#thepeninsula

Accented in art deco-inspired geometric patterns in gray, cream and black, and complemented by large-scale photographs by Filipino-Spanish photographer Francisco Guerrero, the contemporary interiors of Old Manila are the perfect backdrop for its unmatched bistronomy and grill menu and the extensive wine selection inside The Peninsula Manila’s 47-year-old signature restaurant.

Old Manila has served as an exquisite meeting place for the refined dining crowd of Metro Manila. Aside from the main dining hall, they also have semi private areas for small groups and families.

Our lovely dinner that evening was hosted by Mariano Garchitorena, The Peninsula Manila’s Director of Public Relations. We were also having dinner together with the Koppes who are always fun and entertaining companions.

The new chef at the helm of Old Manila is the talented French Chef de Cuisine Gaël Kubler who brings a new culinary flair to this iconic restaurant. He explained how he is learning more about the Filipino palate during his three months in the country and he is continuing to develop new dishes and ideas for Old Manila.

For tonight, Chef Gaël will be bringing out some of the most popular items on Old Manila’s new menu. We started with a choice of breads accompanied by rum raisin butter. This pair alone gave us a tasty preview of what else is to come.

We were also given an amuse bouche consisting of Tartare and Eggplant Caviar. The tartare was a delightful mix of flavors while the eggplant caviar was a surprise with its creamy texture.

Here are a few of the special appetizers on the menu. The Fresh Irish Gallagher Oysters (P1,690) look like they were just plucked from the ocean. These high-quality imported oysters are served with red wine and shallot mignonette.

The colorful Ahi Tuna Carpaccio (P1,490) comes with raw tuna prepared with calamansi gel, pickled mango, ginger oil and coconut dressing. This is a good starter that can be shared with the group.

What really blew me and everyone away was the Jerusalem Artichoke Veloute (P1,290). This is honestly one of the best soups I have ever tasted. The creamy and very fragrant broth is made with guanciale, hazelnut, and truffle. You can taste the truffle flavors balanced with the creamy ingredients which make it such a heavenly bowl.

For the main courses, you can choose something light like the Green Asparagus Risotto (P1,790). This is made with amaretto, roasted pistachio, pancetta, and Parmesan.

Another optoin is the Tasmanian Salmon (P2,690) with cauliflower puree, herb oil, and iodized sauce. This is what Chiara ordered, something simple yet elegant that even kids will enjoy.

There's also the Atlantic Turbot (P2,890) with its delightful combination of prawns, oyster mushroom, bok choi, potato, and ginger beurre blanc,

I ordered the Tournedos Rossini (P3,190) simply because I love anything with steak and foie gras. This has a thick cut of black opal wagyu topped with a luscious duck foie gras on a brioche bun and served with truffle mash on the side. The combination was just perfect with the tender wagyu giving way to the delicate but generous slice of foie gras.

Look at how big these Jumbo Tiger Prawns (P2,890) are! These are three huge pieces of juicy tiger prawns cooked fresh off the grill. You can have a full dinner with just these prawns.

But the highlight of our dinner at Old Manila is definitely the Jack's Creek Wagyu Tomahawk MB5 Steak (P11,990). This is a 1.2 kilogram wagyu steak cooked with its bone gloriously hanging by the side.

The steak was cooked perfectly medium, giving it a juicy and tender texture. The flavors of the beef were highlighted with every bite. All items from the grill come with your choice of sauce including bearnaise, red wine, green peppercorn, and ginger beurre blanc.

It also comes with two side dishes like the Grilled Green Asparagus with dill dijonnaise and fried leeks. You can also choose the Coconut Fried Rice with green curry, calamansi, and red chili.

The Dessert selection at Old Manila (P690 each) is also not to be missed. The Banana and Toffee comes with tuile, crémeux, and rum raisin ice cream.

There’s also the Pear and Hazelnut with spiced moscato, sponge, and salted caramel ice cream. All the dessert items look quite elegant with their presentation.

The Lime, Basil, and Strawberry come with sorbet, berries gel, and lemon crumble. Everyone’s favorite dessert turned out to be the Chocolate and Raspberry with fondant, ganache, and coulis. It was shaped and presented like a tree with soil and branches which makes it quite a popular item for photos.

We would like to thank Mr. Garch and Ms. Grace of The Peninsula Manila for hosting our fantastic dinner at Old Manila. We’re so happy that this dining institution in Makati is finally open once again to give the well-discerned foodies of Manila another venue to explore these culinary offerings. See you at The Pen soon!

Old Manila

Ground Level, The Peninsula Manila, Ayala Avenue corner and Makati Avenue, Makati City

8887-2888

www.peninsula.com/manila

This year’s special menu consists of local dishes from the city of Antakya (with the ancient name of Antioch) in Hatay province, which is included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and renowned for its diverse cuisine. Boasting more than 650 dishes, Hatay’s gastronomy is a Mediterranean cuisine characterized by its use of fresh vegetables, quality olive oil, legumes, and cereals. As Hatay’s cuisine is the showpiece of this year’s Turkish Cuisine Week, Escolta’s different buffet stations will feature mouth-watering Biberli Ekmek (flatbread with red pepper paste), Zeytin Salatası (green olive salad), Hummus (mixed chickpeas and tahini dip), Mucver (Turkish zucchini fritters), Muska Boregi (spinach and cheese filo parcels), Tepsi Kebabı (oven-baked kebab), and Kayısı Tatlısı (stuffed dried apricot with clotted cream and walnut), among many others. The buffet selection will also showcase other regional Turkish dishes that will be prepared using local ingredients and traditional cooking techniques. It will showcase all aspects of Turkish cuisine, including Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, and the most quintessential of all Turkish sweets – Turkish Delight.