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.

Arya Sure!

Arya Persian Restaurant located at the Podium Mall was where I found myself after a strong craving for Biryani rice and curries.

As always, I felt like a queen when there. Their service is impeccable and the food is consistent. I do not however, recommend going to this place alone - portions are good to share and for you to enjoy a variety, be sure to bring the entire family or barkada.

Here's sharing with you some of my favorite items at Arya;


The red meat kebab platter includes grilled beef and lamb items and a choice of roti or rice to go with it. If however, you want a leaner choice, there is the seafood kebab platter as well.


This roti served with tomato curry is a nice starter to the meal. Cut into quarters, dip each piece into the curry sauce for a nice tangy-chili burst of flavor.


The fatoush salad is actually tossed green salad complete with olives and vinaigrette and instead of the usual bread croutons, roti pieces were toasted to give it a distinct crunch.




My favorite - chicken biriani. Cooked in a variety of spices - cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, ginger, garlic, onions - it is absolutely delicious. It is simmered slowly thus giving it a melt in your mouth texture, with its meat literally falling off the bone. Perfect with rice!

Reasons to Make Your Kids Join Kids Kitchen Camp

Part of my daily morning ritual is to listen RX 93.1's Top Ten Segment with Chico and Delamar. They keep me company while I'm driving myself to work. Inspired by their wacky and sometimes utterly true entries, I made my own top ten in relation to San Miguel Pure Foods' Kids Kitchen Camp. Here's something to consider for yourself and your kids in order to keep them busy and learn a new skill this summer.

The Top 10 Crazy but True Reasons to Make Your Kids join San Miguel Pure Foods' Kids Kitchen Camp Workshop:

1) Your kids are feeling bored and they have absolutely nothing to do.

2) Your kids are just too alert and highly energized that they just need to be busy.

3) Your kid want to be the next Mario Batali or the next Nigella Lawson.

4) You just want to get them out of your hair and an afternoon (better yet, 3 afternoons?!!!) of their absence is enough to make you keep your sanity.

5) You are living in the areas mentioned in the line-up (mind you, the workshop's going nationwide for the first time) and will not forgive yourself if you let this chance pass.

6) You serve your family's meals day in, day out and you just need to train those in the next generation.

7) Your kids have gone through acting, dancing, swimming, taekwondo, aikido, basketball, kumon and singing lessons, that there is absolutely nothing else they haven't taken except cooking camp.

8) You want to get a copy of their cookbook, it's sooo cool!

9) You kid joined last year and would love to join again, meet new and old friends and see the new TJ mascot!

And the top reason to make your kids enroll in San Miguel Pure Foods' Kids Kitchen Camp is...

10) Your kids just wanna learn how to cook because they are really interested, period.

Have a beautiful summer!