71 Gramercy welcomes discriminating executives

Makati skyline from 71 Gramercy

There’s fine dining and then there’s skyline dining.

There really is something magical about dining at heights once unimaginable and sipping wine while taking in the view of the city’s skyline, especially at night.

At 71 Gramercy, you get just that. I had avoided this place thinking it was just a club. Owned by Louie Ysmael and Tim Yap, among others, it’s easy to get the impression that the venue is only for those who like to party.

To my surprise, the penthouse offers a fine dining section as well, open way before club hours.

The restaurant reeks of a gentleman’s club with hues of mahogany and burgundy, leather couches and velvet-covered chairs.

Huge artworks make their way to the high ceiling on the wall opposite the glass windows that offer a view of Makati at night. A bar sits on the far end of the room.

An executive would be comfortable dining here in his Hugo Boss suit.

The menu is as classic as the interiors. French onion or clam chowder soup; tartare to start; steaks and sea bass for mains; chocolate cake and creme brûlée for dessert.

It’s a surprising about-face to straightforward dishes from a chef who had excelled at molecular gastronomy back in the day of the now-defunct Opus (another fine dining restaurant attached to a club).

Chef Carlo Miguel

“I think the trend of molecular gastronomy is on its way out,” the chef said. “The trend now is to go local.”

With this in mind, chef Carlo Miguel is working on a new menu that calls for partnerships with Filipino farmers (to be launched sometime October).

In the meantime, guests can enjoy Miguel’s take on classic white linen dishes. His steak tartare is recommendable, as is the cured salmon.

Steaks are primarily American: US Angus Prime Grade Fillet Mignon, Choice Grade Ribeye and Choice Grade Tomahawk. While the seafood menu offers the best around the world, with Chilean seabass, Norwegian salmon, Maine lobster and General Santos tuna.

All are cleanly executed, generously portioned and well-flavored.

With this straightforward menu, you wonder—if you are a fan of his creativity—where Carlo Miguel is hiding.

It’s almost as if he were the chef in “Chef” (Carl Casper played by Jon Favreau), stifled by the orders of restaurant owner Riva (Dustin Hoffman). But there are items, though scarce, that show his moves. Like the Gruyere soufflé which has to be the best cheese soufflé in the metropolis today.

This takes you back to the days of Mezza Luna in Serendra (long gone) where the Gorgonzola cheese soufflé was the stellar starter. This one is heaping, slightly larger than the soufflé at other restaurants; denser than the usual soufflé without losing its fluffiness; and the Gruyere is heralded like Donald Trump hair—you can’t miss it.

Or the chocolate cake that is no ordinary chocolate cake. Miguel uses a hazelnut meringue as the cake’s base; uses a chocolate mousse for the cake’s body, combined with a flourless chocolate cake that you only discover after you dig in; then he covers the cake with a crisp Felchlin chocolate shell before pouring a warm chocolate liquid ganache to dissolve the shell and introduce you to the cake’s glory.

They call it the Legit Chocolate Cake but it’s so good it has to be illegal!

Less Miguel and more Louie Ysmael is the restaurant’s hard core burger: a thick slab of meat with an equally thick slab of foie gras. It is indulgent and juicy … unmistakably a damn good burger.

Rumors have it that Ysmael used to drive to the Mandarin at 2 a.m. just to get his burger fix; this is the kind of burger you would do that for.

As for wines, you might want to bring your own bottle if you are picky, although they do have an extensive wine list.

For those who like to experiment with their drinks (or start crass conversation), they offer cocktails with vulgar titles like the Slippery Nipple, Pink Pussy, and Adios Mother Fucker—more appropriate for the drunken crowd that comes in after 10 p.m.

But then again, who knows, there are sick minds even in the most genteel environments.

Whether you choose to drink something crass or classy, one thing’s for sure.

The feeling of literally being on top of the world because of the view of the skyline that 71 Gramercy offers is truly memorable.

It’s the best thing about this restaurant—an exceptional indulgence off the menu.

71 Gramercy, Century City, Kalayaan Ave., Makati. (Entrance is on street parallel to Kalayaan; from Makati Ave., you can also take side street by Mercury Drug). Valet parking available after 8 p.m. Parking available at the mall. Reservations recommended but not required. Call 0917-8094093 or 0917-8477535. Open Monday to Saturday, 6- 10 p.m. Wheelchair accessible. Major credit cards accepted; 10% discount with a Visa.

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