Another new spot to check out in Poblacion, Makati

Chef Robert Lilja is an "old hand" here in our country. The Swedish chef first came to the Philippines some 35 years ago and started with Danish Connection. He then set up French cuisine restaurants in Cebu and Manila. Recently, he was the resident chef at the Makati Garden Club for a decade when it was one of Manila’s best-kept culinary secrets.

His new "baby" is the Aquavit Pub + Grill + Dining Room at 8471 Kalayaan Ave., Poblacion, Makati City. It’s a wonderful amalgam of the different cuisines he’s been known for, the dishes that lie at the root of his extensive kitchen experience, and how he continues to experiment and tweak within his fascination with classic cooking. 

A new regular menu should be in place by the time you read this, and some of the dishes I got to try are part of this new listing. We got a sampling of the dishes you’ll find at his Special Lunch Set Menu, which has been such a hit since it opened two months ago. At a discounted rate of P690, your lunch will consist of a hearty soup (choices are Cream of Broccoli and Cheese, Potato, Leek and Bacon, or Green Pea and  Ham), a choice of salad (Caesar, Greek Feta, Asian Sesame Chicken, or Tuna Confit), then a main course (Coq Au Vin, Pork Piccata, Beef Bourguignon, Salmon and Potato Pudding, etc), and the option to add-on the Dessert of the Day. 

Local scallops were our off-menu starter. They were tasty and beautifully sauced, retaining a freshness that would be intensified by squeezing the lemon wedge over the morsels of scallop meat. The Smoked Salmon Ravioli is served with Hollandaise sauce and crispy onions. It was our second starter, and I can’t recommend this enough. The salmon and spinach stuffed inside the ravioli combine with a delicate balance.

Aquavit’s Roasted Rack of Lamb is offered with garlic and rosemary potatoes, avjar (roasted pepper) pesto, tzatziki garlic, and dill yogurt. As Chef Robert explained, the avjar sauce hails from Serbia, and what he wanted to do was offer you options for the lamb which now includes sauces from Serbia and Greece. This is to give diners a new dimension of how to enjoy their lamb, and I was practically "inhaling" this dish as the pieces of lamb rack were so tender. 

The Grilled Salmon Tikka Masala is a great blend of the familiar with the adventurous. It’s served with lemon garlic brown rice, papadum, and spicy lime pickles. Salmon is so often identified with Scandinavia (or Scotland), so I liked how this dish was tweaked in an Asian way, by way of India. The addition of the papadum was a great touch, and one that I know my sons will really appreciate when they get to try this. 

My dessert was a Peanut Butter Tart that’s a real surprise. It has the texture of sansrival, but you’re indulging in peanut butter and chocolate with a dollop of Schlag on top of your tart slice. This one, if you’re into desserts, you really shouldn’t miss as it’s unique and really wonderful. 

Chef Robert has always been a champion of slow cooking and the classics, but he doesn’t just replicate, he improvises and finds ways to enhance these dishes. Or, at the very least, tell you that at his establishments, you can enjoy these traditional recipes/dishes—and know that there’ll be enough of a twist to make it taste like nowhere else. That, for me, is one of my criteria for why I would return, time and again, to a particular restaurant. 

The main section of Aquavit is devoted to the Pub + Grill side of things, and I appreciated how this one reflects Chef Robert going back to his roots. Scandinavian specialties and gourmet Scandinavian sandwiches are offered. Beyond the expected Smoked Salmon, I spied Gravlax Salmon, Skagen Shrimp, Curry and Mustard Marinated Herring, Speck Ham, and Danish Pork Pâté. I know I’ll be heading back soon to try these out.

Ever since the pandemic, there’s been a maturing of what Poblacion now represents. The kids still have their establishments, but a number of eateries catering to an older market have sprouted. I’m all in favor of this cross-pollination, and how dining options have diversified within the area. Aquavit is one great addition, and it’s good to have Chef Robert back!