Full Moon

For bi-anniv this year, H surprised me by taking me to Bulan, a converted Filipino-colonial mansion, tucked away in Little Baguio. The resto was relatively empty when we were there, save for a table with owner Marlene Aguilar and friends. As such, the servers were incredibly attentive, something H and I really appreciate whenever we dine out.

Bulan (which means "moon" in...another Pinoy dialect, not quite sure which, sorry) serves European/continental cuisine amid a setting of ornate wood furniture and impressive art. We decided on a set meal (P1,145): Mushroom Soup, Roma, and homemade gelato for dessert. We also ordered a pasta dish called Crystal's Flambe (P450).

The waiter asked if we would like to split the soup--very considerate of him, I thought. And I was delighted when they served our soup bowls:

Both of us got this little bowl with this pretty, puffed-up pastry. So charming! The soup had five different mushrooms blended in cream. Because of this, the waiter asked if we would like to change our pasta dish; the chef was concerned that we would have mushroom overload, but I stood by my choice.

The Roma was grilled orange-flavored filet mignon in marsala sauce, and served with zucchini and tomatoes in olive oil. While it was satisfactory, I wouldn't go so far as to agreeing that it was indeed the Best Steak out there (as proclaimed by a sign outside the resto). Good, but not the best I've ever had (Gulliver's comes to mind).

The pasta dish was linguini with three kinds of mushrooms blended with blue cheese, sprinkled with herbs, and with sour cream. Ordinarily, I am a big fan of the white sauce, but the chef was right--there can be too much of a good thing. Which is not to say that I didn't enjoy this dish. I just feel that I would have appreciated it even more had I not had the mushroom soup beforehand.

H decided to let me have the dessert. We couldn't quite figure out if the waiter was saying "Caribbean Mocha" or "Arabian Mocha," but it's one of those.

It's mocha ice cream with a heavy dose of cinnamon. Interesting and quite tasty, something worth trying if you're feeling a tad adventurous.

Want to impress your honey? Bulan may be a good place to take her--it's a little hard to find, so you'll give off that vibe that you're in the know when it comes to restos. Its hidden location alone can be enough to make your date a bit more intimate.


Bulan is located at #3 Gen. de Jesus St. (near J. Abad Santos St.), Little Baguio, San Juan; tel. (02) 725-8496

Our Own Private Chef

I first heard about Chef Maj Lazatin from Miguel, who shot her for Yummy. He was raving about her risotto--I'm a sucker for good Italian food plus I figured H would appreciate having a private chef prepare a meal for us, so I decided to hire her for our post-V Day date.

Chef Maj is still pretty young, probably about H's age. She studied at the Apicius Cooking School in Florence for about a year--in other words, she got to live the life I can only dream of! It was a bit tough trying to contact her at first, but I finally got to speak with her, and she agreed to do a dinner for two.

The first menu she sent me was all seafood--H is allergic to shrimp and crab and some fish, so I asked if we could just stick to the stuff she prepared for the mag. An allergy attack would've totally killed the romance! After some logistical problems (plan A: the chef's house, but that didn't work out; plan B: the rooftop of our condo, but it was too windy; plan C: Marie's dining room; but we eventually ended up with plan D: a complete stranger's house! It was owned by one of the chef's partners, whom I met just that day! Can you say "dyahe"? But she insisted, so...), we finally settled on a place and feasted on...

Zuppa di Zucca - Pureed pumpkin soup with croutons and pancetta with a drizzle of truffle oil. I loved, loved, loved this soup! Truffle oil really makes anything taste extra special--I am still dreaming about that pasta that we had at Il Pirata. I just couldn't get enough of this velvety soup. At my house, our helper always gives H more soup than she gives me, and I always jokingly complain about it. That night, H complained that it looked like I got more than he did. "It's payback!" I laughed as I chowed down on another delightful spoonful.

Insalata with Two Kinds of Mushroom - Mixed greens topped with sauteed Portabello and button mushrooms dressed with blueberry vinaigrette. The best part about this salad was the crispy parmesan hiding under the mixed greens. I was thankful there wasn't any arugula in there, but I still couldn't finish my greens. H gamely polished 'em off for me.

Prima Piatti: Risotto con Vino Rosso, Pera, Gorgonzola e' Manzo - Arborio risotto with gorgonzola cheese and pear cooked in red wine and serve with grilled beef tenderloin. Our beef was a bit overdone--we asked for medium, but it seemed almost well done to us. But the risotto--ahh, the risotto! The last risotto we had before Chef Maj's was at a resto in Tagaytay, which H proclaimed was "the most expensive lugaw ever"! This version could not be mistaken for lugaw--H appreciates anything cooked in wine, and there was a great interplay of textures as I heaped a spoonful into my mouth--the risotto contrasting nicely with the pear bits. The taste of the gorgonzola echoed all the way into my nose! Sounds strange, but I really appreciated the intense flavor of the cheese.

Buko Sorbet - Our menu said "lemon sorbet," but instead we got one with strips of buko. A great palate cleanser, to prepare us for our second main course.

Secondi Piatti: Pesce con Mandorle e' Prezzemolo - Pan-seared cobbler fillet with toasted almonds and parsely, served with fried zucchini flower. At this point, H and I were bursting at the seams. We wanted to split one dish (true enough, we ended up eating just half, and the fish fillet wasn't even that big). I have this habit of sniffing food (I must be committing some dining faux pas...), and I got a whiff of a strongly nutty scent. As I bit into the fish, the taste of almonds just exploded in my mouth. The zucchini flower was nice and crispy. Both the fish and the zucchini flower were a bit oily, but delicious nonetheless. If it were the only course we had that night, I would've polished it off.

Dolci: Panna Cotta con Fragola - Double-cooked cream with pureed strawberries. While my all-time favorite panna cotta remains to be the one Gourmet's whipped up for a shoot two years ago, Chef Maj's was also pretty good. Creamy things tend to be nakakasawa, but this surprisingly wasn't. Perhaps it was due to the somewhat tangy flavor of the pureed strawberries--rather than placing sliced strawberries on top of the panna cotta, Chef Maj poured a smooth layer of the pureed fruit over the cream.

All in all, a wonderful experience! The chef was so pleasant, plus she even threw in some red wine for free (H had three glasses; I stopped at one because allergic me started getting rashes. Tsk tsk). She left me with the fantasy of hiring a full-time private chef in the future. Of course, if that happens, I'll also need to hire a full-time personal trainer!

Contact Chef Maj Lazatin through mobile 0917-8233101 or landline (02) 810-3101

Secret Spot

I won a bet with H (ha!) and chose to have dinner at Cookbook Kitchen. It's this quaint restaurant hidden in a quiet neighborhood in Mandaluyong. It's a cozy place that's perfect for some quality time with your honey. The yellow lighting and the mural (based on Van Gogh's The Cafe Terrace on the Place du Forum at Night) give the place a slightly dreamy quality, whisking you away to a charming French cafe tucked away in an unassuming side street.

If I remember right, none of the main dishes are over P250 or P300. I had eaten there before and was raring to go back for the parmesan-crusted white fish--baked fish that melts in your mouth. Aaaah! It's served with rice, although I think it would be phenomenal with creamed spinach (a side dish that, unfortunately, isn't served anywhere in this country as far as I know).

H chose the chicken stuffed with ham and cheese, served with some pesto sauce. It was pretty good, but I tend not to order anything with pesto in it since we always seem to have homemade pesto (we whip up a mean tuna pesto pasta--slightly spicy. Yum).

For dessert: something I had been dreaming about for weeks--the Strawberry Shortcake Overload! Strawberry shortcake holds a special place in my heart--to me it means a special occasion. When I was a kid (this was back in the 80s), we celebrated my lolo's birthday with a towering one from Sugarhouse. It looked so huge to me then, and even now, when I see that pic of my lolo and lola smiling in front of his yet-to-be-sliced cake, I still think it's massive.

The Cookbook Kitchen version is made of white cake topped with cured strawberries, ice cream, and surrounded with whipped cream. Good grief. It's a dessert after my own heart. When the waitress set it down on our table, H and I just stared at it for a few seconds.

H: That's good enough for five.
T: Really? I think I could finish it on my own.
H: Now that's scary.

Cookbook Kitchen is located at #8 Socorro Fernandez cor. Luna Mencias St., Mandaluyong (near Shaw Blvd.). For reservations or directions (it's a bit hard to find), call (02) 724-3595.

Heartburn on the Day of Hearts

Valentine's Day

Hamil and I generally avoid the mad dating rush on Valentine's Day (the cheesiest of all holidays, but, as Hamil would say, not all people have a reason to celebrate so we might as well). This year, we opted to stay at my place, feasting on steak (marinade courtesy of my dad--it's his specialty), mixed veggies, and Pancake House mashed potatoes (in my opinion, the best damn mashed potatoes you could find). We had a bit of sprakling red grape juice (hey, I love it, so geroff my case. Hehe), then had some red wine and cheese. Ran out of the good stuff so had to make do with Quick Melt! Yummy nonetheless. All this while watching UFC on cable. How...romantic.

The day after...

For our post-Valentine's Day date, we decided to go back to Zucchini's Grill and Vinotek along Timog Ave. We'd been there once before and had been meaning to go back, but it's the kind of place that's reserved for special occasions (perhaps because of the price?). It's small and cozy, and while it's quite swanky, it's not stuffy at all. In just two visits, it has become one of my all-time favorite restos.

Our first time there, we ordered the tomato soup, the ravioli (if I remember correctly), and the chicken and mushroom risotto, all of which were divine. After almost every bite, we would literally shake our heads, saying, "Ang sarap!" So good that we were tempted to order the exact same thing on our second visit. In the end, we opted to try something new. Well, except for the tomato soup, which I started off with. Hamil decided to try the French onion soup. It was pretty good, but I'm still dreaming about the one from Heaven N' Eggs!

While waiting for our main course, we couldn't help overhearing a couple beside us. They were possibly on their first date, and the guy was just going on and on about...himself. Zzzz. But I digress. So I went for the pasta with lobster in white sauce, as I had never tried lobster before and was wondering what all the fuss was about. The pasta was kind of swimming in sauce, but still, I wasn't disappointed. Hamil couldn't have any as he's allergic to lobster, and I couldn't finish the hefty serving by myself. I discovered that lobster tastes a lot like prawns, only with a different texture. I think it's a bit more fishy than prawns.

*Random food fact: Italians actually treat pasta as a first course--not a main course--or even as an appetizer. Traditionally, poor people would eat it first as an inexpensive way to fill up; appetizers (pork, etc.) were generally seen as a sign of prosperity. The correct noodle:sauce ratio is similar to that of salad and dressing: the noodles should be coated with but not drowning in sauce.*

Hamil's order was a winner! Red snapper and chicken on mashed potatoes and some spinach. The serving was pretty big (but he had no problem polishing it off) and it was fantastic! You know how food in all different restaurants often taste the same? This dish had this terrific sauce which I'd never tasted before, and up 'til now I'm wondering what was in it. I would recommend this to anyone who's going to Zucchini's.

For dessert, I had me some panna cotta. Their version was unusual in that it had a very thin crust made of what tasted like white chocolate. It wasn't as creamy as one I recently tried at Gourmet's Cafe (this suited me just fine though, since I had just had pasta with white sauce), but the crust made it super rich. Hamil tried brewed black Lavazza coffee, supposedly a really good brand. Had a sip and it was a pleasant surprise for a non-coffee drinker like myself. If all coffee was this good, then I wouldn't mind drinking it. Hamil explained that there were 15 (or was it 11?) standards by which coffee is evaluated. He said that this particular cup "didn't have any flaws."

All in all, a highly satisfying dining experience. You can be sure you'll find us in Zucchini's again once we find an excuse, er, special occasion.

Rating
Food: 4.9 out of 5 (If the pasta had a bit less sauce, I would've given it a perfect score...ordinarily, it would be 4.5, but everything else I've tried in this place has been perfect, so I didn't wanna totally penalize it for a bit of extra sauce!)
Ambience: 4.5 out of 5 (I would choose different light fixtures, but I think most people would just notice the nice yellow glow.)
Service: 5 out of 5 (The staff is very attentive and polite.)
Price: 3 out of 5 (Really just for special occasions, unless you're loaded! Our grand total was about P2,700.)