Bubba made a dinner reservation somewhere new since he knew I would want to try something atypical.  Celebrating our anniversary last night, the adventurous spirit in us landed us both by the doorstep of Chef’s Table.  Chef’s Table is a newly opened tableside-cooking restaurant secreted some place near Kalayaan Avenue- Fort Bonifacio.  Chef Bruce Lim and wife Michelle amid a small staff operate the latest freestyle dining restaurant.  For those who are not couch potatoes, Chef Bruce is the celebrity chef in the Tablescape show originally produced by Studio 23 Mise en Plus Productions, which Angel Aquino co-hosts.  He is also the familiar face behind Chef’s Table.

Chef’s Table has two dining areas.  Their indoor dining capacity, which is located inside the studio is 15 pax.  This is absolutely a non-smoking area while the counterpart is an outdoor rooftop/garden setting that can sit 20 pax.  Clients have a choice between a set menu or free-style cooking, the former needs 24-hour advance notice while the latter requires 1-week. 

Work and heavy traffic tied with almost getting lost marked our arrival at almost 9pm.  Another couple follows shortly after our entrance.  Chef Bruce welcomes us with a bright smile.  We’ve had the experience of private dining but this was different.  I felt so giddy being able to watch closely while a Chef explains and cooks the entire meal for us.  The feeling was similar to being a special guest in one of my favorite cooking shows (Iron Chef!!!) –playing the role of an audience/taster.

Chef Bruce starts preparing the ingredients, which begins our journey through his kitchen studio and the wonderful food plates to be created in this intimate setting.  He shares with us some cooking tips and food trivia, as well as his memorable events with Gordon Ramsay and MGM Grand.

The Kitchen studio is how I wish my own kitchen to look like.  It was so easy to move around but everything is still within reach or a few steps away.  Dark wood treatments give the vibe of country cooking and native feel.  Fresh flowers on the tables, comfortable chic chairs and interesting pieces decorate the dining area.  This kitchen certainly has its own personality.

Owners Chef Bruce and wife Michelle proudly circulates the elegant dining room either chatting with the clients or enlightening us with their food knowledge and tricks.  Chef Bruce’s knack of eloquence present culinary topics with flair.  His love for food is very apparent.

Michelle shares that this is only their second night of operation.  Us being the 2^nd batch of clientele, with Chris being the 3^rd customer in tow.

On the Table

Bubba’s 4-course Dinner (PHP 1,500)

Classic Caesar

Romaine lettuce tossed in delicate Caesar dressing served with 3 garlic bread-cuts and anchovy fillets.  I tasted a hint of truffle oil but I could be wrong.  The saltiness of the anchovy didn’t overpower the salad while the Edam cheese shavings made the salad sharper.

PCB Skewers

Pork, Chicken and Beef skewers marinated in ginger soy and grilled to perfection.  Served with warm cilantro vinaigrette.  The ginger soy is light and the meat was cooked just right. 

Potato Crusted Salmon

A hefty fillet of Salmon layered with chips of potatoes and pan seared to medium, topped with herb compound butter.  It arrived resting lazily on a bed of wilted kangkong.  Bubba liked the salmon, which was very moist –still had all the natural juice inside.  However, midway to the salmon, Bubba became a bit bored with the dish as the taste became weaker and weaker.  Both the salmon and kangkong are not big on flavors on its own.  Coupled together in one plate, the common denominator gets emphasized eventually.  The speckle of black salt was interesting but not enough to last until the end of the movie.  Maybe midway a touch of zest or pepper could have helped.

Crème Brule

Decadent cream custard crusted with sugar topping.  Crème Brule is usually out of my dessert list due to the fact that most served in Manila restaurants taste either egg-y or overly creamy.  Chef Bruce’s version has a sophisticated taste.  The cream custard was so smooth that it feels luscious on your tongue with the right note of sweetness.

My 4-course Dinner (PHP 1,500)

Citrus Salad

Mixed Greens tossed in Asian vinaigrette and topped with peanuts, oranges, pomelo and crispy fried noodles.  The way he assembled the salad was with a leveling of taste.  The citrus fruits made the salad refreshing and cleansed the palate for the next course. 

Crab and Shrimp Cakes

Monterey-style crab and shrimp cakes accompanied by tamarind aioli sauce.  This appetizer is tenderly delicious.  The plating of this dish is much appreciated more than the others with 2 blocks of the crab/shrimp cake balancing on top of a Crab shell… very visually appetizing or threatening. 

The medium-sized chunky cakes have a true crab flavor on one side and then chop-up shrimp as you finish off the cake.  The crab shrimp cakes are moist yet it retains some flaky-ness that makes the crumbling flesh enjoyable.  The tamarind aioli sauce fully complements the cakes.

While the appetizer is catching our attention, Chef Bruce moves on to the next course –entrée.  Every time Chef Bruce puts butter on the pan, I look away.  *Grins*  This helps in preventing the mental calorie counter to tick.

Sirloin of Beef

Garlic and herb marinated sirloin pan seared to the client’s preference.  Served with buttered wing bean vegetable (sigarilyas in the famous Bahay Kubo song) and roasted garlic mashed potatoes.  The mashed potato stands like a huge dome in the middle of the plate while medium-well sirloin beef straddles the side and the green wing bean adds color and aspect to the plating.  The wing bean surprisingly added more to the dish than its appearance.  The crunch of the vegetable added a great texture to the entrée.  While the beef is tender and soft and the mashed potato mushy, Sigarilyas added the balancing irony rotating the bite component.

The sirloin beef was perfectly done to my likeness –medium on the inside and scorched on the outside, giving a hairline-thin peppery crust.  I noticed that the beef had a touch of the same light soy dressing used in the PCB Skewers giving it an Asian flavor.  The sauce doesn’t overwhelm the taste of the meat, which is how Bubba and I like our meats.

The smashed potato was appropriately placed in the middle because in a fork-beat, it stole the limelight from the beef.  It turned out to be the star of the show!  The potato mash wasn’t too squashy with semi-chunks giving a slight bite and depth to it.  The roasted garlic managed to provide several layers of flavor.  What a great combination of flavors this dish has! 

Mango Studel

Our concentration totally panned to the Sirloin Beef entrée that we missed how Chef Bruce prepared the Mango Strudel.  I know I was looking at him, nodding a little to acknowledge that I hear what he’s saying but my mind stuck the to the plate I was devouring.  I didn’t even know what we were having until I see the dessert plate in front of us.  Fresh mangoes rolled in cinnamon sugar and rolled in phyllo dough.  Oven roasted to golden brown and topped with a mango crème anglaise.  It was love at first bite and probably the forever kind.  This dessert is the perfect end to cap off a winning performance.  All my taste buds are in standing ovation.

Overall, no taste was compromised.  Celebrating our anniversary at Chef’s Table was an excellent idea –totally elevated our dining experience.  The idea of having a personal chef feels so luxurious, then an engaging personal chef at that.  If you want something close to that grand feeling and an unconvential dinner, then Chef’s Table is the destination. 

We took a quick look at the outdoor dining area.  The garden setting has the same elegance as the indoor area.  It actually breathes more romanticism in the air with the lush garden and fishpond.  I really enjoyed watching Chef Bruce whip up the delights right before our very eyes but the outdoor setting is definitely something to try on the next visit.

For your special occasion or any night of the week, dining at Chef’s Table is a special treat.  Service by the lonesome wait staff was professional and friendly.  Order their set menu if option is to be safe or go bold and daring with the freestyle cooking.  The Set Menu priced at PHP 1,500 per head includes a choice of soup or salad, 1 appetizer, 1 Entree, 1 dessert, and Non Alcoholic Drinks included (Coca Cola Products, Coffee, Iced Tea).  I suggest bringing a bottle of wine for enhanced appreciation.  No corkage as of date.  Freestyle cooking will depend on the parameters that the client gives to Chef Bruce.  For more info on this, visit OAP’s entry on Chef’s Table.  Chef Bruce will prepare something special for you within a given budget. Note that these reservations should be made at least 1 week in advance to give time for the Chef to conceptualize the menu.

“Tableside cooking” is alive and delicious at the Chef’s Table.  The venue is a lively atmosphere with big portions of creative specialty dishes that can surely pique a gourmand’s radar.  Our recent restaurant visits haven’t been quite the inspiration (thus pardoné the lazy blogging) but the Chef’s Table experience makes me sing a different tune today.  Prime up your evening happenings and go through an array of flavors literally prepared right under your noses at Chef’s Table. 

Chef’s Table

1238 Emilio Jacinto St. cor Kalayaan Ave

Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City.

(+63) 918 8871277

Dinner by reservation only (except Wednesdays and Sundays)

Chef’s Table Album

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