Dim Kitchen

One Saturday evening, the hungry fennel bulbs decided to go to the Global City Fort Bonifacio. Several choices were in mind, and one that predominated the selection was one restaurant that was getting some online attention in the local social networking scene, so we decided to head to Sunshine Kitchen.

Located on the second floor of The Fort Strip, Sunshine Kitchen is clad in dimmer evening interiors, and the bustling of guests was quite upbeat. We were whisked onto our seats and our orders were taken efficiently.

Artisanal pizzas, salads, a few pasta dishes and a selection of meat and seafood dishes were on the menu. For the salads, the Sunshine Green Salad (290Php) was ordered. Mixed greens, almost all of it as lettuce, were mixed in a champagne vinaigrette with bits of Gorgonzola cheese, and walnuts. A certain spicy sharpness could be tasted in the dressing, which was quite good. But the appearance of the salad was lamentable. It looked glum with the lack of color, not a single cherry tomato to provide contrast, and the sizing of the portion gave one the feeling that it was a bit on the exorbitant side.

Next, Porchetta with Rice Pilaf (480Php) was ordered. The porchetta was cooked well throughout, and there were three interesting dips and sauces on the side, including herbed salsa and a beige sauce that was probably apple sauce. The dish could have fared better if a grain-like pasta like orzo were used, or a risotto, for that matter. The porchetta in itself was a bit devoid of flavour, and it did not have the richer aromatics of Cibo's porchetta.

Lastly, Myta's Pizza (Php480) was ordered. Home-made pizza dough topped generously with cheese, tomato paste, bell peppers, and a local sausage called Cabanatuan, a speciality of that town in Central Luzon. The slightly sweet but rich garlic overtones of the sausage blended well with the milder-tasting cheese. However, the weight and generosity of the toppings has made the dough in some parts a bit soggy and one had no choice but to eat it with a knife and a fork. Roasted garlic cloves accompanied the dish.

The fennel bulbs decided to forego dessert, and went off to another place. Still feeling a bit unsatiated, there was some ambiguous points about Sunshine Kitchen that the conscientious diner ought to notice. Whether it was that Cabanatuan sausage appeared a bit more often than expected in the pizza selection, or the glumness of the salad, or whether servers and kitchen staff pronounced porchetta wrongly, the restaurant is sadly missing the groundedness that other restaurants like the Wild Flour Cafe and Bakery have. The end product, which is the dish - its flavors, its organic integrity, what it speaks for what it's worth - all of it - doesn't just fall together into the right places.

A Second Visit

The Wildflour experience the first time around was a pleasant one that it seemed a write-up and three food selections were not enough to do the restaurant some justice. The fennel bulbs decided to come back and try more of what Wildflour Café + Bakery has to offer.

This time, some of their menu has changed; and this led us to think that they change some of the items in their menu regularly. For tonight, vegetable tartine (Php270) and escargot (Php445) were ordered firstly. The vegetable tartine proved to be a summer night's treat - it was cool, refreshing, light, and basically healthy. On what seemed to be a wheaten crunchy rusk were baba ganoush, and a cool salad of chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. The Middle Eastern taste was prominent, the tartness of the chickpeas blending in well with the slightly bitter and roasted overtones of the baba ganoush. The cucumbers and tomatoes provided a cool contrast.

Next was the escargot. They were served in individual cups which were initially hot. Covered in puff pastry like a pot pie, one has to use the small-pronged fork to get to the escargot. It was quite difficult to eat it, as the cups tapered towards the base and had little sense of balance. The puff pastry stuck onto the mouth of the cup that if one were to consume all that pastry the only option was to hold the cup and chew on the lid to eat the pastry.

In spite of the inconvenience, the flavours were the merit of the dish. The oil was just delicious, redolent with the herbs. The escargot had the right texture, and it was not tough to the teeth. The more typical way of serving escargot was on an escargot plate with several depressions. Even with the puff pastry on top, it would have been more practical to eat escargot that way. A fancier way of serving it would be creating little escargot pies, but with all the oil, a little bit of skill and innovation would be required.

For the main dish, Steak and Egg (Php495) were ordered. Oriental hues characterized the dish, as the steak and the egg were served over kimchi fried rice. The steak was done medium, and it was very good. The center was pink and the outer ring had the brownish-greyish color of cooked beef. The beef was definitely seared well, and it was tender to the bite. The dish would have worked better if thin chops of beef akin to Japanese-style teppanyaki were used. But then, we do not know whether the intention was to capitalise on the steak and egg, and the kimchi rice as a secondary means executed for delivering the dish. But then again, we feel organic unity should be deeply considered.

Lastly, Macaroni and Cheese (Php280) was had. A mixture of gruyere and cheddar was used. Not too salty, this must be the ode to the macaroni and cheese found in school cafeterias. The generous incorporation of cheese was just too comforting - the flavours pervade gently in the palate.

Wildflour Café + Bakery indeed does teach diners a lesson or two on what a good dining experience is. Good points abound, and so do points for improvement. And we also realise what it really feels like coming back after the initial try - a deepening of perspectives, as it were.

But definitely, this is one of the restaurants that we will always keep on coming back to. The fennel bulbs can only hope that Wildflour Café + Bakery will keep on doing their best!

Wildflour Café + Bakery

Wildflour Café + Bakery at the Fort Bonifacio Global City's Net Lima Building has already garnered much acclaim in the local dining scene. The fennel bulbs would like to start off this entry by confirming the fact that yes, it rightfully deserves the acclaim.

The restaurant opens its doors from 0800h and this time, we decided to have brunch. The place was already full when we arrived, so we were given outdoor seats. It was okay, as it turned out to be quieter than indoors. The place is more like a bistro that bakes pastries and bread. From the outside, the restaurant, with its glass walls, its staff busily attending to the customers, a view of the kitchen where one can watch bread being kneaded, and freshly baked produce on display conjures scenes of a restaurant in some New York City neighbourhood, say, Tribeca.

For brunch, the Wildflour Breakfast (Php390) was ordered. This was a set comprised of two eggs, crispy potatoes, and homemade pork belly sausage. Some toast bread was served as accompaniment. Noteworthy was the sausage, which tasted very good. One could just imagine which herbs were mixed with the minced pork. And the taste of the meat did not have any of the occasional unpleasantness that comes with pork. Good quality pork belly was definitely used. The toasted breads were of course delightful. A very hearty meal indeed!

For vegetables, an arugula salad with bacon vinaigrette and parmesan was ordered. An egg, fried sunny-side up was placed on top. The parmesan and the bacon added the overall salty nature of the flavour of this dish. However, the vinaigrette complimented the saltiness. The vegetables were crisp and it could very well do as a light meal.

 

Fried Chicken Sandwich (Php390) was also ordered. Buttermilk buns were used for the bread. The chicken was golden brown, and had that perfect crisp to its breading, which tasted really good. The chicken was of the right texture and it was juicy. The jalapeno slaw was also very good, with sweet hints of the mayonnaise and the heat and acidity of the jalapeno peppers blending pleasantly well. This was a comforting sandwich, indeed. Fries came with the sandwich, with aioli dip.

Lastly, the pumpkin pecan pie (Php170) was ordered. This was a very good pie. The pumpkins were mashed and turned into a thick mixture of custard-like consistency. The pecans added another dimension in terms of texture and flavour. [A scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is sure to turn around the worst of moods.]

With great food and friendly and efficient staff, definitely, more will be tried out at Wildflour Café + Bakery.

La Champetre

French cuisine is one of the most enduring cuisines in the world; and perhaps, it is one of those cuisines with a categorized gastronomy. It's one of those cuisines with so many school of thought, as it were, that it seems one can't really venture into it without acquiring a certain level of knowledge. In any case, it shouldn't be reason why the average person should get intimidated from trying French food. 

In contrast to its elitist image, there is regional French cuisine. This is food prepared and eaten by the local people; and this is what comes to mind when one eats at La Champetre ("The Peasant", in English), at the Fort. Previously known as "Je suis Gourmand", this restaurant seems to offer more or less the same selection as its predecessor. 

For starters, the fennelbulbs had soup. First was the gratinated french onion soup (Php140). It was served piping hot straight from the oven. It was rich, with a hint of sweetness from the cooked onions, which was offset by the saltiness of the cheese. 

Next is the soup of the day which happened to be a tomato soup with watercress sauce laced on top (Php180). It was a refreshing respite from the richness of the onion soup. The peppery flavour of the watercress blends well into the tomatoes. 

Next is the salad topped with warm chavignol cheese stuffed in phyllo pastry (Php390). This is a sublime dish and there are many layers to talk about. Firstly the choice of vegetables - courgettes, lettuce, tomatoes, and black olives - blend well to produce an overall slightly acidic taste, much of it imparted by the dressing. Then secondly, the chavignol cheese - goat's cheese - has a tad salty taste to it but rather on the light side, reminiscent of cream cheese. And thirdly, the texture - there's a phyllo pastry that adds a new dimension to the dish. And it's an experience to basically gather a little bite-sized piece of the pastry with the vegetables, and taste them altogether. 

For the main course, trout in mustard sauce was ordered (Php690). Trout is a freshwater fish and so it has a distinct, lingering flavour. The mustard neutralizes the flavour and an overall pleasant tasting dish is the result. The taste is rather Northern European due to the use of mustard, cream, and a fatty freshwater fish. Parsley potatoes and salad are served on the side. 

Last is the very iconic French dish, the Coq au Vin (Php480). This is chicken stewed in a rich red wine sauce. The rich, herby taste can only be acquired through long hours of simmering. The chicken is cooked perfectly such that slicing through the flesh is a very easy task. Carrots, bell peppers, onions, and potatoes are mixed in. It is another homely dish, as it were. 

Dishes are priced reasonably, and the service is satisfactory. With its convenient and quiet location, La Champetre is a nice restaurant serving great food.