Our First Fine Dining Experience At Antonio’s

One of the best gifts we received from our wedding is a fine dining treat at Antonio’s from our friends. They totally know how my husband and I love to explore anything about food. But beyond that, it’s Antonio’s! It isn’t just a casual restaurant. It’s one of the top 100 restaurants in Asia since 2015.

It’s our first fine dining experience and we’re fortunate to spend it at Antonio’s. Hence, it was the perfect way to immerse into the world of fine dining and create perceptions about it.

Realizations:

1. You don’t pay for the food as a sustenance. You pay for dish that was crafted and was studied for years, if not months. You pay for the ingredients that are outsourced from finest purveyors. You pay for the art of how the dish was formed and presented. You pay for the hospitality at which each guests are given full attention. You pay for the ambience that is completed with exquisite interior design. You pay for the experience.
2. Common misconception about fine dining is that its small serving size doesn’t compensate its worth. Believe it or not, we just had small portions of each dishes and yet, we were stuffed like we just had a feast. There’s science behind it that will make you think that it isn’t enough but it is actually enough or more than enough. After all, it’s s all about quality over quantity.

Entering the dining area of Antonio’s, we immediately noticed the dry-aging coolers, wherein an array of blocks of red meat undergoes dry-aging process. I don’t have much knowledge about this process but I know that its dry-aged steak outcome is something you need to try when you’re at Antonio’s.

Soma Cod Overnight Delivery 40 Days Dry Aged Charcoal Grilled Angus Beef Ribeye Steak

This steak has so much depth and complexity in its flavors that I couldn’t find the right words to describe what my palate was savoring. While eating, I seemingly felt that the flavor of the beef I knew all along was wrong and that this was the right one. It was thick that it gave different layers of lusciousness from the charred exterior to the extremely flavorful fatty areas to the tender and juicy flesh. As they said, there is simply no comparison.

This ribeye steak comes with seven condiments so it allowed me to mix and match the steak with the sauces. I’m a person who enjoys steak as it is or with a little salt but the dehydrated chimichuri also worked well for me.

Soma No Prescription Overnight COD Delivery Gratinated Legris Oysters with Foie Gras 

Who would have thought that there’s pasta in each of these shells? Upon looking at these oysters, one would probably argue about the price relative to its serving size. But wait until you slurp all the elements in the shell because you’ll just don’t get an oyster, you’ll also have a forkful of thin pasta, a legit truffle cream sauce that has a subtle taste and cubes of foie gras that melt in your mouth. Basically, the expensive stuff is in these shells. Moreover, the last time I ate an oyster this fresh was in Tsukiji Market in Japan. I can feel its juices! It’s sweet and briny.

Baked Burrata in Phyllo

Baked Burrata in Phyllo was like a garden on a plate. I found some unique items like strangely good pear, mandarin oranges and cherry tomatoes. We couldn’t explain it but it seemed like there was something in the greens that made the salad heavy. However, it was the burrata that surprised me the most, not because it was hidden in phyllo, but because of the oozing soft cheese and cream, which tasted decadent. I’m fond of cheese but I didn’t know that it can be this delish! All of these flavors were blended smoothly with peach vinaigrette.

Beef Goulash

While I opted for the salad, my husband caught something familiar from the soup options – beef. Therefore, he picked Beef Goulash. Our friend, who is a chef, told us that a goulash should have a lot of paprika, turning the broth red. I only had a small sip and the flavor reminds me of chorizo. It was rich in beef and spices.

Duck Fat French Fries and Coriander Potato Gnocchi

The steak comes with two side dishes. We chose Duck Fat French Fries so we could compare it to regular fries. The duck fat gave a delicate flavor to the fries. But I made a mistake for not eating it while it was still hot because just like any other fries, it goes dull when it gets cold. On the other hand, picking Coriander Potato Gnocchi was a wrong choice because it was cheesy, which made me feel more satieted. But when eaten alone, the gnocchi was a delight. Its taste was similar to a cheese cracker but with a soft base.  

Strawberry Balsamic Fresh Juice

With Strawberry Balsamic Juice, they just combined sweet and tangy in the best way possible. I can still remember how refreshing this juice was. Moreover, using frozen Strawberry Balsamic as ice was a wise technique. In this way, the temperature and flavor intensity of the juice stays the same over time.

Mixed Berries Pavlova | Passionfruit Pavlova

Despite of having two pavlovas on our table, they were able to give each dessert a distinctive feature. The meringue in Mixed Berries Pavlova was thinner and gooier like as if there’s toffee inside the whipped cream while the meringue in Passionfruit Pavlova had the usual crisp and airiness. I’m not a fan of passionfruit’s acidity so I prefer the Mixed Berries Pavlova. Nonetheless, it’s very nice of them to gift us with this complemintary pavlova as a congratulatory greetings for our wedding.

Trio: Dark Caramel, Roasted Pistachio, Panna with Olive and Salt

When you can’t decide on just one flavor, Antonio’s offers Trio for their housemade ice creams. The Dark Caramel had a hint of bitterness like a burnt caramel but it wasn’t the kind that ruined the sweetness. I actually appreciated caramel more in this way. The Roasted Pistachio was pleasant as expected. It’s exactly how it tastes when I’m munching pistachio nuts. I wonder how they came up with the Panna with Olive Oil and Salt flavor. It’s unusual and yet, Antonio’s was able to make it not just possible, but also delectable. 

Guava Sorbet

Before they served the entrees, they brought out scoops of Guava Sorbet for each of us. The sorbet was only a palate cleanser and yet, it was well-thought-out. They made sure that it would be as memorable as the other dishes. The sorbet was a simple scoop of sorbet, as you can see, but it was bursting with so much flavors. It was a combination of sweetness and tanginess, which was further enchanced with lime. The texture is smooth and not icy. It tasted so fresh that it felt like I was scooping directly from a chilled fruit! I thought I would be seeing some guava seeds here.

Of course, I couldn’t end this blog without thanking our friends, Chef Kesiah and Kuya Tq, for sharing these culinary masterpieces with us and for giving us a moment to remember.