When you try and think of a special place to take your friends, family and loved one you stare at a wall and wish there was somewhere you can immediately take them to. These days fine dining restaurants charge an arm and a leg then serve mediocre food which would end up either in a doggy bag or worse a garbage dump. In this day and age you don't usually get what you pay for but I'd like to recommend this one where I usually take my bosses from the US so you'd stay classy yet affordable. It's a place where celebrities also frequently dine, it's something divine!
Where do you ask? It's at Old Vine!
Green Mango, Watermelon, Ripe Mango and PineappleFor starters, we had a couple of fruit shakes prepared for us. It was fresh and not too sweet, it'll give you that refreshing feeling at each sip. It was the perfect accompaniment to what we were about to consume that evening. The dining experience just started a notch higher!
Foie Gras Salad (750, 1150)
The Foie gras salad was definitely sinful, I suggest you get it and share. Probably neat to break it off with more balsamic vinegar so the acidity can do its job. It was so rich and smoky from the searing. You'll definitely love this! If you want to indulge, go ahead and get it to start off the meal.
Tessie Tomas Salad (350, 680)
The Tessie Tomas salad was designed for the celebrity with the same name. She is a regular and they dedicated this to her. True enough; it lived up to its name! It's salmon, mushroom, greens and shrimp combination plus tangy dressing was just right to start the dinner. It was pretty festive and probably would need second servings. This is a must try!
Steak and Shrimp The Steak and shrimp looks divine. The premise of a surf and turf inside this fine dining restaurant was surprising; specially if the shrimp in this case was prepared gambas style so it has a little kick. Wedges of potatoes give you that filling factor for those who don't watch their carbs!
Steak Tagalog - Filipino Version of Steak It's not the normal run of the mill beef steak but a version of bistek tagalog using a US grade flank of steak. It's got that salty - soy flavor with a hint of calamansi and slices of onions sauteed in oil. Just get yourself 2 servings of rice and it's a done deal! :)
Old Vine PastaIt's Fettuccine smothered into a tomato - veggie based sauce called pangritata and a couple of prawns. How can you go wrong with this number?! The tangy mildly spicy sauce and the scrumptious prawns are heaven on earth. It is good for sharing if you have other things to eat aside from this. It's also best eaten while hot.
Stir-Fried Seafood PaellaComfort food. I imagine eating a hot serving of this while watching my favorite TV show reruns while raining. The rice was a little al dente and the meat had me love it even more. The egg slices makes it a very creamy consistency when mixed in, it's something nice to to look forward to when you want something warm.
Steak and EscargotFollowing that surf and turf tradition this is another good rendition of a steak dish. The salty- not so fishy escargot bits played well with the steak. The steak was soft and seared outside just the way I like it - a little rare and still pink inside. It's served with potato wedges like the other steak dishes in the menu and can stand on it's own. I didn't know a pairing like this would be nice. Maybe a beer or red wine would suffice to get us on a roll! I can still remember how it made my mouth water!
Beef Salpicao Fried Rice (230, 395)
For the spice loving Filipino here's another offering from Old Vine. This is their Beef Salpicao Fried Rice. It's on the hot - savory side so if you want a different way to have your rice taken this is the perfect dish. This is way different from adobo rice and more on the sweet side. If you want something sweet spicy and savory this is the way to go!
Baked Cream Dory (450)
Just imagine Angel Hair Pasta rolled around pesto topped with a baked cream dory filled with mushrooms smothered with cheesy garlic sauce. It's pretty on the plate and even more beautiful on the palate. I loved this dish and people didn't even want to touch it because it was so nice on the plate. Maybe a little white wine together with this wouldn't hurt.
Lamb Shank in Pinot Noir (550)
If you are not much of a steak person you can opt for the lamb shank in pinot noir or red wine reduction. It's laid in a bed of mashed potatoes and buttered veggies. If you like something concentrated for the sauce this is like a sweet-slightly bitter reduction of the red wine so if you are drinking something like it this is a stronger version of it. The meat just falls off the bones and reminiscent of a rustic European dish.
Baby Back Ribs - American Favorites Barbecue
Even if this was a slab of meat on the table, it literally was non existent after a few minutes. This was a crowd favorite to say the least and I love how it was so soft and sweet. If I had something to eat in this restaurant in one sitting THIS WOULD BE IT. It's just one of their best sellers but I'm telling you if you go there and don't order this, you'll be sorry!
Banana Langka CrepeIf it's time for the sweet things, this would not disappoint you. You might mistake it for crem brulee but once you spoon it off you would taste that hot cooked banana and langka. Soft and foamy, this would be good for kids who like fruits in their dessert.
Ube CheesecakeThere are imitations and here's the real thing. This ube cheesecake is heavenly! Just look at how it's plated, perfect for something very yummy! The star in this one is the dense purple yam cheesecake and if you don't mind me finishing this up for you I'd gladly do!
Chocolate Fondue It's fun and made for a group! Did you know that in Scandinavian countries you can't let a morsel fall on the fondue because if you do you would have to kiss the one beside you? It's a perfect date ploy so you can get that first kiss hehe now that's an excuse they can't resist! :) Make sure on your first date you get one of these!
The steaks and all its concepts are all by Larry Cortez and Chef Mauro. You'll actually see that listed on their menu. They got these all from testing a couple of recipes before they put up the restaurant. It's nothing that I've seen so far in other fine dining establishments so I suggest you check out The Old Vine Grille one of these days.
And by the way I wasn't joking when I said there were celebrities in Old Vine, look who dropped by for their Tessie Tomas Salad fix!
Husband and wife Jean- Christophe and Gladys Reyes - Sommereux was there and they were SO NICE! I'm a fan of her show and it was really nice of her to say hi. Now do you still have any inhibitions on what to choose the next time you go out and dine with your family? friends? loved ones? There's one restaurant in my mind and that's OLD VINE!
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Call 02-7065573 for reservations. Their store is located at Unit 119, Level 1, Eastwood Mall, Eastwood City Cyberpark, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave. Quezon City.
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