Execs with expense accounts, rejoice!

Here’s the truth. Some of the most astute gourmets are executives. It’s because of something called an expense account. Let’s face it: the best things in life may be free but the best things in a restaurant are not.

Here are two restaurants that you will be able to fully appreciate painlessly if you have the privilege of credit where “sky is the langit” (sky is the limit). Both offer white tablecloth fine dining. Both boast of very capable chefs. And both have elegant and chic interiors.

The two restaurants are Masseto in Salcedo Village and Allium in Legaspi Village.

SEA bream with corn

Masseto

Masseto has been around since 2010 and I wrote glowingly back then about the food served by Chef Tippi Tambunting.

“The quail, to begin with, is already very flavorful. Quail, at least as Masseto’s Chef Tippi Tambunting cooked it, is not thready like chicken … but tender and a little gamey. … 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.

“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.”

TAGLIATELLE with octopus and bone marrow

The pasta I had this time, almost five years later, was equally as impressive: a tagliatelle of octopus and (drumroll please) bone marrow. Yup, you read that right—bone marrow. In Tagalog, utak. Instead of egg yolk or cream, the chef uses marrow to add texture to the dish. What a delectable way to kill your office rival!

Clearly, the chef does not hold back. For starters, she does not offer a terrine of pork or fish but a terrine of foie gras. And it isn’t in an itty-bitty degustation portion—it is a huge block, impossible to finish alone. But in this dish, the chef elevates you from gourmand to gourmet. You can certainly just spread the terrine on your slices of buttered bread. But she encourages you to layer flavors by eating the terrine with a grape confit and port glaze. At first, I thought the grapes looked odd. “What is that?” and “What’s the point?” But when you have a bite of the terrine with a bit of port glaze and the densely flavored grapes, it not only breaks the monotony but it also instantly changes the dimensions of the appetizer.

Other dishes are likewise impressive although not as loud. Bacalao, for instance, is served creamy, as opposed to the tomatoey version we Filipinos are more used to; and is not over the top salty or hard. I have to admit this is my favorite bacalao in the metro, although purists might disagree by saying that “it’s not bacalao if it is not salty.” Here, the chef tempers it but just enough to retain that character of saltiness.

You can skip the sea bream, though, which is a little too simple you will feel “nalugi” or shortchanged. Unless you have health restrictions, then this is perfect, served with corn puree.

GAMBAS with fresh mushrooms and chorizo

Allium

Over at the other village, Allium competes. I first experienced Chef Mark Tan’s cooking at a tasting of Gosset champagne and wines paired with Mayura steaks where the chef rose to the occasion of cooking such excellent beef. Mayura sirloin was rolled and stuffed with nameko mushrooms while ribeye was presented nigiri sushi-style, draped over a matchbox of rice. It was very creative and meticulous.

Unfortunately, the Mayura steak was not available on my last visit. Instead, Allium offers other choices: Snake River Farms Black Wagyu Boneless Striploin (P825/100 grams); Creekstone Farms Prime Bone-in Ribeye (P475/100 grams); Newport CAB Dry Aged Prime Bone-In Ribeye (P775/100 grams); Jack’s Creek Chilled Boneless Wagyu Ribeye (P825/100 grams); and O’Connor Premium Grass Fed Boneless Ribeye (P525/100 grams).

SNAKE river farms gold label wagyu shortrib

The chef’s cooking style is clean and straightforward. As he presents his steaks perfectly cooked, so does he execute something as simple as gambas with chorizo. It’s not drowning in oil, not overcooked, just right. Same with the seafood risotto crowned with that one piece of Hokkaido scallop. Clean. Same with the veal cheeks, which are the definition of melt-in-your-mouth soft.

Even the dessert is clean elegance. The Laiskonis Egg presents chocolate pot de creme with maple and caramel foam in an   egg shell. Gorgeous and de-lish!

Chauffeured

Both restaurants make for a very satisfying experience—the perfect ambiance for impressing clients or sealing a deal. There are, however, a few downers. Service at Masseto is no longer as impeccable as I remember it to be. It takes a while to get the attention of the servers and you feel rushed. (The girls at Allium were far more accommodating.) Worst of all, parking is a problem. Masseto has just a few slots in front of its building, so you may have to search the village for available parking (don’t wear stilettos!).

But then again, maybe the message that is being sent is that this place is for the chauffeured. After all, the wine selection includes the the Latours and the Margauxs. And the painting in the toilet is no less than an Arturo Luz.

Add the chauffeur to your expense account, please.

Masseto

114 Valero St, Salcedo Village. (Note: Valero is one way. Masseto is two buildings from Rufino, formerly Herrera.)

Reservations recommended. Tel. 8103565, 3380929.

Major credit cards accepted. No wheelchair access (staircase to entrance).

Open Mon-Sat 11:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 6-10:30 p.m. Saturday brunch 11 a.m. Closed on Sundays.

Allium

G/F Grand Midori, Bolanos St., Legaspi Village, Makati City

Reservations recommended, walk ins accepted. Tel 5191088. Mobile: 0999-6943068, 0916-3563663.

Wheelchair accessible. Better to park at the back. Major credit cards available.

Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner only starting at 6 p.m.

Open Sunday for lunch 12:00 nn to 2 p.m. and dinner 6 to 9:30 p.m.

Closed on Mondays.

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