Metiz

Since our mom can't do any dinner at a restaurant since most restaurants in the Philippines open at 5 -6 p.m., my brother Dino made reservations at Metiz for her special 95th birthday. This was an 8-course lunch. I brought a French champagne for the occasion.

Our first course was Puso ng Saging (heart of the banana), compressed cucumber, manibalang mango, buko vinegar," tasty paste." This was accompanied by Fermented Buko juice, watermelon, and dikay leaf. Delicious and refreshing.

Our second course was Zucchini Bottom, with mushrooms, cabbage, smoked bangus and pork broth, and oyster egg sauce topped with carrots. Most of the ingredients were not visible except for the carrots, but this was very tasty. 

The third course was Carmelized Ensaimada, cheese and soured milk, aged tapuy reduction, with kasuy (cashew). The soured milk didn't sound too good, but I'll have it anytime! The fourth course was the Rizal Chicken with kangkong, shrimp, ubod sauce, garlic, and chickenmansi. It was absolutely delicious.

Number five was the Ike Jime Lapu-Lapu (fish), pork humba condiment, fermented rice, and clam sauce. This was served with fresh mustasa (mustard greens). The sixth course was "Overcooked" Rice with steamed belly, crab, garbanzo tausi bagoong, and fried egg yolk.

The seventh course was Red Rice Flan, with coco jam, corn sorbet, banana and saba, tambis. The description doesn't do it justice. It sounds weird, but boy, was it wonderful. 

The final course was the Mangosteen fermented corn caramel pie with pili nut brittle, cultured cream, and ampalaya (bitter melon). Again, this sounds strange, but we all loved it. Our mom's had a candle in hers.

We all had a wonderful time, especially our mom, who was rightfully impressed, and it's not easy to impress a 95-year-old who has been around. Chef Stephan was gracious enough to pose with us at the end. 

Metiz is located at Karrivan Plaza, Ground floor, Building A2316 Chino Roces Ave. Ext. in Makati City, Philippies. This is another "must go back" next time I'm in the Philippines.

Gallery by Chele

The genius behind this incredible restaurant is Chef Chele Gonzalez, who collaborates with Chef Carlos Villaflor. So imagine Spanish European influence with Filipino flavors. I was apprehensive writing this blog since it's been almost a month since I was at the Gallery. I didn't have access to my blog at the time. I apologize in advance if I get some things wrong, but you'll get the picture.

I know for a fact that I won't be able to do justice in describing the incredible food and experience we had. But I will do my best. My brothers, Gary and Dino, and my nephew, Brian, were lucky to secure a reservation in advance. When we arrived, the 4 of us were served a refreshing cocktail of Hibiscus Limoncello with Blossom Flower filled with veggies, sweet corn, and romesco sauce with pili nut. We were then escorted upstairs to their garden filled with edible plants and herbs; before that, we had delicious hors d' oeuvres. 

After the garden tour, we were guided to our table. We were excited: "Let the games begin!" The first two amuse-bouches were delicious, but I don't recall what they were. The third was a tomato with a burst of "sinigang" inside. The following were just as delicious.

One of the servers informed us that our 10-course meal was to begin. Our very first course was a Cacao Ceviche. Ceviche con Kinilaw; cacao pulp combined with calamansi and dayap (Filipino lime) served on a cacao pod. The second course was called Swimmer Crab, aligue (crab fat) with milk and basil veiled in shitake gelatin. The third dish was Octopus Satay, which was grilled. This had flavors of coriander, chili, lemongrass, ginger, and their own laksa sauce. 

Our fourth dish was Pomfret (fish). Cooked sinantolan, with green caviar and coconut. Then came the Citrus Lobster, buerre blanc with green papaya and celery. You don't necessarily see all the ingredients, but they all play an important part in the specific dish. 

The 6th course was the Belly Inasal, which was tuna with pickles topped with a lovely chicharron. The Duck Cacao was next in line. It had beetroot, mole, and fried rice. Most of the time, if not all the time, the only audible sound from our table was "Ummmm" in unison.

It was time to cleanse our palates, and the pineapple sponge Granita did its job with the refreshing flavor of dalandan and dill.

The 8th course was the Drunken Wagyu Tapuey, which had chutney, spice, and black garlic. This was followed by Mucilage, champagne, sorbet, and ganache served on a cacao pod.

The 9th and 10th courses were 2 desserts: Chocolate with cardamon and kombucha nibs. The last was the Cheesecake Bibingka. I never had anything like it before. I could have eaten 2 of those!

All I can say is that the next time I go to the Philippines, I will definitely make advance reservations again. This was an incredible dinner experience. 

Gallery by Chele is located at 5L Clipp Center, 11th corner 39th. BGCFort Bonifacio, Taguig City in the Philippines.