This is totally
overdue. I wasn’t sure whether to keep Valentine’s private or not but I I’ve
decided to just share with you where
we celebrated V-Day, in case, you too would like to celebrate it there next
year. I’ll try to keep the mushy parts to a minimum. Promise ;)
VALENTINE’S AT TOP OF THE CITI by CHEF JESSIE
For our first Valentine’s together, the boyfriend made reservations at Top of the CITI, one of Chef Jessie’s three restaurants in the metro and the only one we haven’t had a date in yet at the time. It is a fine dining restaurant at the 34th floor of Citibank Tower (you can guess where it got its name now).
When we
got there, the place was dimly lit and felt absolutely romantic with soft music
playing low. We arrived a little earlier than our schedule but the staff was
welcoming and immediately led us to our seats. We wanted to be seated in the al
fresco area where the view of the city lights can be seen, but thank goodness
they were all occupied because just an hour later, it began to rain and
everybody went back inside.
Right
after we ordered their Valentine’s set, I was given a rose by one of the
waiters (so did every other lady there that night). I thought it was pretty cute of them to do
that. We were also invited have our photos taken at the photo booth that was available
on the other side of the restaurant. We,
of course, obliged. Hehe.
Now for
the Valentine’s Set.
The
menu was a 7-course meal served with sparkling wine and coffee or tea. The
sparkling wine was served before the first meal.
First
up was the Fruity Micro Green Salad with
Chia Seeds in Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing. I wasn’t able to take a photo of this, but let
me just say, it was really small. I finished the whole thing in two bites. It’s quantity may not be much, but there’s no
denying that the greens were of good quality. It looked really pretty too.
Next
was the Baked Fish Horn-a-plenty with
Spinach Sauce. Do not be misled. It was definitely not a-plenty. It was
basically spinach wrapped in fish fillet. Just one piece.
Cream of Vine Ripe Tomato with Cheesy Heart
Crouton came in next. It was a so-so tomato soup. Nothing much to say about it.
Farfalle Al Pesto with Grilled Tiger Prawn
was basically half a tiger-prawn with pesto and a few ribbon-shaped pasta. It was
quite delicious and meaty. If only there was more meat.
Pink Pomelo Sorbet enhanced with Prosecco
was then served to clear our taste buds of the pervious dishes. It was short
and sweet, just enough to forget the saltiness in the other dishes. (I ate if before i could take a picture but it looked really pretty and pink :P)
Now for
the main course. The Grilled US Angus
Beef Tenderloin Rossini in Madeira Sauce and Pan Seared Cape Cod Jumbo Scallop
with Sea Urchin Butter Sauce served with a Timbale of Beetroot Risotto and sautéed
French Beans.(Wasn’t that a mouthful). This was what we have been waiting
for! The main course was absolutely delicious and satisfying. The Tenderloin
was soft and bursting with meaty flavor. They weren’t kidding when they said
Jumbo Scallop. It was so big we mistook it for foei gras. This too was
flavorful and chewy. On top of the steak was a surprise foei gras, which the
boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed. The risotto cannot be forgotten too. Its texture
was perfectly creamy but grainy (if you can explain it better, please help me
do so).
By this
time, I was very happy with the servings already. But of course, my tummy will
always have room for dessert. They served us what they call “Perfect Combination” or Macapuno heart
with Homemade Avocado Gelato and Strawberry Shortbread with Homemade Dark
Chocolate Gelato. I found the arrow shaped chocolate shave very
amusing. Because the strawberry shortbread
was shaped like a heart, we pretended that it was our heart and placed the
direction of the arrow to where each other was. <3
lololololololololololololol.
OVERALL
Once again, Chef Jessie wins our
hearts and our tummies with quality food that don’t only look pretty but taste
really, really good as well. Their staff is very attentive although I did
notice that they struggle with this when the house is full. They could use more
people there. Some of the dishes were so-so, but the main course was heavenly.
I didn’t feel guilty devouring everything. It was served in small portions but
they are quite satisfying.
On another note:
Valentine’s
for me couldn’t be more perfect. Even without all the frivolities of the day,
I’m happy I spent it with Jeff who has been nothing but wonderful to me. I hope to spend all my next Valentine's with him, and all the other days in between.
nice
TumugonBurahin