Swiss Raclette Archives - Between Bites - Bites of Food, Travel and Lifestyle

June 13, 2011 by Janey

Astralis was supposedly inspired by an expensive wine of the same name. Astralis in Latin means stars or anything relating to stars, which translates to high standards of service –aptly named as such since Astralis is under the same management as Diamond Hotel.

Prawn Napolitana 🙂

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The first time I was in Astralis in 2008, I thoroughly enjoyed their wine and raclette night. They have changed most in their line-up and introduced a recently launched menu. I was with Spanky, Richard, Glenn, Yedy, Jonel, Melanie and Lian last week to uncover the new digs at Astralis in Powerplant Mall.

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Wine and Raclette Night at Astralis

On the Table

Pan fried Chicken Quesadillas PHP 415

Grilled chicken breast, mozzarella cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream

We had two plates of this and it was a goner in a matter of minutes. The Quesadilla was gorgeously toasted that it gave a crunchy exterior. The filling of grilled chicken breast, mozzarella cheese and diced tomatoes never fail to satisfy, especially when scraped with pico de gallo and sour cream.

Lobster Bisque PHP 275

Generous slivers of succulent lobster with lemon foam

This was my order but had Richard take a spoonful while I took a spoonful of his order of double-baked wild mushroom which I liked more, it turned out. Richard also preferred the taste of the lobster bisque which was on the salty side for me. The pureed lobster is good but I really prefer the saltiness toned down a bit.

Double-baked Wild Mushroom PHP 255

Served crowned with phyllo crusts and Gruyere cheese

If you’re thinking of soup, I suggest you go right ahead and order the double-baked wild mushroom soup. It’s fool-proof for me. I love the semi-thick creaminess of the soup and the evident woodsy taste of the wild mushrooms that complements the nuttiness of the gruyere cheese.

GM’s Salad PHP 285

Sautéed fresh mushrooms, Mesclun greens, cucumbers, fresh basil, and sweet coconut-lime dressing

The GM’s Salad is named after the General Manager of Diamond Hotel who likes this salad a lot. It arrived sexily inside a parmesan crisp bowl with sweetened balsamic dressing on the plate. The broken leaves of Mesclun provided a soft-crisp texture and a distinct leafy taste to the cluster of cucumber and mushrooms.

Caesar’s Salad PHP 255

Fresh hearts of Romaine, shaved Parmesan, bacon and croutons

The Caesar Salad was much tastier than its presentation.

Seafood Risotto PHP 495

Shrimps, Mussels, Blue Marlin and Calamari in Spanish Saffron

Creamy seafood risotto was cooked right, had the right bite and yet softness flavored by Spanish saffron and probably seafood broth.

US Choice Porterhouse Steak PHP 1,195

14 oz. With grilled asparagus PHP 75

This was my choice of entrée. Yes, I’m a man-eater… I mean, meat-eater. A BIG meat-eater at that! My preferred doneness was medium and the kitchen got it perfectly with the most geometrically paralleled grill marks! BRAVO! The meat was soft, juicy and flavorful – the three words IMPORTANT to me for any steak description.

I love my grilled steaks with grilled asparagus on the side. I was a happy camper.

The porterhouse was huge, while the earlier dishes were filling, so I was able to finish the tenderloin part of the cut and 1/3 of the strip / rib steak.

The rest was polished off by Richard, who is a great dining partner, especially that night. We were 2 seats apart across the table and still can communicate when it comes to sharing delicious food. Foodies unite!

Roasted Norwegian Salmon PHP 435

Crusted with fresh dill sauce and rice mélange

Glen ordered the salmon, which I was eyeing too while perusing the menu but told myself, I got to be true and order what my heart beats for. Har-har.

Prawn Napolitana PHP 615

Spicy, crushed tomatoes, and grilled buffalo mozzarella

This was Jonel’s order and it looked yummier in real life more than this photo. I’m probably ordering this next time I’m at Astralis.

US Choice Rib-eye

Spanky’s order I think

Lamb Shank Kaldereta PHP 545

Braised in tomato and liver sauce with carrots and sweet red capsicum

Lamb Shank Baby!

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Very interesting. I also saw lamb shank kaldereta in another restaurant a few days before this Astralis dinner. Chefs seem to like making our Pinoy Kaldereta stew with lamb shank.

Australian Baby Lamb Chops PHP 1,145

This was Ricardo’s order. He gave me 1 or 2 chops which I finished in a sec. The lamb chops had intense flavor without the gamey taste. I’m sure Bubba would have enjoyed this too.

Trio Sorbet PHP 195

Mango, coconut and strawberry sorbet

I was so full towards the end of the dinner that I almost couldn’t move. When Melanie and Ricardo asked if I wanted to have dessert, I almost declined. YES, ALMOST! At this point, Spanky Spanx already skipped the scene for a drinking sesh so I was spared any additional teasing.

Richard and I decided to share the Trio Sorbet. I prefer sherbets over the more refined sorbet and only liked the mango sorbet in this trio roster.

Overall, Astralis still provides consistently quality service that is inclined to your needs and dishes that echo equally high quality ingredients and cookery. Whenever at Powerplant Mall and you want a quiet dinner that doesn’t fall short of satisfaction, Astralis should be your stop.

Astralis by Diamond Hotel

R1/Lvl. Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Dr. cor. Estrella St.

Makati City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(632) 890 7124

Astralis Album

Wine and Raclette Buffet at Astralis

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Wine and Raclette Buffet @ Astralis

October 27, 2008 by Janey

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.