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The fennel bulbs were quite surprised to find out that there was a Ma Maison restaurant in Greenbelt. Ma Maison is a famous 洋食 (Western food) restaurant chain in Nagoya. This class of restaurants serves Western food interpreted in a Japanese way. These cafes began in the late Meiji era when Japan began interaction with the West, and these local cafes offered Western food the way it came to be perceived by the Japanese. A post-colonial blend of Eastern and Western elements was engendered, and some dishes like omurice (omelette rice), and various fried cutlets/seafood with curry are manifestations of the Western influence on Japanese cuisine.

As such these cafes have a fairly Western feel to it, but some subtleties like the availability of both fork and knife and the ubiquitous chopsticks, and moist towelettes do remind the conscientious diner that one is in a 洋食 cafe.

The service was fairly good and we were whisked to our seats and our orders were taken efficiently by the waiter. The fennel bulbs ordered for hamburg steak (Php 395), tonkatsu curry (Php 425), and cod-roe (mentaiko, 明太子）pasta (Php 325).

The pasta arrived first. The cod-roe resembled little fish-fry eggs and had a good salty taste to it. Some clams were also incorporated and a light cream sauce was used as the base. The clams seem to have been canned, and the spaghetti was a bit too fat and felt just a tad soggy from al dente.

The hamburg steak arrived. Despite the menu indicating that this was served with potato salad, a cup of steamed rice was served instead. This was quite disconcerting, as we think that the actual dish should be faithful to what the menu says, and any substitutions should be informed beforehand. Upon informing the staff of this incongruity, a cup of potato salad was added (and the steamed rice was not removed). Upon tasting the potato salad, we realised why it was not served - they did not have it readily available. The potato salad simply consisted of boiled potatoes and acrid mayonnaise.

The tonkatsu was likewise disappointing. The breading had a texture more akin to fried chicken, and the pork was too fatty for comfort. Pork belly was used, when chop cuts from sirloin should have been used. This dish comes with a bowl of miso soup and side salad.

The fennel bulbs could only hope that the management considers returning to the essence of what Ma Maison is. It seems that　立ち上がり (tachiagari, or "setting up [a business]") was not done properly, and a restaurant that serves slipshod food was the outcome of such an oversight. It was equally frustrating to note that Youshoku or 洋食　cuisine is a culturally impeccable and thoughtful Japanese interpretation of Western food, and that the quality of the food being offered in Ma Maison's Manila branch is by no means representative of it.

Selection Is Key

Encouraged by the good food at The Fireplace, the fennel bulbs decided to do the Hyatt Hotel's buffet offering in one of their restaurants, Market Cafe.

Even at 8:30 in the evening, the place was still busy, with hotel guests and locals seemingly enjoying the formidable offerings: from Japanese sushi, sashimi, and tempura, to fresh oysters and local lobsters, to roast meats, as well as Chinese and Mediterranean cuisines were all waiting to be sampled.

One can also assemble their own salads. The vegetables were fresh, and the choices of dressings and toppings were likewise good. 

Shrimp, fish, and vegetable tempura were all available. Sushi and sashimi, albeit quite limited, can also be had.

We moved on to the fresh seafood. One can request some fresh local lobsters to be cooked in the grill. Fresh oysters, which were a bit on the small side and which probably came from Capiz, were available. It tasted fresh of the sea, but not as good as other varieties.

We moved on to the Mediterranean spread. One can lament that there were no vegetable dishes like tabbouleh, or dips like tzatziki or hummus, which are available in other competitive hotel buffets and at Viking's. However, there was stuffed pizza, some spreads including tapenade and various cheeses, paella, and one can request for pasta to be cooked with the sauce of their liking. The tapenade was a bit too salty for one's taste, and black olives, instead of green olives, were used. The stuffed pizza was particularly good, though.

The fennel bulbs proceeded to the Chinese spread. Some delicious viands like stir-fried spare ribs and roast pork cha-siu and some noodle soup were available. Overall, the Chinese selection was disappointing, despite the fact that the highly-acclaimed Lili restaurant is in the Hyatt Hotel.

We moved on to the steaks. Roast beef was cut right on the spot, and it was amazingly tender and delicious. For those who can't wait, steaks were readily placed on heated pans. Sadly, they were not cooked well and were all too tough to the bite. Consequently, a pile of sad-looking steaks remained on the pan. The lamb cutlets were more tender and delicious though.

Prawns thermidor was also available, but a dish like this is served best straight from the oven. Buffets should probably properly consider which dishes are optimally served on a buffet spread and which dishes lose character on a buffet spread.

Finally we moved on to the dessert selection. Various tarts, pastries, and puddings tasted good. Succulent strawberries dipped in chocolate looked mouthwatering, but the chocolate used lacked the rich and decadent taste that would have accompanied the tartness well. Even macarons were available, but those were a farce! They were as hard as arrowroot biscuits. Lastly, the milk that came with their brewed coffee was disappointingly cold.

Looking back, the buffet was a bit of a disappointment. At 2,100PHP++, more competitive buffets can be had at a cheaper price. The staff, however, were excellent. The fennel bulbs can only hope that the Market Cafe consider improving their buffet.

The Clubhouse

Just nearby is a new restaurant located in Robinson's Magnolia called "The Clubhouse". Its cool mint green theme and cosy interiors are appealing, and so is the menu, which is comprised of comfort food items (from breakfast-style omelettes to pastas and soups) and rather basic dishes that have stood the test of time. Indeed, any "clubhouse" doesn't stray too far from the norm.

This evening, the fennel bulbs found the Filipino-inspired dishes rather appealing. In the menu were rice bowls mixed with local ingredients like dried fish flakes (tuyo) and local sausages (longganisa). Well, tuna puttanesca (Php185) and Vigan longganisa hash (Php225) were odered.

The tuna puttanesca rice bowl tasted well - the typical flavours of a puttanesca sauce (hinted by the use of mildly pungent capers and acidic black olives) go well with sauteed rice. It was served with what seems to be one of the restaurant's trademarks - the pineapple salsa, which was like a milder version of the Mexican salsa, with less spice, same level of that herby flavor, and the additional pineapple sweetness.

The Vigan longganisa hash tasted well - the mixture of potatoes and longganisa yielded a robust blend of textures and flavours. Together with the scrambled eggs and the rice, it was much like a good Filipino breakfast, upped with a bit of creativity.

Some crisps with three different dips (Php225) were ordered alongside. The crisps resembled Melba toasts and were light, airy, and crispy. The dips were crab and artichoke, garlic and cheese, and spinach. All dips were flavourful, but the crab and artichoke dip did not taste as suggestive as it should be.

On display is a seemingly delectable selection of sweets, which we found difficult to resist. The fennel bulbs tried the carrot cake (Php135) and the lemon square (Php35), both of which are their favourite classic desserts. The carrot cake was moist and tasted deliciously, the white icing done well enough so that it was smooth and there were no sugar crystals. The lemon squares were chewy, as it was probably the intention. However, the citrus component of the flavor was not delightfully citrus enough, and to date, the fennel bulbs would have to say that Mary Grace's lemon squares are still the best in town.

All this goodness was coupled with a lovely cup of coffee (Php85). The Nespresso coffee was brewed well, and the rather touching detail about it was the little cup of steamed milk that went along with it. Unless they're serious about their coffee, only a handful of restaurants would have the sensibility to serve milk, warmed.

Apart from the obnoxious family behind us, The Clubhouse, with its generally good food, impeccable service by a very efficient and friendly staff, and great ambience, is one good place to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner, at a very reasonable price.