It was Jenny’s birthday
I was racking my brain on where to find a nice restaurant for her dinner celebration.
In my younger years, Prince Albert at the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati was my go-to. I remember having an all-foie gras dinner there prepared by Chef Cyrille Soenen. Memorable! I loved the place so much I would be a regular there. In fact, I still remember taking my young kids there for one of our birthdays. You know how it is when you enjoy a place so much, the people you immediately think of are your loved ones? You want them to experience what joy you had. In those days, Prince Albert made the best steaks. I remember they were served in a silver metal cart similar to the ones they use at the House of Prime Rib in San Francisco. Many great steaks and dishes have come to our shores since then. I hear some staff of Prince Albert still give private roast prime rib dinners.
This place has come and gone. I wanted a private restaurant. Not one of those at five-star hotels. Plus, it isn’t easy to find a good dining place with a nice ambiance and great food even at a five-star hotel. So I asked my ever resourceful daughter Ali. She is chummy with Mr. Google. After a few minutes, she suggested a place I had vaguely heard of—Lemuria!
Lemuria Fine Dining is in the Horseshoe area of San Juan, right behind Robinsons Magnolia. I did research and voila! This looks like the ideal place—a private residence converted to a fine dining restaurant. It’s beautiful inside and out. They have a tasting menu of a few courses, which they recommend to their diners, but I decided on going ala carte.
Among the appetizers, there were two that caught my attention. Baked brie with lavosh and fresh foie gras. I decided on the latter. Among the mains, I was looking at the duck confit, steaks, or the lamb shank. I like a dish that showcases the talent of the chef, so I ordered the lamb shank. Jenny had the sea bass.
Let’s start with the foie gras. Very good, of course. I always joke about this dish that even if you served it with aratilis juice, it would still be delicious. Jenny’s sea bass was well cooked but to me, it was a bit too plain to have in a place like this. She wanted something healthy. I had the lamb shank resting on a truffled mashed potato. I’ve been on a zero-carb diet for a month now but wondered if I’d break it for the mashed potatoes. Of course, I broke it. The lamb was fall off the bone, sticky with a delicious apricot chutney sauce. It had well-made asparagus on the side. If you like lamb, you will most certainly love this. Mashed potatoes were creamy with a hint of truffle. Outstanding meal! And when I thought it was over, I browsed over the dessert menu and the one that caught my attention was a chocolate souffle! Boom! What a winner! It was served with a white grand mariniere sauce, which you pour into the middle of the soufflé and mix. The soufflé baked and raised perfectly. Wow!
I will do a McArthur for the other dishes. This has become my new discovery! A place like this reminds me of our French restaurant a few decades ago. Private location, nice ambiance, and delicious food!
Lemuria at at 5 Julieta Circle, Quezon City ( Horseshoe Village). Call (02) 8724 5211. Use Waze, youll easily find it.
Happy eating!
The Sandy Daza Japan food tour in Hokkaidois happening again on Sept. 21. Call or message Melod at 0917 624 2819 or email [email protected]