Unforgettable

I dare say this has been one of the best meals I have had in my lifetime.
Such strong words, I know, but, it is true.
Funny, but this one meal was totally unplanned.


Thanks to a very good friend, a visit to the famed Aubergine Restaurant and Patisserie at the Global City, Fort Bonifacio finally pushed through.
The menu, specially created for Robinsons Land was enough to make me a true fan.



First off, our palates were set with an Amouse Bouche of Salmon Roulade stuffed with Mascarpone cheese and trickles of capers. This tiny bit of an item set the tone for what the night had for us - simple, flavorful but definitely wonderful.



Our first course came loaded with several items. To be honest, looking at the Truffle flavored Carpaccio of Australian beef tenderloin served with brie cheese mousse, did not make me too excited. I am not much of a raw meat fan. What I am though, is an explorer, and so I dig into these very thin coins of fillet and smear it with the rosettes of brie. Now a convert, I am happy I tried. The tender beef meat is coupled with a burst of pungent aroma and the salty, even nutty character of the cheese - definitely the right way to go to disturb the beef's calmness.
The flavor of the sea is also found in the same plate, as the carpaccio comes with a mini cake of a crabmeat-basil salad in Cognac cream accompanied by a tower of mesclun greens in passion fruit dressing.


Taking a sensory break from the glorious first course, I scan the area and was truly impressed with Aubergine's huge open kitchen. Imressively clean, it is armed with quite a number of student and professional chefs. Watching the kitchen brigade was like watching a choreographed performance, but this time, the result was still to be further savored through the night.



The second course was soup - a Tarragon infused chicken essence with pesto royal and parmesan stick. This pretty plate kept me entertained as tiny balls of zuchinni and carrots floated around the clear broth and nuggets of pesto pudding called for attention.


What can I say - the third course was pan-seared duck Foie Gras on Madeira glazed artichoke salad and carrot-leek straw. With its melt in your mouth goodness, I really did not care much about what it is served with. The thick dark glaze worked well with this piece of meat - confirming that this course is a meal for the high heavens.


The peach-guava sherbet came next, served in little tea pots. The teapots stuffed with dry ice provided a smokey effect which I have seen at Lolo Dad's restaurant in Malate. This trick though, never fails to keep me tickled. The duet of peach and guava provided a sweet and refreshing readiness to our palates for the main agenda.


That night, the main course was a choice between seafood or lamb. Carnivore that I am, I chose the lamb. This lamb duo of Grilled Australian lamb chop and Pommery mustard crusted lamb loin was served with walnut gnocchi, sauteed haricot verts and blue cheese sauce. Perfectly cooked and beautifully arranged, we were all glad with our choice heaving sighs of relief and contentment.



Not quite ready to end the meal yet, our dessert came with a duo of shiny-shimmery Valrhona Manjari chocolate with a generous amount of Champagne sabayon and garnished with fragrant pink pepper tuille and marinated strawberry segments. With our freshly brewed coffee, us ladies all agreed that this meal is really one we will lways remember.