Kashmir Restaurant's Rhaan Roast Masala

My first vivid encounter with the South Asian cuisine was in Toronto, courtesy of Pakistani friends I made during a training. They were kind enough to invite us to a restaurant serving excellent South Asian food, and I've always hoped to recreate that experience ever since. A string of disappointing meals at mall-based restaurants and a well-regarded hole-in-the-wall led me to the point where I would pay more just to get my South Asian/Middle Eastern fix. I remember seeing a branch of Kashmir Restaurant near where I work but delayed going there, fearing that the restaurant would be old and musty. Although the familiar scent of incense and the sound of Indian music greeted me at the entrance, I was happy to see that the restaurant's interiors were livened up by splashes of  bright orange, apple green, and purple. 

I ordered the rhaan (also spelled raan) roast masala (roast leg of lamb). Masala is a spice mix. It may refer to a garam (hot) masala, a blend of ground spices common in South Asian cuisine, and this may contain black and white peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, black and white cumin seeds, black, brown, and green cardamon pods. I love the hefty serving and the tender meat. I paired the dish with pillowy, creamy naan--grilled leavened soft bread roasted in tandoor (clay) oven--to soak up the spicy sauce. I love that they did not stint on the heat. In no time at all, my tongue was burning and I was sweating like a pig. Life is good. 

For a related post, click here. 

Kashmir
Merchant's Center Bldg
Ermita, Manila
(+63) 02 524-6851

Craving for Something French? Try Brasserie Le Girolle

The nippy weather we've been having lately calls for a warm, filling dish, such as the two I'm featuring today from French restaurant Brasserie Le Girolle. Oh, relax. Since this is a brasserie, one need not be stiff. The focus should be one's company, aided by the meal in a casual setting.

The first dish is the Saint Jacques Poele--pan-fried US scallops in mushroom sauce. I love this, primarily because I have a soft spot for scallops, which, in this case, were fresh and buttery soft. The different elements melded well together: the delicate flavor  of the scallops came through amid a bed of creamy potatoes and mushrooms.

Jarrets D'agneau--another filling cool weather winner from Brasserie Girolle. This is described as slow braised lamb shank with white beans in rich lamb jus. The lamb was soft and delicately flavored, and makes one wonder if this finds it way regularly on the tables in the French countryside. This dish disappeared in seconds. 

Brasserie Girolle
GF Fort Pointe Bldg, 28th Street
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig (+63) 02 856 6639

Top Picks from Tagaytay's Marcia Adams's Tuscany

Some meals are magical they are forever etched in your mind: Ka Lui's. My Kitchen. First Colonial Grill. Rafael's Farm and Garden. Here's another: Tagaytay's Marcia Adams's Tuscany. Just being there is an event (I'll post about this later).

It's with a tinge of sadness that I write this. An earthquake and a super-typhoon has just wrecked havoc on the Visayas, and having visited some of them, Leyte in particular (see here, here, and here), I'm not sure if the restaurants I wrote about are still standing after these twin tragedies. As of this writing news is slowly trickling in, and I do hope that the people behind these establishments, as well as the general populace, are safe.

But life must go on, we must soldier on. Tragedies have a way of bringing people closer. For a date or dinner with family and friends, I could not recommend this enough. Below are the highlights of our Tagaytay dinner, which consists of a three course-meal including an appetizer and a dessert. Every dish was cooked by Marica Adams herself. Since we went as a group, we were spoilt for choice. Be prepared to pay more, but with food as good as this, it's money well-spent.

For appetizers, we chose:

Amalfi prawns--crispy prawns marinated in salt, pepper, olive oil, parsley, coated with bread crumbs, and pan-fried. Amalfi is a Italian coastal town and a tourist draw.  I wrote in my notes: "fat, crunchy prawns."

The provone, melon and aragula salad is the bomb. Refreshing, pretty salad. At first I thought the yellow orbs were tomatoes.

Warm cheese-filled salad with walnuts and pistachio.

The Aaegean (vegetarian) salad consisted of grilled pear, mixed greens, grilled Italian ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, and roasted pistachios in herby, tangy dressing.  Very flavorful. You can do no wrong withe either of the two salads.

For mains we had

The Al-funghi--spaghetti with mixed fresh mushrooms, basil, and garlic. This vegetarian pasta disappeared in seconds.

The Italian pork chop--grilled loin chop seasoned with fennel and pepper, accompanied by organic rice made with leeks and chives.

We also had the shish kebabs. These were wonderful  even without the sauce. The lamb was not gamy at all.

For dessert we had

the lovely grilled banana split. Warm thick choco was poured over the bananas.

We also had the delicate panna cota with lemon sauce. Lovely lemon rinds. Don't forget to bite into the mint.


Marcia Adams's Tuscany
JP Rizal Street, Tagaytay City
0917-8011456