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.

Fire Lake Grill

As all of metropolitan Manila bakes under the heat of the summer sun, the fennel bulbs decided to go up the town of Tagaytay, some 50 kilometres away, located on a volcanic ridge that overlooks the very scenic Taal Lake. It has become very famous as a tourist destination for both locals and foreigners alike. In addition, its cooler weather allows one to grow herbs and organic vegetable farming is common in the area. As such, there are countless good restaurants that have set up shop in the area.

The Cliffhouse, located along General Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, is not far from the Tagaytay Rotunda. It is a rather compact complex of quaint restaurants with a commanding view of Taal Lake. One restaurant that has established quite a reputation is the Fire Lake Grill, known in little circles in Manila for its good steaks, amongst other equally competitive offerings.

Two refreshing salads were ordered: blackened beef salad with Asian greens, sesame Thai chilli dressing and blue cheese crumble (Php370), and rare tuna tataki slices with a Nicoise-style salad in lime cilantro dressing (Php330). The blackened beef had a smokey and robust taste to it, and it went well with the sweetness of the dressing. The pungency of the blue cheese added a different dimension. It was an excellent salad. Beef as a major ingredient in a dish could actually be cool and refreshing, as it has been pulled off by this salad.

The tuna salad was also formidable. The tuna was fresh and delicious; it also have often been paired with Nicoise salad as the flavours and textures of both produce a hearty yet refreshing dish. The lime cilantro dressing tasted mildly, which went well with the Nicoise greens (which was dominated by string beans).

Fettuccine pasta in black truffle cream sauce with smoked garlic sausage and shiitake mushrooms (Php360) was ordered afterwards. One had to commend that this was a very good dish. The fettuccine was cooked al dente, and the bulkiness of the pasta was adequately dressed with very delicious sauce. The truffle cream's pungency blended well with the strong flavors of the garlic sausage. The blend of broad and linear flavors from the truffle cream and the vertical accentuation of the sausage was simply delightful.

Lastly, porterhouse steak (1900Php, 700g) was ordered. It was served with red wine shallot sauce, whose dark flavours complement the meat well. The steak was done medium, although there were some parts that were rather cooked unevenly. Despite the absence of collagen in a T-bone steak, some portions were unexpectedly a bit uncomfortably tough. We were just not quite sure as to whether porterhouse steaks were just meant to be tougher on the outer edges and softer as it approaches the bone, or some particular cooking methods could be adopted to ensure an even consistency throughout.

The Fire Lake Grill offers excellent cuisine at reasonable prices. With a breathtaking location, it is indeed one restaurant worth coming back to.