All posts by Heart2Heart

  I am so happy to finally have a meal by Chef Dino Guingona!! We have been planning this for years! 🙂  It was worth the wait!  He’s not only a great chef, but he is also a great photographer.  Maybe one day we can feature that too 🙂  

Chef Dino is now the Executive Chef for Brasserie La Boheme.  He started out as a consultant which involves updating and standardising the menu, training the staff and just updating the restaurant overall.  He does this for a few restaurants and I keep telling him that he should just open his own restaurant 🙂  But for now, he is very busy with his culinary school, Moderne Culinaire Academy and the restaurants he is consulting for.  He told me that his passion is in teaching so for now that is what he is focusing on

The last time I was there was in 2010 so it has been 4 years!  And wow, the menu has changed a lot.  It was good back then and now the menu is even more extensive 

Brasserie La Boheme at the Picasso January 31, 2010 

They still have the prix fixe menu 

And wow, this poster right in front is irresistible.  How can you not come in and try the food here? 🙂  I still have to try this though, a good reason to come back!

Dining area

Then Dino introduced me to his Head Chef, Chef Michael Gemperle Figdor, who is apparently the cousin of a friend Stella Gemperle Aguila.   He grew up in Singapore and worked in Ireland in Gordon Ramsay at Powerscourt and in Hungary at the Bistro by the Lake and at the Ritz Carlton Beach Resort in Florida

As soon as we arrived we had two slushes – Sweet corn with cinnamon

And calamansi basil! YUM!!!  So refreshing and so good.  Even if you are just in the area by the Salcedo Market stop by here to try these refreshing drinks! 

 Wow! I have never eaten a bone marrow this way!!!  

There is a page in the menu called the House of Bone Marrow.  You can order is plain or you can choose toppings for an additional P 35.00 only!  

We tried the Balsamic Caviar

And the onion marmalade – Both were delicious!!  And the sidings – the grilled wagyu on cognac scented cream and shiitake cheddar crisps were great accompaniments aside from the baked baguette

Wasabi Parmesan crisps

Puttanesca

Adobo flakes

Salad Mesclun with foie gras

Seafood Ceviche

Chef Michael’s Steak D’Oro! One of his Signature dishes! YUM!!!

Swiss roll with kiwi marmalade

There’s so many other things on the menu, so many choices!!

We also met John who manages the Picasso hotel.  He is part of the Hospitality International Inc group that also manages other hotels including the The Henry in Cebu which I have heard a lot about.  The Picasso boutique hotel is not the number 4 rated hotel in trip advisor after the other 5 star hotels in the city.  So they must be doing a great job 🙂

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Heart2Heart loves Bonchon!!!

Last Sunday family lunch they came over and brought all these!!!  You can have a full meal already with all the things that they have! Previous entry: Team Bon Chon November 4, 2012 

I have been wanting to try the honey citrus wings!!!  That billboard in Edsa is always tempting!!

 Finally I got to try it. Yum!!

 There is honey citrus seafood for the lenten season

  I am so glad they delivered this too!!! I LOVE IT!!!  

 They sent the Apple Caramel flavour 

 But there is also Mangoes & Cream

 They used to have S’mores during Christmas

 And Strawberry Chocolate for Valentine’s!

  Bulgogi noodle soup  

 and some healthy options.  I like it that they have so many combo meals!!

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Around two years ago, we visited The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English at the Plaza Hotel in New York. We enjoyed very much

Previous entry:  The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English April 25, 2012  

I was happy to hear that they were opening here in the Philippines and it will be the first Celebrity Chef Restaurant in the country!!!  

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Today they open to the public in Skypark in the 5th level of SM Aura!  The first 100 customers will get a whole year supply of flatbread pizza!!! 

It was nice to see Chef Todd English with his son, Oliver who is only 24 years old and a graduate of Cornell University.  Not only handsome but intelligent too 🙂

Philippine partners headed by father Ricky Dee ( middle ) and sons Eric ( right ) and JR ( left).  Eric met Chef Todd English in Kuala Lumpur two years ago and after many exchanges of emails and a visit to the restaurants of Chef Todd, they finally decided to bring it t the Philippines.  Ricky Dee owns many other restaurant concepts namely Mesa, Cervezeria, Kai, Kitchen, Ebun and more.  And soon to open Tim Ho Wan!

The beautiful ladies in the Dee family- Wife of Ricky, Beng Dee, wife of Eric, Kidd, girlfriend of JR, Bea, youngest daughter, China and another daughter Erica 

 A 900 square meter store in Skypark at SM Aura!  

It’s a replica of the New York Food hall designed by Ivy Almario and team.  The global architecture is reflected in the mosaic marble floors, elegant wood paneling, ceramic backdrops and stained glass windows.  

We were able to sample a dish from every station, so the photos here may not be the actual portions or dishes

As soon as you enter, on the left is the pasta station

 Veal Agnolotti

Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli

This is the most expensive pasta maker in the world!  There are only three of these in the world – one in The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English in New York and one in Olive, a restaurant of Chef Todd English.  They saw it costs like a BMW, I asked which class 🙂   Well whatever it is it’s an expensive machine and Chef Todd will only turn it over the a chef until he is fully trained in using it

Chef Jaime Mendoza is the Executive Chef.  He will be the only one who will stay among the team who flew in from the USA.  He is Mexican 🙂  

Another chef from the USA training at the flatbread pizza station

Chef Todd is known for his flatbread pizzas so this is a definite must when in the food hall

Fig and Prosciutto, their bestseller

Truffle Fungi

Crispy Eggplant

Salad Bar

Asada Steak with Pear Salsa

Sushi Bar

The Raw bar where oysters will be flown in daily!

Tuna Tartare

Asian Station

Grill and Charcuterie

T.E. Slider

Seared Tuna loin and Miso Glaze Salmon

Dessert Station

with a moving carousel with cupcakes 🙂  

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The cupcakes are the recipes of the daughter or Chef Todd, Isabelle’s Curly Cakes in Boston

All desserts are made in house.  The pastry chef Alfred Stevens who is here to open the food hall and will train the chefs

The OMG dessert!!! It’s really OMG!  I love it! The milo touch I love!!

We had the chef write it down for us

Winery and Tapas Bar

Aside from eating, you can go shopping for Chef Todd English cookbooks, all kinds of salts, and many other gourmet things!!

The Todd English Food Hall is located at the 5th floor, SM Aura Premier SkyPark from 10am to 10 pm.  Click below to go to their website 

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