Spices: Lulu

Early this year I saw a deal from Deal Grocer about a six course degustation menu from Lulu. Hearing and reading a lot of great things about this reto, I decided to purchase the Php 1,400 coupon and made my way to Lulu to check out and taste the food.

To go with the degustation meal, we ordered a bottle of Soloperto Primitivo di Manduria. An Italian medium bodied wine that was dry and tannic.

Soloperto Primitivo di Manduria - Php 1,100

The meal started with the Chicken Liver Pate, served on a small piece of toast with a cherry tomato and lettuce. This was a nice starter since it provided enough flavors to warm up the palete for the next course. It tasted simple and good, the chicken liver was smooth and seasoned well.

Chicken Liver Pate

The soup course was a big disappointment, the Organic Pumpkin Soup was so watery and moreover it tasted so bland.

Organic Pumpkin Soup

The Cool Caesar Salad tasted OK, nothing really special. Greens were fresh and the flavors were there but I didn't notice any difference with the special sous vide egg compared to a poached egg.

Cool Caesar Salad

The palete cleansing Calamansi-Raspberry Sorbet was awful. It tasted like the concentrated honey-calamansi syrup that can be bought in supermarkets mixed with crushed ice.

Calamansi - Raspberry Sorbet

At this point I already had low expectations on the main course and seeing how small the portions of the Symphony Platter made me even more of a skeptic. My initial impression with the Tenderloin Steak with Foie Gras, Champagne Poached Lobster and Pan Seared Sea Bass with Lemon Herb and Pea Risotto was that this might be scrap or leftover from the regular serving size dishes.

Symphony Platter

But I was so wrong, everything on the platter was of excellent quality and everything tasted divine. The Steak was perfectly cooked to a medium rare and eating it with the rich buttery Foie Gras was bliss.

Tenderloin Steak with Foie Gras

The Champagne Poached Lobster had that succulent sweetness in every bite.

Champagne Poached Lobster

The Sea Bass had that melt in your mouth and feel and the Risotto had the perfect creamy al dente texture.

Pan Seared Sea Bass with Lemon Butter Herb and Pea Risotto

The main courses was an absolute delight, I wished the tasting portions were bigger because I couldn't get enough of it. I wasn't surprise to hear from the server that these three entrees are Lulu's bestsellers.

We also ordered an additional main course, Green Tea Salmon. Sous Vide Salmon with Japanese Green Tea Scent with Spinach and Lemoned Mash Potato. The whole dish was beautifully plated and the scent of green tea was noticeable. Though the salmon needed a dash of salt, it was perfectly flaky and tasty. The mashed potatoes tasted just ok, I wanted it to be smoother and it was a tad under seasoned.

Green Tea Salmon - Php650

The Lemon Yogurt Cheesecake dessert was not to my liking. It was the gelatin type of cheesecake and it didn't have any sour taste in it. I didn't even bother to finish the this.

Lemon Yogurt Cheesecake

Luckily the dessert was served with Lamill Coffee. It was my first time to see and taste this American brand and I was really impressed. We had espresso and the qualities of a good cup was present, thick crema on top, beautiful aroma, robust flavor and no bitter and sour aftertaste.

Lamill Espresso

Overall I was disappointed with Lulu's degustation meal, I felt that some of the courses were made as fillers and was sub-par from the regular dishes. Nonetheless the entrees were extraordinarily good that it made me want to go back again. Next time around I would order from the regular menu and have a full order of their bestsellers instead.

Lulu
Address: Ground Floor Joya Building, Joya Drive, Rockwell, Makati City 
Tel No.: 403 3991