Festive Philippines
The fine-dining restaurant at the Discovery Primea in Manila is one of the top tables in the Philippine capital. The popular eatery serves a Mediterranean inspired menu with Asian touches in stylish surroundings.
Flame in the Discovery Primea Makati in Manila, national capital of the Philippines, hosted a TBEX Blogger’s Night on 11 October 2016 for travel bloggers that were in town to attend TBEX Asia Pacific 2016.
The special dinner was held at Flame Restaurant, the hotel’s signature food and beverage outlet, whose menu features contemporary European cuisine with an Asia twist. The eatery is open for lunch and dinner.
Guests included Bret Love and Mary Gabbet of Green Travel Media and Green Global Travel; Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet; and me, Michael Taylor, of the Accidental Travel Writer.
Our hosts were David Pardo de Ayala, General Manager of the hotel; Michael Celis, Director of Sales and Marketing; and Mildred Amon, Director of Marketing Communications.
I was hosted by the hotel for two nights.
Special Dinner Menu
A mouth-watering and well-paced five course dinner was served. The surprise starter was in addition to the five courses.
The menu follows along with my pix and comments – with one exception.
When the main course arrived, it looked so appetizing that I couldn’t wait to dig in .So I forgot to take a photo of it until it was half-way consumed!
The picture shown was provided by the hotel’s Marketing Communications Department. Thank you Mildred Amon!
Starter
Our starter was a surprise and didn’t count as one of the five courses. It served as an encouraging prelude to the wonderful meal that was to follow.
What else would the hotel’s talented Executive Chef, Chef Luis Chikiamco, have waiting for us in the kitchen?
Asian Food Salad
East met West in this Western salad with Asian touches. There were baby squid, octopus, shrimp, and compressed watermelon with a ginger-sesame dressing.
I’m not a fan of squid or octopus so I got a few extra pieces of shrimp instead.
I loved the combination of greens and vegetables, especially that Asian-inspired salad dressing.
Sweet Corn Veloute
This soup reminded me of a popular Chinese soup, whose main ingredients are cream of corn and crab.
With charred Japanese corn, crab meat, and chive oil, this rendition of an Asian classic definitely bumped things up a notch.
Would have loved to have seconds!
Spice Roasted Prawns
Grilled Australian fennel, tomato ravioli, saffron Bouillabaisse, and perfectly roasted spicy prawns.
It doesn’t get any better than this. What an inspiring combination of flavours and textures! And talk about presentation!
Braised U.S. Short Ribs
Oh, my goodness! Was the main course of certified black Angus beef with celeriac puree, mustard seeds, and ginger tamarind sauce mouth-watering, or what?
I asked for mine cooked rare, and it was cooked to perfection
I ate it slowly so as to prolong the pleasure as long as possible.
Apple Apple Apple
Carmalized apples with calvados cream, apple gelee, and cinnamon puff pastry were the final course.
I forgot to leave room for dessert, but I somehow managed to consume the entire thing. washing it down with a double espresso.
Fortunately, the hotel had an excellent swimming pool, so I was able to compensate the next morning with a few extra laps.
Stimulating Conversation
Riesling Dr. Loozen (2014) accompanied the first three courses. Beringer Merlot (California) accompanied the main course.
Chef Luis Chikiamco put together an innovative five course dinner for us, with an thoughtful progression of dishes
Hotel General Manager David Pardo de Ayala and his team also orchestrated a stimulating conversation. I got to reconnect with a couple of old friends and make new ones.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening! Not sure which I enjoyed more: the yummy food or the friendly company!
Where
Discovery Primea Makati, 6749 Ayala Avenue, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Telephone Number: (63 2) 955-8888. For guest reviews and hotel room prices click on TripAdvisor or Hotels.com
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