Spices: Florabel

his is the first Chef Florabel restaurant that I got to try out. Not knowing much about her creations, I must say its the 50% off on all wine signage that made us decided to eat here. I liked the resto's chic look and it felt comfortable to dine inside without being too intimidating.

Florabel

A complimentary warm dinner rolls and butter was served.

Complimentary Bread and Butter

From a pretty good selection of wine, we picked a 2009 wine from the Cotes Du Rhone region to accompany our meal.

2009 Pasquier Desvignes Cotes du Rhone - Php950 at 50% off

To start, we had the Prawn Pomelo Salad. The salad was really good, prawns were perfectly cooked, lettuce was fresh and crunchy, the lime based dressing was excellent and I really liked how the cashew nuts added texture and flavor to the salad. My only gripe about the salad was the pomelo, the slices were already drying out, it didn't have much juice when you bite into it's pulp.

Prawn Pomelo Salad - Php395

I initially thought the Abi pasta would be overwhelmingly flavorful with the use of walnuts and Gorgonzola. But with the use of sauteed spinach and tomatoes as its other ingredients, the pasta was surprisingly light and mellow. The Abi was pretty good though  I would have enjoyed the pasta dish more if the fettucini was al dente.

Abi Pasta - Php420

Our favorite dish for the night was the Grilled Lapu-Lapu with Mushroom and Capers in Tomato Chorizo Sauce. The grilled fish was served with grilled  zucchini, asparagus and mashed potatoes.

Grilled Lapu - Lapu with Mushroom and Capers in Tomato Chorizo Sauce - Php550

The grilled lapu-lapu was perfectly cook, moist and flaky. On top was the thick tasty tomato chorizo sauce, I liked the balance of the sour and sweet flavors of the tomatoes. Plus what made it extra special was the smoky flavor coming from the chorizo. The sauce complimented the grilled fish really well, it's a great alternative from the usual butter and lemon combination.

Grilled Lapu - Lapu

For dessert, the server recommended that we try the Chocolate Decadence Ala Mode.A flourless chocolate cake served with mantecado ice cream. on top. When the dessert was placed on the table, the server told us to eat the cake as soon as possible since the ice cream on top would melt. The chocolate cake was served warm, it wasn't too sweet, tasted of good dark chocolate and it had a dense yet moist center. Eating the cake together with the ice cream and caramel syrup was a treat.

Chocolate Decadence Ala Mode - Php365

To go with the dessert, we had a cup of Illy coffee.

Freshly Brewed Illy Coffee - Php120

I enjoyed dining at Florabel, comfortable atmosphere, food was of great quality and prepared well. There are only a few restos in Podium and Florable is definitely one of the good ones that I wouldn't mind going back to.

Florabel
Address: Ground Floor Podium Mall, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong
Tel. Nos.: 667 3220 / 638 7527
Webpage: www.florabel.ph