CHEF'S TABLE

4.25 out of 5

Chef's Table Restaurant feels like his show ---- modern, but traditional; cozy but cutting-edge; Filipino, but world-class. Let me be say that I never discounted other establishments from being world-class. But Philippine cuisine has been so hard to to push as a legitimate form of world cuisine because of its closely-guarded (or closed-off) recipes and food presentation that leaves it unexplained to foreigners. This is why I'm so happy to see the sprouting of restaurants like "Abe," "Lorenzo's Way," "Fely J," "C2," "Mesa" and this one to show that Philippine cooking is a technical art and is comparable with the other leading cuisines.

The place is spacious, sleek and geometric. Yet, there are Philippine touches interwoven within its architecture, such as having native fiber walls. It is best described by the his architect firm, Buensalido Architects:

"The core idea is that of weaving. This act of intertwining was chosen because of its ubiquity in the Filipino culture as can be seen in different aspects of life – banigs, salakot, salakab, barong tagalog, vintas, and even the native bahag, just to name a few. This idea manifested in different levels of the design – in space, in views, in form, and in materials."

The kitchen is not just an open kitchen usually separated by glass. It is completely open with no dividers or walls, with the countertop dividing the cooking area and dining area. It is actually an ideal type of kitchen to showcase the cooking prowess of Chef Lim, who is used to cooking for the public and the media.

Before we ate, we started off with cocktails. Just like the food, these alcoholic mixes also have touches of Philippine inspiration in it. For instance, my drink, Ellen's Kiss (130 PhP) has the typical pineapple, gin and pomegranate juice found in tropical mixed drinks. However, it's laced with lambanog and lemongrass, adding that native twist. Unfortunately, I wasn't too fond of spicy hot and sweet taste simultaneously, and was a tad disappointed when they added chili to the already complicated concoction.

Ellen's Kiss (130 PhP)

Our appetizers followed: Crab Cakes (370 PhP) and Hot Rock Pusit (250 PhP). These dishes were winners and loved by all. An additional pusit was even ordered before continuing with our entrees. Interestingly enough, the crab cakes was served with sampaloc aioli. However, the sauce didn’t taste tart, and felt more like a creamy Japanese sesame dressing. Nevertheless, we sopped up all the bits and crumbs of the crab and cream. It was the perfect crabcake, bursting with juicy crab meat yet crunchy on the outside, the flavor enhanced by what tasted like panko breadcrumbs.

Crab Cakes (370 PhP)

The Hot Rock Pusit (250 PhP) was cooked between hot rocks, really! This beer-battered concoction bore the checkered rock marks that made the texture interesting and, thankfully, cooked to perfection! It was tender, tasty and the least bit gummy.

Hot Rock Pusit (250 PhP)

We might as well bring out all the bad news before raving about the rest of the entrees. The Pinaputok na Isda (460 PhP), Lato (150 PhP) and Banana Heart Carbonara (280 PhP) were the most boring of the lot. The Lapu-lapu still remained unseasoned even if steamed with lemongrass and topped with tomato concasse. The seaweed or “sea grapes” as the menu so loftily put, looked dramatic with colorful hues from the ripe red tomatoes and tiny pink shallots on top. The seaweed itself looked like tiny green gems, and were not ordinarily that small. However, the taste was unlike how it looked --- ordinary. Finally, the Banana Heart pasta was ho-hum. The banana heart was overwhelmed in the creamy pasta.

Pinaputok na Isda (460 PhP)

Lato (150 PhP)

Banana Heart Carbonara (280 PhP)

The dinner was more than redeemed with the rest of the dishes. The Corned Pork (300++ PhP) was a cup-shaped serving of the most tender pork strips on a bed of laing garnished with lechong kawali bits. I loved how spicy, creamy and intensely flavorful the laing was. And pork skin? Who wouldn’t eat that?! It was paired perfectly with tinapa rice.

Corned Pork (300++ PhP)

The Calamansi Tuyo Spaghetti (210 PhP) was bright and light, with citrus notes from the calamansi juice and tangy from the queso de bola. Tuyo oil and flakes were predictably mixed in. Though often tried and tested in modern Filipino restaurants, it was still well executed and delicious.

Calamansi Tuyo Spaghetti (210 PhP)

The Adobong Pusit Pasta (210 PhP) was a work of genius, and was even better than the tuyo pasta! The adobong pusit had a robust and meaty flavor. The pusit was perfectly stewed in squid ink and spices. I only wish it was paired with a sturdier pasta than angel hair.

Adobong Pusit Pasta (210 PhP)

Indeed, the piece de resistance was the Braised Liempo (350 ++ PhP). It was slowly braised in humba sauce. And was it ever so good! I have never seen liempo that juicy and tender in my life. I didn’t even need to use a knife, it would give with a slight shove of a fork. And the flavor was earthy and concentrated. I would come back just to eat this liempo again!

Braised Liempo (350 ++ PhP)

However, I wouldn’t have that opportunity to do so. Fortunately for the customers, Chef Lim is innovative enough to update and change his menus with seasonal ingredients. As of the moment, it has been replaced with equally tasty-sounding dishes like Chicken Jamon or Sirloin of Beef with sigarilyas.

After dining at Chef’s Table, I have very high hopes for the globalization of Filipino cuisine. It’s a breath of fresh air to have chefs who use our native ingredients proudly with such skill and technique. Restaurants like these help enlighten diners that our own dishes are comparable to those with fancy, difficult to pronounce names. Happy eating!

Menu. Click below to magnify.

Unit 106, The Inifinity Tower, 26th St.,

The Fort Global City Taguig City,

Metro Manila Philippines

(02) 399-1888

Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

MALCOLM'S PLACE

2.75 out of 5 stars

A piece of wagyu by any other name...... doesn't taste the same. This I've learned in Malcolm's Place, a two-storey corner cafe specializing in different wagyu cooking methods.

Take the intro any way you want, good or bad. It could swing both ways. Good because I've never tasted wagyu in so many different varieties. Bad because in some ways, the wagyu just tastes like....regular beef.

When you enter the place, it feels very airy with their floor-to-ceiling glass walls and exposed kitchen with glass dividers. When you eat upstairs on the second, it's less roomy, but more cozy with colorful cushioned seats and small booth areas. The ambience is very laid-back, and you can really let your hair down.

It's a welcome treat that they offer you fried wonton skins to nibble on while ordering from the menu. You dip it in this mayo-calamansi sauce that was a little too sour for me. But hey, it's free, who's complaining?

Being the "trying-to-be-healthy" people that we are, we started with the Kani Krunch (165 PhP) and the Napa Time (160 PhP). The first is made of greens, jicama, mangoes, kani and the same fried wonton skins (that were served as freebies) on oriental dressing. Jicama is english for "singkamas," and even if it's somewhat bland, it absorbs all the dressing, and is a good complement to the salad. Even the wonton skins gave the Kani Krunch it's Krunch, but the dressing somehow tasted off, like it was a little too sour, or it had too much balsamic vinegar. It would have been better if they used the bright, citrusy accents of a Yuzu dressing and perhaps exchanged the wontons for avocado or fish roe.

The Napa Time was, I think, a better salad. It was composed of mixed greens with candied walnuts, grapes, goat cheese and drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette. Goat cheese has a bland but rich taste, so it matched the sweetness of the caramelized walnuts and grapes. And they were very generous with the fruits and cheese, too, which is always a bonus. The salad was tossed perfectly with the dressing just coating the salad instead of drowning it.

The Wagyu Salpicao tasted great. It was seasoned thoroughly and had a well-rounded meaty flavor characteristic of wagyu. However, it wasn't as tender and melt-in-your-mouth like butter as I expected it to be, what with its high marbling content. It wasn't even just chewy, which is brought about by the finer-marbling of Pinoy wagyu (yes, friends, we have our very own wagyu cattle in CDO cross-bred from Australia). It was tough, hard to slice through and had ligament portions. Maybe we can attribute it toughness to other factors like the way the meat was stored, or how it was cooked, but certainly something wasn't entirely right in the process. Don't get me wrong, though. It tasted delicious because it was so flavorful. It just wasn't tender enough to bring in all that hype about wagyu. Being the eater that I am, though, I inhaled this dish in a matter of minutes.

The Wagyu Burger Steak was alright. I wasn't really sure whether this was a burger steak or a wagyu stroganoff anymore since it's been awhile since I ate here writing about it now, but I do remember the salpicao tasting a lot better than this dish in terms of seasoning. Anyway, both of them are not a part of the regular menu, but is only included in the insert, so I'm not sure if they still serve this up to now.

This actually isn't a great loss, because the core menu may actually be more delicious. I've been here before and have ordered the Wagyu Cheese Steak (330 PhP) a couple of times. It's strips of marinated Wagyu beef tenderloin with sauteed onions and peppers and laid on a French baguette with provolone cheese and a special sauce. It's a favorite of many customers like myself, where the cheese steak is made even better with better quality cattle. Besides, anything stuffed with cheese on it it sure to be a tasty treat. I'd recommend this order for any first-timer who plans on eating here in their foodventure.

All in all, I'm okay with Malcolm's Place. I wouldn't go out of my way to drive here, but if ever I'm stuck in the area, this is one of the places I'd consider eating in. Although there's nothing remarkable about the service and some food options, the restaurant has a good vibe to it, and the old-timer dishes pretty much stay consistent.

Oh, and free wi-fi when you eat here! That can't be beat ;)

click on menu to magnify













Malcolm's Place, Salcedo Village
108 H.V. dela Costa Street, Salcedo Village
Makati City, Metro Manila
(02)844-0000
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 7:00 am - 11:00 pm

OLD SWISS INN

4 out of 5 stars


I have been a regular fan of Old Swiss Inn since the start of college (almost a decade ago). As much as college seemed like years away, it barely holds a candle to Old Swiss Inn, which had been around since 1946, the original one being located in Manila. (picture to the left is the one I frequent in Makati, care of Margauxlicious.

While many restaurants go for modern minimalist (industrialist → private joke), Old Swiss Inn revels in the traditional Alpine look. The walls are made of log timber, the stain glass windows depict scenes in Switzerland, Swiss flaglettes adorn the wooden beams and pillars….heck, even the staff has a Swiss costume on! ☺ And even if it’s been around for more than 50 years, it doesn’t feel old at all. Continued renovation and upkeep have made this place as fresh as the first time it was built, no musty odors, nor rotting furniture in sight!

The menu constantly updates itself, keeping the old favorites, but adding new dishes for the old-timers. To start with, I always get myself a Four Seasons shake. This is probably one of the rare restos that makes a mean Four Seasons since the fruits are fresh (not concentrate). Then they whip it up in different layers adding that touch of grenadine at the bottom, finally decorating it pretty nicely with a parasol hat for that tropical touch. As I said before, some of you rate the place by its service or ambience, but I am rather partial to a resto that blenders a good 4 Season Shake.

We start off with my favorite dish, and definitely one of the permanent mainstays in the menu, being this resto’s crowning glory: the fondue. Although most get the chocolate fondue, where Old Swiss uses decadent chocolate Toblerones, I prefer getting the Waatlander fondue (650 PhP), its cheese counterpart. In this fondue, you dip day-old bread (since freshly baked ones would not be able to hold its consistency upon dipping) in a bowl of melted raclette that is simmered with olive oil, a hint of garlic and a splash of kirsch (a cherry brandy). Eating this is pretty much dope for me, and I must confess to eating it every time I’m in Old Swiss. As much as this fondue is ideal for large groups, I still wolf it down even if we’re just a couple of diners. It’s also comfort food, and has the same consistent taste through the years, except for one time where they overloaded with kirsch. Remember the movie “Ratatouille,” where Anton Ego (the food critic) ate Remy’s ratatouille, transporting him back to his childhood days when his grandmother cooked the same for him? I can seem to relate with that situation because when I eat this fondue, it never fails to take me back to my college days, where we’d grab a bite here in the wee hours of the morning right after club-hopping. This transitions well into my next FYI, in that Old Swiss Inn stays open for 24 hours. Yep, it’s probably the only semi-fine dining place I know that stays open forever. And guess what? It’s now wi-fi! So as far as Makati yuppies are concerned, those all-nighter projects could be wrapped up here ☺

The famous FONDUE!

Going back to the food, I ordered Risotto Fruitti di Mare (Seafood Risotto, 375 PhP), since it wasn’t one of the usual dishes I got here, most being replaced by new ones, others still in the menu for being signature dishes. Two of my most often-ordered entrees still on their list would be the Zurich Geschnetzeltes (the latter word refers to the way the meat is cut and shredded into strips, 310 PhP) as well as the Rham Schnitzel (schnitzel being either of the upper or lower part of a cordon bleu, ). I actually like the Geschnetzeltes more. It’s basically pork tenderloin with a mix of mushrooms, wine, onions and a bunch of my favorite fatty things: cream, oil and beurre manié (50/50 butter/flour mix). It’s accompanied by roesti, a traditional Swiss siding of buttery potato pancakes. That’s not to say that Rham Schnitzel (there’s also a Paniertes Schnitzel, but it’s not as good) is chopped liver….It’s still delicious, especially with its siding of spatzle (something like Swiss pasta).

Back to the risotto, it was presented beautifully, with the Arborio rice forming a three-sided star while the seafood and tomato concasse meticulously placed on its top. However, I was mildly surprised that I wasn’t blown away with this dish compared to the Geschnetzeltes. The risotto was okay, above average at best. Sad to say, I didn’t notice anything extraordinary with the dish, be it the freshness of the ingredients or the intensity of its flavor.

Risotto Fruitti di Mare

My other friend got the Dame of Salmon (385 PhP) described in the menu as poached salmon in wine, fresh herbs, and served with a chive sauce. Fresh spring greens in raspberry vinaigrette on the side. Again, the same verdict as the risotto.

Dame of Salmon

Finally, Pao got the Corned Beef (350 PhP), Swiss Inn's very own corned beef brisket, served with sautéed cabbage and boiled potatoes. Pao also had a lukewarm response to his serving. I personally thought that it would have been better to have accompanied it with a spicy horseradish-mayo dip, which is often the sauce for this kind of brisket. But to its credit, Old Swiss Inn supposedly cures their own meats for their corned beef.

Corned Beef

All in all, I would have rated Old Swiss Inn 4.5 out of 5 Stars if not for my last visit there, where our dishes weren’t just hitting the spot. But considering that I’ve been here more than 20 times --- and that it has maintained its quality --- should speak for its reputation as a safe bet for any resto exploration. I would suggest to pick from the categories of “signature dishes,” “from the sea,” and “from the grill.” And if you’re a chocolate lover, don’t miss out on their toblerone fondue. Quite appropriate for the valentine season, if I may say so myself ☺

my MAS barkada in Old Swiss

ate in:

Old Swiss Inn Restaurant, Olympia Towers (24 Hours)
G/F Olympia Towers, Makati Ave. cor. Sto. Tomas St.
Makati City, Metro Manila
(02) 818-0098
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 12:00 mn - 12:00 mn

other branches:
Old Swiss Inn Restaurant, Alabang
2nd Flr. BMW Auto Centrum Ave., cor. Madrigal Avenue, Ayala Alabang
Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila
(02) 809-2326
Su, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Su, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Old Swiss Inn Restaurant, Garden Plaza Hotel
Ground Level, The Garden Plaza Hotel and Suites, 1030 Belen St., Paco
Manila City, Metro Manila
(02) 522-4835 to 39
M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 6:00 am - 11:00 pm