Mystery Critic
The Best Restaurants Out There - And Much More!
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For Bonifacio, Taguig, Philippines Last Visit: Sep 2009
OVERALL I am NOT giving out generous ratings to this restaurant because it's in the Philippines or because I was too desperate to find a top-notch French restaurant (afterall, there's a great one right downstairs, Le Souffle!!). Aubergine a truly remarkable restaurant, well designed, planned and executed and every way, and the food is just downright EXQUISITE! Even if you are French, you should check it out when you visit Manila.  FOOD The first thing you'd notice about every dish is that they are presented like artwork - just the way those laborious Parisiens would do to their food even if they don't taste that good. In the case of Aubergine, however, every dish offers a pleasant surprise and overwhelms our eyes and tastebuds to the extreme. To be totally honest, we didn't even go on a regular day - we only tried the P999 (US$20) lunch special offered during the wine and food festival and it was already out-of-this-world good. When we first sat down, our waiters told us (in the typically brutally-honest Filipino way) that our breadsticks are "on the way". ON THE WAY?? That really, really worried us - we didn't spend a ton of money to have S&R (equivalent of CostCo) bread!! Well guess what, wherever they get those breadsticks from they, they are downright delicious. I had to fight with my kids to get an extra one! The appetizers followed and they are both delicious to look at and to taste. Both the raw tuna and beef MELT in my mouth and leaving a refreshing, not bloody, aftertaste. The soup was simple but simply spectacular, with a well-balance taste of pumkin and cream, topped off with aroma from light spices. I'd finish a bucket but too bad it was just a small bowl.
I've gone to too many French and Italian restaurants where appetizers are great but entrees are lackluster. Well, Aubergine had outdone itself with the entrees!! The seabass and beef tenderloin were both done to perfection, with the typical French au jus sauce on the side. The sauces were on the light side but it's both refreshing and enticing, i.e. plate-licking good! The seafood medley had impressive ingredients and came in a pretty stunning presentation, but unfortunately is was almost the least favorful dish. Fortunately, the paella rice beneath it lifted the dish up and gave it a kick.
Let me not even go into desserts else I would have to go back there tonight.... The chocolate souffle with creme anglais was - you guessed it - as good or better than what Le Souffle serve. :P What's the deal with Filipinos cooks and souffles - like they are born to know how to make it?? The macarons and chocolates were obviously good too but my kids devoured them before I could take a good picture. Overall, the food is the BEST I've had in the Philippines, they truly deserve a FIVE for an oustanding selection on ingredients, attention to details and creativity in both presentation and taste. SERVICE They would have received five stars if it wasn't for some young boy who looks 17 years old and was obvious being coached when he was helping the main waiter. In fact, all the waiters looked pretty nervous for some strange reason, but they really tried very very hard to act professional and do things exactly how a Michelin-starred restaurant would do. One small detail is that I noticed they are trained to try to orient the dish so that it looks the nicest to the person in front of it, which is a cool thing to do and demonstrates attention to detail. The interior of the restaurant is uniquely designed but well laid-out with lots of creativity. For anyone who's into wines, they make sure you can't miss the wine cellar - it's right in the middle of the restaurant! The open kitchen behind the glass is a nice touch, and it shows the confidence of the owner, because even the kitchen is meticulously organized and cleaned all the time while they are wiping off some amazing dishes.
Let's not even get into the surrounding though. You would think this restaurant is in a super nice mall, like Greenbelt, or at least first story of a nice commerce area. It is in a decent area but located in the second story of a bizarre and small food and shopping complex. You get to see exciting view of a hospital, construction site and car shops. I guess they can't be good at everything!
VALUE I can't complain about the value because I got the festival special - P999 for three-course meal with wine! It's an outrageous value for such an outstanding and luxurious treat, but after I saw the menu I realized that I was extremely lucky. If you order from the menu, a normal meal will set you back P20000-P2500 without the wine. The wine is not too marked up but you will be tempted by some exquisite selections. To be fair, this is not exactly the French Bakery so they need to charge the high-end prices to stay high-end, and trust me, a meal of the same caliber will set you back for $100 in New York or Napa Valley, guaranteed! Alright, imagine a top-notch Michelin-star French guormet restaurant sitting on the 2nd floor of a shopping center, with a couple young lad TRYING hard to serve you right.... If you are not bothered by this picture, you will be TRULY impressed by some of the most spectacular nouveau French cooking you will ever taste - Even when compared with Paris, New York and San Fran! Make way for this restaurant, Manila, because the already-high standards for European cuisine has just been elevated! BTW I've passed by Aubergine often but I've never seen it very busy. I am not sure why but I think we should raise awareness of the restaurant on the internet (and I get NOTHING for doing this promotional blurb!!) so that we the gourmet bugs will have a place to call home! FRENCH PEOPLE living in Manila, make this place the next restaurant you eat out at!
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