April 15, 2011

The Establishment -Anniversary Degustation of 14 Signature Dishes

We reserved a table for two at The Establishment, an upscale restaurant at The Fort, boasting its opulent oasis of high style, cutting-edge cuisine, and luxurious service. The Establishment currently has 3 dining areas:


The Crystal Room- a French-inspired dining area with elegant interiors and sophisticated decors

The Hall- a zen-inspired bar with dimmed lighting, a stage for their performers and comfortable seats.
   
The Tulipan- an intimate and private lounge with cozy ambiance great for an after night cocktails.







Normally, we would not be seen eating in this kind of restaurant without an occasion. But because our coupon from Deal Grocer was about to expire this March, we decided to use it that day.

In celebration with it's Anniversary month, The Establishment came up with their Special Degustation of their 14 signature dishes.
  1. Salmon Tartare. Slithers of fresh salmon and chopped hard-boiled egg atop a crostini.
  2. Pan Seared Foie Gras & Sweet Miso Glaze. Soft, decadent foie gras drizzled with a savory - sweet miso sauce, topped with flavorsome mushrooms.
  3. Golden Camembert. Deep fried panko-crusted chunk of nutty Camembert perfectly contrasted with a sweet raspberry puree.
  4. Avocado Salmon Salsa Roll. An inventive Salmon roll infused with avocado and herbed salsa.
  5. Spicy Tuna Roll Topped with Mango. Fresh spiced tuna roll garnished with torched mango cubes.
  6. Prawn Tempura Roll. Classic ebi tempura roll, just as we like it.
  7. Oriental Chicken Salad. Lightly dressed lettuce topped with grilled chicken strips and refreshing orange wedges.
  8. Warm Goat Cheese & Roquette Salad.Creamy warm goat cheese nestled atop arugula and lettuce leaves.
  9. Tofu Tempura with Mixed Mushrooms. Fried tofu topped with soy-glazed enoki and shiitake mushrooms.
  10. Green tea crusted Australian lamb chops. Tender lamb fillet crusted with dried green tea.
  11. Pan Seared US Angus Beef with Lychee Truffle Sauce. Excellently cooked beef medallion topped with sweet lychee segments drizzled with truffle sauce.
  12. Hainanese Salmon with Teppanyaki Rice. Perfectly cooked salmon fillet topped with hainanese spices, on a dome of delectable Japanese teppan rice.
  13. Chocolate Bette Noir. Rich, moist flourless chocolate cake.
  14. Pistachio Jaleu de Lupe. 21-layered crepe cake garnished with pistachios.
 Deal Grocer was able to describe each dish perfectly.


The Establishment's Menu
                                       
We were supposed to be dining in The Crystal room, but due to non availability of seats, we were guided to The Hall. I thought that it was a better choice since it has a more romantic and cozy ambiance.

Bar Area
Stage

We were seated in a couch with big pillows and bolsters. The seats were really comfortable, we could just sleep in there. The table setup was also finely arranged with their logos placed on each placemat, table napkin, chopsticks and glass coaster.


To start off, the waiter served us with a complimentary bread basket with olive oil and arugula pesto dip. Then, our appetizer came together with the salad which were placed in a white elongated plate perfect for that amuse-bouche presentation.

Complimentry Bread Basket
Arugula Pesto Dip

APPETIZERS:

Pan Seared Foie gras & Sweet Miso Glaz
Pan Seared Foie Gras & Sweet Miso Glaze
It was my first time to try Foie Gras and now I know what it taste like. It was shaped like a regular beef liver at first but when i sliced into it, it was so delicate. Its texture was butter-like-creamy and mouth-melting. Since it was seared, it was softer and richer with a smooth taste. The sweetness of the miso complimented the mild livery taste of the foie gras. (I compared the texture of the dish to Goldilocks' Bubble Pops, wherein the bubbles pops in your mouth at every bite.)

Golden Camembert
Golden Camembert
This dish looks like a fried seafood roll we usually order in chinese restaurants. It was drizzled with raspberry puree for contrasting the cheesy taste. It tasted like a normal fried mozzarella stick that we could order in some restaurants. The raspberry puree really helped in adding flavor to the camembert. 

Salmon Tarta
Salmon Tartare
The salmon tartare was quite impressive given that I don't eat raw salmon that much. The sour cream atop the dish and the chopped hard boiled egg around it certainly neutralized the raw salmon taste.



SALADS
Oriental Chicken Salad
This is by far the best chicken salad I ever had. It was so delicious that the small serving was so "bitin". I also liked how the wanton strips added crispiness to the fresh romaine lettuce. We could also smell the grilled aroma of the chicken strips in every bite. The raisins, and orange segments added a hint of fruitiness in the tangy, vinaigrette-like sesame mustard sauce used as the dressing. Overall, I would describe this salad as "perfect fusion of flavors".





Warm Goat Cheese & Roquette Salad
Basically, this was just goat cheese atop normal arugula and lettuce leaves with pine nuts added for that nutty flavor. I didn't quite liked this salad because of the goat cheese but it was contrasted by the sweet and balsamic taste of the dressing used. 








SUSHI
Spicy Tuna Roll topped with Mango

Spicy Tuna Roll Topped with Mango
Ordinary sushi roll with spicy tuna and mangoes. The sweetness of the mangoes overpowers the spiciness of the tuna.

Avocado Salmon Salsa Roll
Avocado Salmon Salsa Roll
Tasted like japanese rice with seaweeds and salsa.(did not quite tasted the salmon)

Prawn Tempura Roll
Prawn Tempura Roll
A classic maki sushi with prawn tempura inside. I liked how the tempura retained its crunchiness inside the maki. 

Based from my descriptions, their sushi were just plain and common. 

MAIN ENTREES
Tofu Tempura w/ Mized Mushrooms
Tofu Tempura with Mixed Mushrooms
The tofu was perfectly breaded, crisp and fried into golden brown. Its texture was moist but firm making it harder to fall off. The taste was very light as well despite the fact that it is fried. The mixed mushrooms sweetened the overall flavor with its soy-based sauce.

Hainanese Salmon with Tepanyaki Rice
Hainanese Salmon with Teppanyaki Rice
When I saw this dish, I thought that it was going to be heavy. The sticky teppanyaki rice was sure to make us stuffed. But once we started to dig in, we saw ourselves wanting more. It reminded me of kiampong- a chinese sticky fried rice, but sweeter. It was really delicious and savory. The salmon on the other hand was cooked perfectly making it juicy and tender.

Green Tea Crusted Lamb
Green Tea Crusted Australian Lamb Chops
I was really intrigue with this entree because I never had breaded lamb before. Plus, the green tea concept was also interesting. First bite, and I loved it already! The lamb was juicy and tender with its soy-mirin glaze neutralizing the "lamby" smell.
   
Us Angus Beef w/ Lychee Truffle Sauce
Pan Seared US Angus Beef with Lychee Truffle Sauce
This would be considered as the highlight of the night. I am not into steaks and beef but this really captured our taste buds and our heart.The beef was cooked to perfection and the meat was tender and juicy. The meat was tender and juicy and the meat was tender and juicy. I would be repeating myself a hundred times just to describe this entree. It may not be wagyu, kobe or any other premium steak but this is definitely worth a try. I am not being biased here since I love lychees, but the lychee bits atop the steak were really really delectable and its sweetness complemented the steak perfectly. 







Grilled Vegetables
Their grilled mixed vegetable were really good. You can actually smell and taste the smokey flavor from the squash and eggplant.

DESSERT

Desserts


Chocolate Bette Noir
Chocolate Bette Noir
Chocolate Bette Noir literally means, a rich, flourless chocolate cake. The brownie-looking dessert tasted like chocolate truffles with thicker texture. It was good but not impressive.











Pistachio Jaleu de Lupe
Pistachio Jaleu de Lupe
I liked this better than the chocolate bette noir. I loved the 20-layer crepe concept with the sweet pistachio mousse filling in between each layer. The consistency and sweetness was just right for our taste. 











DRINKS



Peppermint Herbal Tea
After our heart-warming meal, we were offered to try their coffee or tea. And since we were so full from the 14 course degustation, we opt to try their tea. We chose their peppermint herbal tea since mint tea helps in preventing bloatedness after eating. Both of us were served with 2 big sqaure platter with the elegant glass teapot, cup & saucer and honey on the side. I noticed immediately that it was Lipton peppermint herbal tea steeped inside the pot. I could already smell the peppermint aroma coming off the tea as I pour it into my cup. I mixed my drink with a teaspoon of honey to sweetened the taste a little bit. One sip and the cooling effect took place. It was very soothing and light. The menthol flavor was evident but not overpowering.It was a great tea indeed to cap off a good meal.




THE ESTABLISHMENT
Unit A, The Fort Entertainment Complex, 
26th St. cor. 5th Ave., Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
 Tel: 844-6364

1 comment:

  1. love the ambiance! perfect for intimate occassions.:)

    ReplyDelete

Feel free to leave a comment :)