.

3^rd Course: Baked Salmon in Coconut Champagne Froth with Minted Peas and Jasmin Rice

Since I was craving for a manly choice for my entrée but opted to go Catholic with a salmon dish, my heart was already in despair as I stare back at the fish meat in front of me. I was surprised though that it was sitting very wet on white liquid which I can only deduce as the champagne froth, which had a tad bitter taste to it. I wanted the flesh dry but moist, not drenched like it was still swimming in water. The 1^st 2 courses opened my senses while the main course tamed down the erecting flames. Just thinking about Cav’s concoctions again actually brought heat to this lackluster Wednesday. I wasn’t disappointed with the entrée since it was still an intercourse of flavors –not the most arousal but one made of affection.

I had to take a moment with my wine and shake off the spell to be able to concentrate on the table conversation. Dessert time. Keith ordered a Valrhona Chocolate Soufflé Cake with Grand Marnier Strawberry Float as his dolci, while Christine got the Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Skewered Fruits, which we all shared. The fruit part was slices of strawberry and melon skewered in lemongrass stalks. Grilled fruits are always a favorite of mine as the grill marks adds an extra texture and releases the natural sugar in the fruits.

The Prie Fixe Menu is worth every buck. I’m a happy camper because I didn’t have to shell out a dime. All the ingredients are of the highest quality and Markus Gfeller skimps on nothing to achieve his goal that wows discerning palates. Dinner at Cav is inventive and oh so irresistible –a festivity of well thought out food where a tremendous job of blending ingredients and flavors is eminent.

Cav Wine Shop and Café is located at the Ground Floor, The Spa Building, Lot 5, Quadrant 8 Fort Bonifacio, Global City, Taguig. For reservation, contact them at 8561798.