IN the movie “Babette’s Feast,” Babette is a French lady who finds refuge in a pastor’s home in Denmark during the war and works as their cook. As the war ends, she receives a letter saying she won the lotto, giving her the opportunity to leave Denmark and go back to Paris. Before she leaves, she requests her employers to allow her to cook a real French banquet for them. She spends all her lotto winnings shopping for ingredients in Paris. The Danes try to hide how petrified they were on seeing her return loaded with turtles and quails.
I share this story because I just ate quail at Masseto. I ordered it, curious as to its taste, the visual of Caille en Sarcophage avec Sauce Perigourdine (quail in puff pastry shell with foie gras and truffle sauce) served by Babette in the movie – and the extreme appreciation of the General after tasting it – still fresh in my mind.
“I believe we are the only ones who serve quail in Metro Manila,” said the classy hostess at Masseto with a smile. “If you learn of any other restaurant serving this, please inform us.”
But at Masseto, it wasn’t as I imagined it at all. Nothing beyond or beneath expectations, mind you; just different. Here it was presented like a sausage, wrapped in Jamon Serrano. It was very indulgent, like a beautiful girl dressed to the nines. I thought, “Maganda na, binihisan pa [pretty enough even without the trimmings].” In fact it’s quite an elaborate dish, very well worth elaborating to readers:
The quail, to begin with, is already very flavorful. Quail – at least as Masseto’s Chef Tippy Tambunting cooked it – is not thready like chicken, (probably because it’s not fowl but a fowl-like bird?), but tender and a little gamey. Clearly capitalizing on texture more than on flavor, the quail is wrapped in something whose suave saltiness offers an oomph factor, the Jamon Serrano. To temper the loudness of the combination, there are sides of beautifully roasted potatoes. And as you dip the meat in the sauce, you taste something sweet. “It must be the onions,” I thought to myself, remembering how my mother always reminded me that onions are sweet. No, my taste buds insist, there’s sugar somewhere in there. But it turns out it’s something even better: there’s cinnamon.
Foie Gras Ravioli This complex dish, presented as if there was no sweat to it at all, is indicative of what to expect at this classy new restaurant in Salcedo Village. The week’s special is another example. It’s mushroom pasta, but way beyond ordinary. The pasta is tagliatelle and the mushrooms are morel. “Is there truffle oil in this pasta?” I wondered aloud. “No,” said The Doctor, who suddenly turned into a mushroom expert. “It’s just the morel. These mushrooms are valued like truffles.” I didn’t bother to argue.
Yet another example is the corned beef eggs benedict, offered at Saturday brunch. I ordered it upon the recommendation of the Lady Gourmets Who Lunch and was thrilled that I did. Why hasn’t anyone else thought of this, I wondered. I remembered Apartment 1B’s salmon eggs benedict that has topped my list year after year for favorite breakfast fare. This benedict competes. To begin with, the corned beef is gorgeous, comparable to the decades-old favorite, Old Swiss Inn’s classic corned beef. Then against the runny poached eggs, it’s heaven. From now on, every time I have any other eggs benedict with good old ham, I will remember and compare this Masseto’s corned beef.
House Cured Salmon Equally as entertaining – and appealing to this proud Pinay – is how some of the chef’s creations, in spite of being so cosmopolitan, reminded me of something Pinoy. There is an item on the menu that reads, “Foie Gras Ravioli, Broth.” The broth brought me to L’ Fisher in Bacolod because it reminded me of their molo! But the ravioli was like nothing you have ever tried. It is so rich, you understand why it has to be doused in water. There are only four pieces but they’re more than enough, considering how rich the dish is.
Meanwhile, the appetizer of House Cured Salmon with Potato Strings reminded me of okoy (shrimp fritters). Mind you, that’s because I’m pedestrian; the dish isn’t. It’s a bed of potato strings (that reminded me of Piknik) with salmon resting atop. The softness of the salmon is amazing against the crunchiness of the potato strings, making it a truly delightful appetizer. It is quite rich, though, that you can only have so much.
In fact, rich and salty is an ongoing theme. If you have issues with salt, it might be wise to caution the kitchen as you order. There are greens on the plate, though, that can do the trick. I played with my appetizers and rolled the salmon and potatoes in the accompanying greens and pleasantly found the flavors suddenly balanced out. Their cheeseburger – or should I say Provolone burger – I predict, is poised to be called one of the best in the metro. The meat is juicy, moist and otherwise superb but may be a little salt-happy to the salt-conscious, needing temperance from the bread and greens.
Dessert for Two Sizes are considerable. The duck is impossible to finish alone unless you’ve just come from ballroom dancing or maybe a game of Ultimate Frisbee. The rib-eye is no ladies cut. An order of wine is measured until half the glass and if the bottle’s about to be finished anyway, if you ordered by the glass, they will let you finish it.
More impressively, the restaurant has a sommelier. He will walk you through the restaurant’s selections, which includes a P75,000 Chateau Margaux. But even the waiters are on hand to assist neophyte oenophiles. When I had the quail, the waiter guided me to pairing it with a Cabernet Sauvignon instead of a Pinot Noir. He was right!
This restaurant is fine dining. Service is impeccable and the interiors are elegant, complete with Arturo Luz paintings. It’s a lovely setting for a date or a power lunch. (Quick note to the ladies: hold off on that too-sexy cocktail dress because the air conditioner is centralized and it gets really cold!) Don’t expect the meal to come cheap, though. In “Babette’s Feast,” it cost her all her lotto money to pay for the banquet! You can expect to experience the same at Masseto. •
Masseto.
114 Valero St, Salcedo Village.
(Note: Valero is one way. Masseto is two buildings from Rufino, formerly Herrera.)
Tel. 810 3565, 338 0929. Reservations recommended.
Major credit cards accepted. Around P1000-P1,500/head.
No wheelchair access (staircase to entrance).
Open Mon-Sat 11:45 a.m.- 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Saturday brunch 11 a.m. Closed on Sundays. |
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