Greens, meat and sweets with Mama Hen

 

Turning at the Highlander Steakhouse driveway, this was all I could see. The dense fog blocked all view from the ridge.

  

The Highlander Steakhouse interiors has that authentic log cabin look.

  

The restaurant's antler chandelier got dressed up for the season!

IT FELT like we could make it a scene straight out of a Western or of a 15^th century vagabond roasting meat over a roaring fire.  It was the really dense fog that conjured up these images in my head.

Stepping out of the car, the chill in the breeze pierced through my pique polo shirt and I knew I was back to a familiar place, unforgettable to me for their 20-oz. dry-aged certified U.S. Angus Beef Rib Eye Steak – the Highlander Steakhouse at Tagaytay Highlands.  I first wrote about it here.  But unlike in that first experience, my lunch last December 21^st was embraced in the thickest concentration of water droplets suspended so near the ground it rid me of all visibility.  It took our hostess’ generosity to warm the surroundings and my heart, making me truly feel it’s already that time of the year.

The hostess with the mostest happens to be Mama Hen, our top legal eagle at both multinational companies I have had the pleasure to work in.  To a certain extent, I feel like she is my adoptive mother.  But her interest with me came much later so her family’s looks and her flawless complexion have never rubbed off on me.  Hahaha!

I espied Mama Hen's brand spanking new Tod's bag!

Bling it on! I couldn't help but ask for a shot of that diamond. It was he size of my thumbnail! Probably bigger.

A tight shot of that bling bling!

Everytime we share a meal, I feel so taken care of.  She never fails to remind me of that first dinner we had together and how it has brought about the lasting impression she and her husband has had about my legendary appetite.  In the small details – she sharing her pot of tea with me, she asking me if I prefer rice over the potatoes, she allowing me to get served first, she asking the wait staff to tell me about the dessert options, she constantly referring to me as “growing boy” – I can’t deny just how much premium Mama Hen puts to valuing her friendships.  And just how much – even in all my decades of existence – she still sees me as that shy, unassuming boy who needed at least six cups of rice to feel satiated.

Mama Hen always remembers and can make anybody feel so loved.  Thanks for always remembering me (the same goes out to the one person who always makes it a point I make it to these get-togethers – Ms. Jo!).

The complimentary bread – a small French Baguette and a small Tuscan Round – came stylishly nestled on a cutting board with a knife dramatically wedged in.

A slice of the baguette. I finished almost half the bread!

 

A slice of the Tuscan round, which I liked better than the baguette. I finished almost one whole of this.

 

Salad of hearts of romaine lettuce with smoked salmon, bacon bits, croutons, and freshly saved parmesan cheese in a light vinaigrette.

 

A tight shot of the yummy smoked salmon.

 

A portion I served myself. I had a couple more helpings after this one!

 

The Steakhouse Clam Chowder

 

The star of the lunch – the fabulous air-dried aged U.S. steak! This was my first serving. Hahaha!

 

The steak with a side of sweet grilled vegetables. My favorite was the zucchini.

 

The sweetness of the grilled roma tomato went perfectly with a cut of steak doused with A1 steak sauce.

 

The steak came with plates of grilled vegetables – green beans, eggplant, carrots, onions, and zucchini.

 

... and the crunchiest French Fries!

 

Plenty of steak sauce options – mushroom, pepper, and a red wine reduction.

 

I had this Flourless Chocolate Cake for dessert. It had the most delicate texture and flavor, with the subtle hint of orange.

 

Mama Hen asked for this Apple Tart with a yummy steusel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

Others favored the Blueberry Cheesecake.

 

I washed everything down with Hot Green Tea infused with Jasmine Blossoms. The lady at the background is Ms. Jo – simply the most thoughtful colleague there is!

 

I sipped cold water from this lovely crystal.

 

I couldn't figure out what the stamps were on my dessert fork.

 

My Western-themed main course plate.

 

The very lovely and gracious Mama Hen (fifth from left) with the rest of the gang – Vi, Glendz, Vic, my good good friend Ms. Jo, Cynch, and Gus.

 

On our way out, it finally cleared.

 

View at the top, where the Steakhouse is.

 

I took this shot while we were speeding off... Wow, my Canon Digital IXUS 860IS has a good stabilizer!

 

All throughout the meal, I'd keep on glancing at this window beside me. I found the play of light through thick fog, through the frosted glass poignant and melancholic.

 

 

Copyright © 2009 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MuchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Cake from wedded bliss

I DIDN’T really know where this came from.  I mean, it was given to me by Ian and Marie Subido on the evening of their wedding reception.  But I didn’t really know where they got this.  My best guess would be from the house bakeshop of the Diamond Hotel Philippines.  But I could be wrong as it could have easily come from another supplier.  The box and the card didn’t bear a single iota of a clue to trace it back to its origin.  But mind you, the box was pretty, a shimmering gold that contrasted beautifully with the pepperminty green ribbon that bound it shut – with only a cellophane window to allow a peek into the sinful content.

"Let eNTeNG have cake!" – yummy gift from newlyweds Ian and Marie Subido.

I’m not a huge cake person.  But I do appreciate cakes – a whole lot.  I’ve always been a great fan of Cupcakes by Sonja, which to me are cake masterpieces all their own – just miniaturized.  I think that explains my love affair with cakes – I can only take them a little at a time!  But I do appreciate a good cake when I sink my teeth into one.  Just last weekend, I lazed motionless watching taped episodes of “My Celebrity Home” limited only to gastrointestinal motility with just the piercing motions of the fork in my hand through a dark mocha cake.

This pretty sight greeted me when I lifted the box cover.

Which reminded me of this cake from my newly wedded friends.  The top was covered with a layer of really good mango puree, almost like a sauce.  The bright yellow surface was decorated with silly strings of chocolate sauce, as if emanating from the mound of candied cherries and walnuts clumped on one side.  Tightly fencing the circumference of the cake were ruched clouds of thick whipped cream also covered generously with strings of chocolate sauce, though this time in a unidirectional diagonal pattern.  The cream frosting cascaded down to the sides before they got generously slathered with shavings of dark chocolate.

Mango puree, chocolate sauce, thick whipped cream, generous amount of chocolate shavings... what's not to love?!

Cutting through the cake, a three-tiered surprise was revealed.  Just beneath the mango puree lay what seemed to me as a meringue chockful with nuts.  It was chewy and reminded me actually of sansrival – except for the obvious cutback on the sweetness.  At the bottom of the cake was a dense, crumbly dark chocolate crust that almost felt like it was made from crushed cookies.  I loved that it was packed firm and had just the perfect bitterness to foil all the sweetness going on.  And sandwiched in between the meringue and the cookie crumb-like crust was some sort of chocolate mousse.  It was smooth.  It was delicate.  It was rich and frothy but didn’t annoy with its sweetness.

Doesn't that slice look so good?!

Probably on its own – just the three layers of meringue, mousse and crust – the cake would be good.  But the addition of the mango puree on top made the whole confection great.  And the best thing about it was that the sweetness really tasted natural, obviously coming more from the goodness of mangoes than cups upon cups of refined sugar, that the resulting treat was far from being cloying.  So far.

We took it out of refrigeration to get small helpings.  But sadly, this cake didn’t see the light of the next day.

A close shot of the first slice. My fave layer? The mousse =)

Stare. Spread. Flip. Enjoy.

I’VE NEVER gushed unabashedly about anything since Cupcakes by Sonja.  Until now.  All I could talk about at work yesterday was Pepper Lunch.

To think that at the time all I’d had was just the Double Beef Pepper Rice!

Sizzle it your way!

 

Look for this for good steak! That's the Pepper Lunch signage at their newly opened Alabang Town Center branch!

So to make good on the personal targets I had set last week (“targets” – oh it sounds so SONA-ish…  hahaha!), I returned to Pepper Lunch at Alabang Town Center after office hours yesterday.  I invited a couple of friends to this gustatory adventure – Brother (a steak authority himself) and Francis.

We asked for two Tokusen Rib Eye Steaks (Php 585.00* each, a la carte) and one Shimofuri Pepper Steak (Php 570.00* a la carte).  We made our accompaniment the Mixed Pepper Rice.  And we had to cap a fabulous dinner with luscious desserts – the Molten Chocolate Cake A La Mode and the Vanilla Crepe Cake A La Mode.

Francis's Tokusen Rib Eye Steak!

I stared

The moment the patented sizzling plates hit the table, the first thought that cropped up in my head – as if carried by the gusts of steam – was “truth in advertising.”  Up to that point, I had actually saved up – for these steaks – whatever capability I had for understanding for a day.  I mean, I would have understood if they were smaller in actuality against how they appeared on the menu.  But they sure weren’t!  The Tokusen Rib Eye Steak was cut considerably thick and looked really fresh, red and every inch the tender and nicely “fat” cut of beef rib eye is supposed to be.  As for the Shimofuri, I have to say that I’ve never seen something marbled with fat so prettily.

Brother's Tokusen Ribe Eye Steak!

My Shimofuri Pepper Steak!

I spread

As if an homage to my unabashed enthusiasm for cupcakes of days gone by, a “kiss” of a tan-colored cream sat on top of the reddish pink meat, seemingly piped in place by a pastry bag with a floral tip.  “This must be the special, unique butter that I need to spread on the steak as it cooks,” I said to myself.  So spread I did!  I felt the creaminess of the “unique” butter as I distribute it on top of the meat, noting how poetic it melted and cascaded down the developing crust that was the sides of the meat.

The Tokusen Rib Eye Steak flipped to the other side.

I flipped

As the molten butter sizzled, flowing perfectly into the fat that had earlier been hissing already on the sizzling plate, I glided the tines of the fork carefully under the steak, not wanting to pierce the seared meat.  With one quick action, I flipped each cut to sear the other side.  More hissing action ensued.  In two minutes, I had no other choice but to move towards satisfying my craving.

Halfway through to enjoying the Shimofuri Pepper Steak.

I enjoyed

With the orange chopsticks, I picked up one cut of my Shimofuri steak and put it in my mouth, being very careful not to burn my tongue.  And I have to say, Pepper Lunch’s Shimofuri steak has got to be one of the most tender steaks I have ever had.  I was preparing myself to chew, only to realize that I didn’t even have to.  The meat literally felt like soft butter in my mouth.  In describing some of my successful gastronomic adventures, I would be holding back in saying something as “literally melting in my mouth.”  But the steak I had at Pepper Lunch deserved nothing less for a description.  And I liked it the way it was, just flavored with the fragrant outermost shell of black pepper that the store prepared for the day.  In between bites of the meat, I helped myself to the generous heap of high quality mung bean sprouts and the mixed pepper rice I had in the bowl on my hand.

Just the way I like my steak - seared but kept moist and juicy, and pink in the center. Apparently, cooking on the high heat available thru Pepper Lunch's patented sizzling plate does just that!

To cap this unforgettable steak dinner, I made good on yet another promise – to try the desserts!  I asked for a la mode renditions of the Vanilla Crepe Cake and the Molten Chocolate Cake.

The Vanilla Crepe Cake was a patient work of art.  Imagine thin layers of crepe piled one on top of another, separated only by the subtle hint of vanilla-flavored cream in between.  I’ve loved crepes so much that whenever I’d have it, what I would actually do is remove the filling and just enjoy the very thin, very light pancake.  Thanks to Pepper Lunch’s Vanilla Crepe Cake, I got to live this “fantasy” dessert many many layers over!

The Vanilla Crepe Cake!

 

Now one of my fave desserts - Pepper Lunch's Vanilla Crepe Cake!

With a name like Molten Chocolate Cake, I expected a cake that at the very least, should be warm.  And I wasn’t disappointed.  Pepper Lunch’s version was so much more – perfectly “half-baked”, slathered – no! – blanketed with good chocalte fudge, and dusted with (I think) chocolate or coffee powder.  I turned into a giddy kid armed with a teaspoon.  I aimed for the domed cake top, pierced it, and waited for the molten chocolate to ooze out.  I took a good teaspoonful of everything and tasted what could very well be the best cake Php 120.00 (a la carte) could buy.  I closed my eyes and dreamt away.

Molten Chocolate Cake

 

The molten chocolate seeps out of the Molten Chocolate Cake!

Brother and Francis had to wake me up.  The desserts were that good!

Our desserts were "a la mode" so we had two of these - the lovely (vanilla) ice cream!

 

"Clark" (that's my "coffee name") has a new favorite - Pepper Lunch!

 

I forgot to get Brothers "dish up" slip before his tray was taken away.

*a la carte prices corrected from previous post

A masterpiece confection of edible art

[This post has been a long time coming. Finally, I got a picture to accompany my short prose!  Thanks to my good good friend Rizzie Ocampo Lontoc for allowing me to write about this.]

 

Bom & Rizzie's three-tiered wedding cake by Ms. Judy Uson

WAY NEXT to the radiant bride, it is the cake that takes the center stage in any wedding celebration.  Center stage or whichever side of the stage the coordinators decide to perch what has long been touted as a symbol of a newly wedded couple’s willingness to share with each other (they feed forkfuls to each other, don’t they?!).  But regardless of the position, the wedding cake takes its rightful place of unquestionable prominence and importance.

That’s the reason why I always – always – take a good look at the wedding cake.  I don’t really remember relishing a piece of these cakes as there would almost always be no opportune time to get a slice (Note to self: eNTeNG, you’re not part of the happy couple! Quit stalking the cake! Hahaha!).  But good thing that the sight of these cakes was always enough to satiate the craving of the eyes and the grumbling of the stomach.  It is safe – and fair – to say that I’ve never seen any “unpretty” wedding cakes.

But there is one wedding cake that has stood out in my mind up to now – over six months since I saw it.  It was my good good friends’ Bom & Rizzie’s wedding cake – a Judy Uson original!  It was a three-tiered, three-flavor white fondant-covered cake of mocha, chocolate, and carrot, beautifully festooned with sugar blooms of peonies, calla lilies, and roses, among many others.  More than anything else, I look back and see a wedding cake that successfully reflected my friend Rizzie as a bride on her most special day – stylishly simple and understatedly elegant.  The edible sugar flowers – not your typical commercially available dull sugar roses – exploded in shades of purple, Rizzie’s color motif, while managing to not really scream “color motif”!  That’s quite a feat for Ms. Uson who clearly is more than a pastry chef, she is a cake artist – to the truest sense of the words!

Bom & Rizzie’s wedding still comes back to me as one of the best I’ve ever been to.  And from the many spots where I stood as their reception emcee, I would always see just how perfect the Blue Leaf Pavilion set-up was.  But I would always vividly recall just how their wedding cake managed to help put focus to such a joyous – breathtaking for the most part – occasion, as it mirrored the lovely bride, my good friend.

That's me with my good good friends Rizzie & Bom.