A year ago I wrote about going to Boracay with my friends Nina and Maureen. Maureen, who is now in Milan studying fashion, was the fashion editor for Philippine Tatler at the time and brought with her two restaurant review assignments. What I didn't mention about those reviews is that I snatched them up and did them myself in a bid to become one of Tatler's regular reviewers. My scheming worked, and for a couple of months I reviewed 1-2 restaurants a week for Tatler's "Philippines Best Restaurants 2009" book that came out in July 2009. 11 (count 'em!) reviews. That's a lot of eating and a lot of writing!
For someone whose job involves standing up in front of large groups of people in her underwear, restaurant reviewing is a real challenge. All that food and wine!! But it's worth the risks, as the gig is pretty cool. You grab a friend and enjoy a fabulous all-inclusive meal for two at one of the best restaurants in the Philippines. Then you write it up for the restaurant guide. What a wonderful outlet for the pithy yet flowery style of writing that was honed in my K-12 years at Brearley! The space in the book for each restaurant is very limited - a mere 130 words to sum up the food and help guide the reader to most thoroughly enjoy their restaurant visit, a few words here and there for atmosphere, wine list, service. Buffets are probably the biggest challenge. Both the buffets I reviewed (exquisite ones at the highest of high-end hotels) probably had more food choices than I had words to describe them. And I don't really like buffets - I like to be served when I go out to eat, and I like to focus my attention on a few dishes, preferably my own and a bite or two of my companions'. I come from one of those families where ordering at a restaurant is a group negotiation, oh you're ordering the seabass, I was deciding between that and the lamb but I'll make a deal with you, you can have a bite of my lamb if I can try your seabass...
The reviews I wrote are online at the Asia Tatler fine dining website, Luxe Dining. Here they are:
145 Fahrenheit Prime Steaks & Seafood - sublime, elegant steakhouse in Quezon City
Aria Cucina Italiana - Italian on the beach in Boracay
Cafe Bola- casual Philippine comfort food in Manila
Cibo - Italian cafe in upscale malls all over Manila
Cuillere - Food like what I remember from two weeks traveling in Burgundy, France, on Serendra near the Fort/Market! Market!
Fiesta San Miguel - Pub food of the world at Dusit Thani hotel
Pamana - celebration of Philippine culinary heritage in Tagaytay
Paseo Uno - buffet at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Makati
Santis Deli and Cafe - Filipino and European deli/cafe in Tagaytay
Seven Corners Restaurant - buffet at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ortigas
Zuzuni - Greek on the beach in Boracay
The 2010 review season has just begun. I will try to be a more attentive blogger even as the restaurant writing picks up!
Warmly,
Carol
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