The Establishment (Fort Bonifacio)
Fascinated by its ultra-swanky mystique and air of exclusivity, we celebrated a special occasion last month at The Establishment, an increasingly-popular dining complex right at the Fort. The Establishment consists of four restaurants, each with its own elegantly-designed dining areas: The Hall (continental), The Crystal Room (French), Tulipan Spanish Bar (Spanish), and a soon-to-open Chinese restaurant.
Setting. We were seated at the Crystal Room, but were also able to order menu items from Tulipan (I presume this is standard practice here). The place has very dim lighting and modern chic interiors, exuding a 5-star feel. I found it a tad too dark for me (it gets eye-straining after a while) and for my food photos. That said, the place is perfect for intimate dinners.
Complimentary bread basket and herbed olive oil
My drink for the night was the A Bit of Fun (P250) — a very refreshing blend of fresh watermelon juice, lychee puree, Palawan honey, mint leaves, and lemongrass stalk.
Cochinillo Croquettas (P390) — minced roasted suckling pig meat in thick white sauce, breaded and deep-fried. It was piping hot and irresistibly tasty, loved it.
This is the Jamon Serrano Con Mayonesa (P485), tender slices of jamon serrano in homemade mayonnaise, served on melba toast.
The mouthwatering Pan-seared Foie Gras in Miso Glaze (P675) was served with glazed asparagus shoots and mushroom.
Sole Meuniere (P495) — fillet of sole served with a brown butter sauce, lemon, and garlic chips
Salpicado Tulipan (P1100) — Angus tenderloin, sauteed portobellos and roasted pimentos. The juicy and flavorful beef coats your mouth with a buttery feel in every bite.
Charcoal-grilled US Prime Beef Striploin with Cafe de Paris (P995). It’s the first time I tasted the complex Cafe de Paris butter sauce, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
Paella Tulipan (P1100, good for 4) — saffron-flavored rice with seafood, chicken and pork. As with great paella dishes, the tutong (burnt rice stuck on the pan) was the best part!
For desserts, we had the Pistachio Jateau de Lupe (P375) with multi-layered pastry sheets, and the decadent chocolate Bette Noir (P350).
Service was impeccable. We were delighted by the warm and attentive wait staff, who had thorough menu knowledge. They were very engaging when taking our orders and requests, but spontaneously fade into the unobtrusive background the rest of the time. Price range was surprisingly not obscenely high, at ~P1400-1500 per head.
Overall Verdict. Despite its reputation as a snooty and uptight hangout only for the well-heeled lot, The Establishment is actually a very charming place that serves really good food. I particularly like the concept of being able to order from the different specialty restaurants. If you enjoy rubbing elbows with who’s who in business and society while enjoying a delicious meal, this is your establishment.
The Establishment: Crystal Room and Tulipan Spanish Bar
Unit A, The Fort Entertainment Complex
26th Street corner 5th Avenue
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Tel. #: +63 2 844-6364, +63 916 494-6390
You might also like:
hi! what’s that sticking out of the cochinillo croqettas? is that pork cracklings?
[Reply]
sinch replied:
@Ingrid, yes, it’s suckling pig skin
[Reply]
Trackbacks
Leave your response!