#we are making a baked brie and i could make tapenade!

[ramblingandpie]

Was reading the grocery flyer and they have cans of olives on sale and damn if my brain didn't go "you certainly will not regret eating an entire can of olives" so that's where I'm at today.

[thehungrykat1]

Mediterranean Fare Plus The Best Salad Bar at Tapenade in Discovery Primea

I have stayed at almost all the other Discovery Hotels and Resorts properties in the country and have always been impressed with their five-star accommodations and service, but I had yet to visit their one hotel in Makati, Discovery Primea. I finally had the chance to go inside this towering structure a few weeks ago when I got an invitation to dine at their Mediterranean restaurant. What greeted me there was this huge T-Bone Steak and I can truly say that it was love at first sight.

Tapenade is Discovery Primea’s all day dining restaurant which you can find on the ground floor, just behind their lobby bar called The Gilarmi Lounge. Discovery Primea is a five star serviced residences situated right along the busy Ayala Avenue in the Makati Central Business District, one of the prime pieces of real estate along a row of residential buildings known as Apartment Ridge. It is one of the tallest buildings in Makati and I have always wondered how it looked inside, so I was really impressed with the hotel’s classic Mediterrenean-Chinoiserie design, and more so with Tapenade’s lineup of healthy salads, stone-baked pizzas, and of course, mouthwatering steaks from the grill.

Tapenade has a relaxed and charming vibe as it aims to bring inspired Mediterranean cooking to the forefront by serving a wide variety of dishes with the freshest ingredients. Its upscale dining environment is conducive for those extended office lunches and family get togethers, especially with its bright and spacious surroundings.

My friends and I were seated at the private room which could seat up to ten guests. I may have been too excited to try this restaurant so I ended up arriving ahead of everyone else.

That wasn’t a problem because I quickly headed to the signature Tapenade Salad Room where I started my lunch with a comprehensive selection of local and imported greens, composed salads, condiments and homemade dressings. For only P750 per person, the Tapenade Salad Room offers a buffet of healthy options that not just includes salads, but many other enchanting appetizers. 

The Salad Room has a curated selection of cold cuts, breads, and dips which will truly jumpstart ones appetite. A selection of hams and meats include Prosciutto di Parma, chorizo, salami, smoked chicken breast, plus numerous bread options like wheat loaves, ciabatta, and focaccia.  

This was no ordinary salad room because I was surprised to see an entire cold seafood station with an indulgent section of New Zealand mussels, locally sourced White Shrimps, and homemade Gravlax. Diners can have unlimited servings of all these seafood which even include freshly shucked Aklan oysters. 

But my favorite area inside the Tapenade Salad Room is actually the cheese section. They have rows of specialty cheese which include Brie, Blue Cheese, Emmental, and Goat Cheese. What really caught my attention was the Mango Goat Cheese which I had only previously encountered at the Spiral Cheese Room in Sofitel Philippine Plaza. This is my favorite among all the cheese variants and I could not believe that I found it here at Discovery Primea. Some diners actually go to Tapenade for the Salad Room alone, and I can totally understand why.

Diners who avail of the Tapenade Salad Room also get a complimentary bowl of their Soup of the Day. They are actually offering a #Throwback Thursdays promotion where guests can have the Tapenade Salad Room for lunch or dinner at its original price of only P620 per head. Now that’s a good reason to visit the hotel on a Thursday for what I believe is the best Salad Bar in Manila.

Can you believe we haven’t even started on our main lunch yet? Tapenade’s a la carte menu offers more tantalizing options to start your Mediterranean journey. The Moroccan Gambas (P490) is a popular item with its prawns in aromatic spices, cilantro, and cherry tomatoes. It has its own distinct flavor which is different from the olive oil-based Spanish gambas.

The creamy Croquetas de Pollo (P320) comes with crispy roast chicken and chorizo inside a potato croquette served with garlic mayo. These bite-sized starters and good to nibble on while waiting for the heavier main dishes. 

I prefer the meaty Bacon-Wrapped Dates (P490) with its delectable slices of bacon wrapped around Spanish chorizo stuffing and then doused with sweet and smoky piquillo pepper sauce.

Another excellent cheese dish would be the Stone-Baked Feta Cheese (P460), a Tapenade signature dish that comes with sun-dried tomatoes, capers, Greek Metaxa brandy, and honey. Place some of the salty cheese on top of the bread or just eat it by itself dipped in sweet honey.

Tapenade serves some classic pasta dishes with traditional Mediterranean flavors like the Homemade Tagliatelle Al Funghi (P420). This is a healthy item with its creamy pasta that comes topped with portabella and shiitake mushrooms plus oyster mushroom sauce. However, I recommend getting the Spaghetti Alle Vongole (P390) with its fresh clams in garlic and lemon doused with white wine sauce. You can taste the fresh clams in every garlicky bite.

Tapenade is also proud of its Stone-Baked Pizza prepared from their brick oven. This gives the pizza that crispy outer crust with a combination of exciting ingredients like the Alla Carbonara (P420). This creamy pizza comes with double-smoked bacon, Parmesan cheese, and a soft egg in the middle.

The Speck (P520) comes with a combination of smoked prosciutto, mozzarella, and arugula for a leafy and meaty pizza.

Discovery Primea also has a special pizza promotion called #TreatTuesday. Diners can treat themselves to 50% off on any of the signature stone-baked pizzas all day long on Tuesdays! This is available for both dine-in and even take-out.

It’s time we explored some of the Mains at Tapenade like the Lengua Sevillana (P590). This classic Spanish ox tongue dish is cooked with mushrooms, green olives, and pan-fried potatoes.

Another meaty dish is the Slow-Roasted U.S. Beef Belly (P790) placed on top of pumpkin rissoni and sprinkled with gremolata. The tender and fatty beef belly is rounded up with orzo pasta to make this a complete dish by itself.

But the absolute best item we had that afternoon was the awesome steak from Tapenade’s Mediterranean grill. The Bistecca alla Fiorentina (P2600) is a 700-gram T-bone steak that comes with grilled asparagus, potatoes limonata, and roasted mushrooms on the side.

This entire platter is big enough to share for the entire table, but I want it all for myself! I took a bite of the succulent steak and fell in love with its deep beefy flavor that makes it one of the best steaks for me. I am a big steak lover and who would have thought I would find this gorgeous dish in a Mediterranean restaurant. 

The beef was cooked medium rare with the fatty portions made well done to give it that crispy texture. I eventually decided to share the Bistecca with the rest of my friends. It’s Christmas anyway.

Our extended lunch was made more fabulous with some signature cocktails from The Gilarmi Lounge which you can also order from Tapenade. The Cilantro Sour (P540) is an herbal whiskey sour made with Glenlivet 12 Years and some sugar, lemon and cilantro. I had a glass of the refreshing Riviera Fizz (P540) with a combination of gin, blood orange, lemon and soda. 

To cap off our lovely afternoon, we ordered a few Mediterranean desserts like the Turkish Baklava (P260) with its chopped pistachios, walnuts, almonds, and aromatic spices inside a phyllo pastry. They also have Housemade Gelatos (P180) in strawberry, vanilla, salted caramel and other flavors.

It was a relaxing Christmas afternoon spent in the company of friends at Tapenade. I would like to thank Margaux Hontiveros, Director for Marketing Communications at Discovery Primea, for introducing me to this beautiful hotel. I don’t know why it took me so long to visit this Discovery property, but now that I have, I’m sure I will be back again really soon. 

Tapenade

G/F Discovery Primea, 6749 Ayala Avenue, Makati City

955-8888 / 988-2988 / (0917) 679-4567

www.discoveryprimea.com

www.facebook.com/DiscoveryPrimeaMakati