A good fine dining restaurant in the metropolis is no longer easy to find these days. I can think of only a handful, where I know I’ll leave happy and satisfied with the food, and the evidence of this is how long it’s been around.
Many of these restaurants are owned and run by former foreign chefs of various five-star hotels. I’m sure they saw the potential of our market and many of them went on their own. Examples of these are chefs and GMs of Manila Hotel, food and beverage managers and chefs of Intercontinental Hotel, Dusit, Mandarin, the then-Plaza hotel, and many others. Many of them have become friends and have been constant companions in culinary competitions all over the country. I listen to some of their lectures to the contestants after the competition and learn so much. Other successful chefs here are those foreign-educated ones who went to culinary schools or apprenticed AT fine restaurants abroad.
At the moment, there are only three restaurants I go to for a nice delicious meal. One is L’Entrecote of Chef Martin Kaspar. I remember he did a foie gras menu once. Everything foie gras! Outstanding menu. Wow! He should do it again.
The other one I go to that’s a recent discovery is Chef Josh Boutwood. Loved his appetizers, sourdough bread, steaks, and my favorite, beef cheeks. Oh my!
And the third one is one that’s opened recently. Aquavit is a pub and grill with simply outstanding food. Chef Robert Lilja is the man in the kitchen—one of the talented chefs of Manila whom I admire. I remember he makes the best and most delicious mussels in cream sauce. He also smokes all his seafood like salmon and cod. He also bakes his own bread. I love his pumpernickel and sourdough.
Seafood platter
On my latest visit, I was served a glass of chilled champagne! Boom! That opened my taste buds. Then came a seafood platter of home-smoked salmon, smoked cod, a brie that looked out of place, shrimp and potato salad, and smoked bangus. In the middle of the tray were sliced olives, pickles, cherry tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Each seafood dish was exceptional! I loved the creamy smoked salmon, the bangus pate with the crust on the bread, and everything on that platter. His suggestion was to have the smoked cod with brie because that’s what they do in Sweden where he’s from. He is partly Danish and Swedish but I know his heart is Pinoy! After the platter, we had shrimp wrapped in filet of sole with a white dill cream sauce. OMG! Deeeelicious! With that he had a piping of creamy mashed potato. Then came the curve ball. A platter of creamy shrimp curry. The shrimps were plump and perfectly done and the curry was light and yet it hit the spot, with his homemade bread—winner! Then we had a perfect-sized tenderloin steak topped with a thick Roquefort sauce done medium. It was a perfect ending to the meal.
Shrimp wrapped in sole with dill sauce; creamy shrimp curry
Tenderloin steak topped with a thick Roquefort sauce; peanut butter cake
What I like about Chef Robert is he knows the quantity to serve you. We were perfectly full, not stuffed. With each course, he recommended a white wine for the appetizers and a red for the main. His to-die-for dessert was a simple peanut butter cake. Oh my. I still dream about it today. It was one memorable dinner I will look forward to having my kids experience. Outstanding!
My strong suggestion to all you foodies out there is to ask Chef Robert to give you exactly what he served me, up to the last detail.
Aquavit Pub and Grill is located at 8471 Kalayaan Avenue, Makati.
[email protected] | +63 917 877 7892