Last Wednesday, October 22, the recently opened Astralis at Powerplant Mall in the chic Rockwell area opened its doors to wine and cheese enthusiasts as they launched their Wine and Raclette Buffet.

 

 

I was sharing a table with Noemi of Pinoyfood.com, Eric of Biyahilo.com and Melo of Pinoycravings.com.  The company already spells diamonds to me, which is timely for the event.  From the same name behind Diamond Hotel, Astralis offers wine connoisseurs a venue to satiate their thirst for some tasteful intoxication.  Every Mondays and Thursdays, wine enthusiast can burble free-flowing wine that ranges from light to full-bodied whites and reds for an economical price of only P650++.  They will feature 5 brands of wine that changes every month. 

 

 

For people who enjoy wine with cheese or cheese with wine, Astralis also offers a buffet service of Swiss Raclettes for a reasonable price of P950++. 

 

 

The media attendees were treated to a number of delicious plates.  For starters, a cauliflower cheese dip was served with thin sesame and poppy seed sheets and focaccia toast.  The cauliflower cheese dip was mild, and was the perfect opener for an evening of Swiss Raclette.

 

 

Melo and Eric both tried the whites while I settled for red as usual.  They both agreed to have continuous glasses of Two Oceans –a Chilean South African wine that has a slightly bitter but fruity taste.  On the other goblet, the Chardonnay I had was really delightful to the senses as the intensity of the scarlet drink is being cooled by the salty cheese and cold cuts platter served to us.  The selection included spicy chorizo Salamanca, Manchego with pink peppercorn and baked camembert.  It was so difficult to choose a favorite since I’m a self-confessed cheese addict.  The beefy flavor of Manchego spiced with a little sweetness of the pink peppercorn competed with the interesting flavor of the baked camembert.  I almost ignored the Frito Misto in the middle of the table –well, almost.  The Frito Misto included fried tempura of squid, mussels, fish and zucchini, garnished with lemon wedges. 

 

 

I was so excited for the Swiss Raclette festivities to start that I couldn’t stop munching on the American fries dished up with porcini mushroom dip with white truffle oil.  That porcini mushroom dip with truffle was as delicate as the wines.  It was indeed an evening of progressive taste.

 

 

Finally, the executive chef showed us how the Swiss Raclette is prepared.  I’ve had Swiss Raclettes before and it was usually served on an iron cast skillet or on a plate.  A half wheel of Swiss raclette cheese stood before and it was like seeing a diamond in basketball size.  I resisted the urge to grab it and just run, sans a screaming alarm of theft.

 

 

Alas, the Swiss raclette was finally served and it was the most delectable Swiss raclette I’ve tasted in Manila.  The version ranges from mild to really strong.  I tried all levels, finding an excuse to put more Swiss Raclette on my tongue.  The texture is quite different from those I tasted before.  It has more bite to it and crunchier.  Diamond Hotel President Cecile Ang shares that texture depends greatly on the cheese use and the way it’s prepared.  They use a special type of melter that creates that difference in quality.  I also liked the accompaniments that total the whole dish, cocktail onions, greens, nuts and pickles.

 

 

Aside from these, Astralis also offers three different wine flights hailing from some of the best vineyards in the globe. Vignoble des Verdots showcases the versatility and potential of David Fourtout’s winery – a young and upcoming winemaker in Southwest France. In a short span of time, he has produced excellent quality wines earning him the “Best Winemaker of the Year” award during the Bergerac exhibition in 2002.

 

 

Monday/Thursday Wine and Raclette will spruce up your weekday dine-outs and nightcaps backed by the five-star service of Diamond Hotel.

 

Other dishes that are a must try:

Modern Ceasar Salad

Related Post: 

Melo’s PinoyCravings.com

Noemi’s Pinoyfood.com

 

 

Old Swiss Inn was the first date place I invited Bubba to.  His was Salcedo Market, but that’s another story.  It was more like an after-dinner thing.  Since he loves cheese, as I do, I decided to order the Waatlander Fondue PHP 650.  This is their cheese version of fondue, which is served in a clay pot (seals in flavor) over fire.  Small slices of bread served in a basket accompanied the cheese fondue. 

We decided to pay another visit to the Inn.  Since we were waiting for Michelle Callanta of Gadgets Magazine, we decided to grab some late-night chow at the restaurant around 1030pm of May 28.  It was still very much the same as I remembered it.  Beautiful oak paneling with log timber accent the elegant setting of this warm and inviting restaurant.  Etched glass scenes of Switzerland have created an Alpine look while wait staff clad in Swiss costumes add a striking ambience.  Even if the wait staff had costumes on, their professionalism is enhanced by their pride and their enthusiasm. 

The number of tables taken at almost 11pm in the night rightfully proves its reputation.  Specialties include their in-house cured corned beef and several fondue selections.  Not only is the restaurant a traditional Swiss house, it also offers many other varied cuisines. 

On the Table:

Fondue Bourguignonne  PHP 1040

This time around we ordered the beef fondue, which I’ve been craving to try for months!  It’s prime beef tenderloin cubes dipped in hot oil with a carousel of sauces (love the peppercorn sauce!), served with slim French Fries.

Old Swiss Inn is one of the restaurants that will always be sentimental to me.  Old Swiss Inn is located at the ground floor of Olympia Towers, Makati Avenue cor. Sto. Tomas Makati City.  Contact them at 8180098. 

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/460/08_0528-_Old_Swiss_Inn

A lonely artistic candleholder by the window greeted us as we enter the resto-house named Vieux Chalet. One area had an unfinished window. We’re dining tonight in a rustic atmosphere atop of Metro Manila, a place where a pool of lights is swimming in front of your eyes. Antipolo.

It was an evening of charming celebration since it was the 18^th, a significant number to Bubba and I. Bubba was the one who set this dinner date. I’ve always wanted to try this restaurant since I read I good review about it. We ordered 5 items on the menu. We didn’t travel all the way to Antipolo to only try a couple. On the table were:

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/264/07_1018-_Swiss_dinner_at_Vieux_Chalet

Raclette 185

Rico, who was our table attendant that night, discouraged us in ordering the Raclette since the smell might turn us off. Little did he know, we are fans of any cheese –even the stinky stinky I’m going to barf with that smell -kind. On the white plate was melted Swiss cheese garnished with 2 olives, half-boiled potato, and a few pickles. The potato was sweet. The cheese was seasoned with paprika. We loved the sharp flavor of the cheese, which was enhanced by the odor. Smell really affects flavor. The pickle was juicy and sour as expected and a good contrast to the salt of the cheese. The olive, not falling behind, served its purpose in harmonizing the two flavors.

Rosti

Simply put, Rosti is potato hash that’s fried. It had the right taste of saltiness. You get a bit of a crunch when you bite it then softness as your teeth sink in the soft texture of potatoes.

Lamb Shoulder 725

I hesitated ordering this since I found it expensive compared to the lamb shoulder in Kai (and I’m sure Kai pays more taxes and rental rate than Vieux Chalet) You can have the Lamb shoulder in three different ways: with red wine sauce / café de paris/ curry sauce. As expected, only a few pieces of meat were on the plate along side 2 slices of tomato. The first bite tasted fishy. The meat was pretty inconsistent. Some chunks were too tender, like it was overcooked/over-boiled, while others where tough to chew. Overall, the dish was way SALTY! – I can’t taste the red wine in the sauce at all– and the saltiness overpowers the entire meal.

Pasta Padilla 575

The recipe is the same as Pasta Alfredo but key difference is the mushroom in Padilla. Nothing extraordinary except that the serving is good for the buck you’re paying for. Mushroom flavor is strong which carried the overall taste of the pasta. Before they bring out the last part of the whole meal, which is the sweet portion. Let me tell you about the service at Vieux Chalet. Rico has to be the most accommodating and polite wait staff I’ve ever met – he doesn’t tire saying welcome every time I say thank you. He knows the dishes by heart and can very well explain what they are. While waiting, we were asked to sign the guestbook and Bubba read some pages and the common denominator of the comments are their acknowledgment of Rico’s high quality of service.

Chocolate Parfait

The winner of the night hands down!!! It was a rich chocolate dessert that had a mousse consistency – Belgian chocolate yum! Parfait au chocolait! It was served in an Ice Cream glass with apple slices as garnish. I didn’t see any use for it but the plate was dusted with Cinnamon and chocolate powder for added design.

Reviews are really relative… first and foremost to the taste and personality of the person writing it. It is also relative to timing and service.

Gawd, have to end this abruptly. Cheers to more fun eating!