Manila Hotel’s Cowrie Grill re-launches in Greenhills

 

One of Enrique Yap's memorable dining experiences as a young boy growing up in the 1980s was eating at the Cowrie Grill with his family. “Back then, there weren’t a lot of places to go to eat and experience fine service,” he said. “My parents would tell us we have to dress up for the occasion and put our best behavior forward. When we get there, I would be astounded by the feel of the place and ambience. What really mattered to me, as a kid then, was the tableside service.”

Some 30 years down the road, the young boy has become part of the management team that is involved in the revival of the establishment. The Cowrie Grill has been an institution in Manila Hotel ever since it opened in 1977, but it had to give way to the expansion and renovation of Café Ilang-Ilang in 2011. “We realized that Cowrie Grill had a strong equity and following so we decided to re-launch it and bring it closer to our clients,” said Yap, who is now Manila Hotel's executive vice president.

Unlike him, I didn’t have any childhood story starring the iconic grill house, but I thought that it wasn’t too late to create new memories since Manila Hotel’s signature restaurant reopened recently. Although it’s not located within the hotel premises, the establishment has retained the Grand Dame’s iconic cowrie shell in its interior décor, which also added drama to its lighting fixtures. I thought it provided a nice backdrop for an unforgettable dining experience.

Tableside service like no other

There were private booths in the posh restaurant, but I decided to get a comfortable seat under the cowrie-shell chandelier. With the dramatic lightning, I whet my appetite with some sesame-crusted bread and herbed butter. I veered away from getting another serving of bread, as I know that I was in for a rich meal.

For starters, I savored a nice serving of fresh mushroom cappuccino soup, which warmed up my palate well. The soup had a velvety texture that was a delight to eat. I have always been a fan of mushrooms and their umami taste, and the soup certainly doesn’t disappoint.

The salad course came next, but it wasn’t just served on the table. Diners get a chance to see how to make a traditional Caesar salad, as servers would enter the dining area with a cart complete with all the ingredients for it. It was fascinating to see someone actually make the salad dressing from scratch, and it only took a few minutes.

We were given individual servings as soon as the server plated the salad. Nothing could be more fast and fresh than this. It tasted far from the store-bought salad dressings—I could tell.

As I anticipated the main course, I craved for more tableside service—more of the flair for food presentation. When I saw the exquisite and sizeable piece of meat being pushed on the cart and into the dining room, I knew that it was well worth the wait.

On top of the cart was a hefty piece of good-looking prime rib surrounded by a myriad of colorful vegetables. I witnessed Cowrie Grill's executive chef, Michael G. So Chan, expertly carve the meat for the diners. It was quite a show as he cut up the beef into individual slices. He dished up each plate with a 10-ounce English cut prime rib doused in au jus and served it with some potatoes gratin, cherry tomatoes, and roasted garlic. As with all the Cowrie Grill’s other steak dishes, this one was presented with three kinds of sauces—peppercorn, béarnaise, and mushroom.

I was a bit overwhelmed with the plate before me, as I rarely indulge in steaks. I thought it was too much for petite little me, but when I tasted my first bite, I was hooked. The meat was tender to the bite and cooked just the way I liked it. I tried the sauces with my succeeding bites, but I thought that it didn’t need any additional flavor because the meat spoke for itself.

I sipped on some red wine, as I alternated each beefy bite with some creamy potatoes and roasted vegetables. The restaurant offers a nice selection of wines and liquor, and the vino and veggies were a good accompaniment to the meal. I especially enjoyed the roasted garlic, which added some zing to the dish. I surprised myself by finishing everything on my plate. My fellow foodies would be proud of me.

After the steak, I felt like going on a siesta but I didn’t want to miss on the dessert. The Baked Alaska was a delicious finale, and it was prepared tableside as well. The server did a flambé with some brandy to top off the sweet treat.

The Baked Alaska had a small slice of dragon fruit as its topping and was surrounded by a drizzle of strawberry sauce. It seemed too pretty to mess up but I scooped out a spoonful of it anyway and saw luscious layers of cream, chiffon cake, and strawberry ice cream. I liked the coolness that the ice cream provided and the texture of the cake, which satisfied my sweet tooth.

My only regret is not being able to finish the whole thing, as the serving size was good for sharing.

Next time, I’ll make sure to bring my steak-loving hubby so we could share some good food and indulge in our next date night. — BM, GMA News

Cowrie Grill is located in the new wing of the Promenade Shopping Center, Missouri St., Greenhills, San Juan City. For inquiries, call +63 2 5270011.