Thursday, November 8, 2018

The Malayan Plaza: Executive Lounge

The Malayan Plaza's Executive Lounge gets a makeover!



The hotel's all day restaurant located on the 33rd floor now presents an inviting space to enjoy scrumptious food and a great view of the Ortigas Center and its neighboring areas any time of the day.
Now featuring modern mood lighting and updated furnishings, it's not only a place to have breakfast, but dinner as well. "While taking their breakfast, they can have a view of the Wack-Wack Golf Course and Rizal," says Ernie Baclayon, General Manager of The Malayan Plaza. "At night, they can enjoy private dining with the lighted skyline of Ortigas, of Manila in front and Rizal at the back (of the restaurant)."
A few days ago, we were invited for a private dinner at the Executive Lounge, where we got a taste of Chef Aldrin Gamulo's creations. 

To start us off, we had the Feather Line - a cocktail with Campari vodka, sauvignon blanc, peach syrup, apple juice, and lemon juice. It was a bit strong in my opinion and had some aftertaste to it, but once the ice melted, it seemed to have gotten a lot better. I only took a few sips since this was only the first of many drinks for the night.

Soon, the apertivos arrived. At first we thought it was just one dish, but apparently, it's four appetizers put together. It's not something that's usually done in restaurants (at least not that I know of and I'm not exactly sure why they did it), but I quite liked the flavors in each, especially the adobo and the tuna tartare. I was initially expecting a light appetizer, but these turned out to be quite filling.
Quesillo con Tomate
pressed feta and Cavite's kesong puti, parmesan tulies, farm fresh tomato, herbs, bread sticks, oil, and garlic

Chorizo Pamplona and Manchego
chorizo pamplona flowerets and shavings of manchego cheese, tomatoes, and greens drizzled with white truffle oil

Adobar con Carne
heritage recipe of adobo, prime beef in balsamic and soy reduction

Tuna Tartare
sashimi grade Gen San tuna wrapped in paprika infused flour crepes, capsicum and habaneros, special dressing and hint of wasabi
Next served is the Salmorejo - a soup normally served cold, but in this case, it's warm. It's a Gazpacho inspired soup with egg yolk, roasted tuna flakes, and bread rods. Didn't really taste much of the egg yolk nor got a bite of tuna flakes though. In fact, it reminded me of minestrone soup with just the right amount of spice.
Our third course consisted of Watermelon & Greens in Balsamic Glaze.

The menu said it had arugula and chestnut, but I didn't find any on my plate. Not sure why that's the case. I also kind of wish the watermelon they used were seedless.

That evening, we were presented with four mains. First, we got the Almejas, Mejillones con Escabeche.

I really liked the mix of clams and mussels especially dipped in white wine and herbs. So flavorful!

I also enjoyed the Talakitok Con Misono. Jackfish and thin tuna sashimi in misono jus topped with cucumber salsa and sugar beet paste. Separately, it was alright, but try to get a bit of everything in one bite and you'll definitely be surprised.

For fans of Callos, you'll be glad to know that Chef Aldrin has it in the menu. Ox tripe, tendered kidney beans, and chorizo de bilbao topped with mashed potatoes and cheese.

Last but not the least is the Shitake Wagyu Bar. I mean seriously, who doesn't like wagyu? This one is medium grilled with mashed potato, fresh shitake, and button mushrooms. It's SO GOOD!! I wish I could've had more of this, but alas, I had to leave room for dessert.

We were served two drinks to go with the mains - a Green & Citrus Martini and Tayabas Sangria.

For dessert, we were presented the colorful Bourbon Plate with dragonfruit, orange, lime, pear, and bourbon cream. To be honest, I don't eat dragonfruit but I wiped this plate clean. Masarap pala siya??

The Arte de Remo was our last dish for the night. I wasn't excited about the thought of desiccated coconuts in my dessert, but this blew my mind. Basically cream cheese, oats, and desiccated coconut. What a masterpiece!

Pair it with their Mango and Passionfruit Colada - my favorite out of all the drinks we had.

The next time you're looking to have an exclusive, private party for a small group - may it be for a meeting or a special occasion - consider The Executive Lounge. You're in for a different kind of dinner and an amazing view too! ;)
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