An Open Letter to Mesclun Bistro
Dear Mesclun Bistro,
The love I have for you
Is fake and my loathing towards you
Increases each day. Whenever I remember the day I met you, the more
You appear in my eye as an object of discontent. The idea that
I get drawn to your beauty
Is laughable
The first impression I had convinced me that
You’re full of shit, and the fact that
You are the most beautiful thing that ever happened
Is ridiculous!
It will never be my desire
To come back, and what I ought to do is
To abandon you as I believe
You ought to stop fooling people and shut your doors down!
We will have a lot of happy days together
– Yeah right –
I sincerely wish you all the luck
Because you’re gonna need it
In all your endeavors. It’s just a matter of time until people start discovering
How repulsive, pretentious and phony you are and debunk that notion
That you are a true marvel!
Goodbye!
Please read the letter again
And skip one line after another.
Sincerely,
Pepe
And Now, on to the "Proper" Review
You see, I had writer’s block.
Having read the above disgusting attempt at poetry, you know by now that I had to wait until I had sufficiently calmed down before writing my review of Mesclun Bistro. What would’ve been more honest is a full review consisting of a single paragraph filled with swearwords—but I can’t give you that. I presume that when you come to my blog, you are looking for specific information and opinions about restaurants around the metro, and a simple “fuck” would never suffice (although given the full liberty to do so, I would’ve entitled this post just that).
Situated in a rather obscure spot in Serendra, Mesclun Bistro is a casual haven of international cuisine. With a miscellany of dishes inspired by chef-owner Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara’s travels around the globe, Mesclun serves everything from classic Italian (Linguine with Truffle Cream Sauce), traditional French (Flammekeuche) and yes, spiced-up Filipino favorites (Sisig Spaghetti)!
Once seated, be prepared to be overwhelmed with such an impressive lineup of dishes; Mesclun’s menu is one of the most interesting collection of plates I have ever seen. Not to mention the clever names of the categories in their menu: “On a Roll” for pizzas, “Quite a Stir” for soups, “A Toss-Up” for salads, “Pulling Strings” for pastas, and “The Meat of It” for entrees. Very well-thought of, just like their dishes!
While our orders were being cooked, we were served some of Mesclun’s complimentary bread that came with a small jar of herbed butter. This mini-baguette was delightfully crispy on the outside and very soft in the middle. I’ve heard that Mesclun is well-known for its breads, and now I know why. With this remarkable introduction, it made me wonder how spectacular the main event and the finale will be!
A few minutes later, came our order of Andre’s Poke (pronounced “powh-kee”)—a Hawaiian-style tuna ceviche smothered with a soy sesame dressing and Sriracha mayonnaise.
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| Andre's Poke, P345 |
This appetizer was just like tuna sashimi, minus the shoyu and wasabi. I loved the subtle spiciness of the dressing—the addicting flavor certainly lived up to its label as an appetizer! Andre—whoever she is—definitely prepared my tummy for more humongous consumption!
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| Poking at my powh-kee. Oops. That didn't sound quite right. LOL! |
This was followed by a Speck Flammekeuche, a pizza-like dish dappled with German prosciutto, arugula, crème fraiche, and lemon oil.
I loved the prosciutto, I loved the creaminess, I loved the hint of tartness; needless to say, I could finish the entire flatbread all by myself!
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| Speck Flammekeuche, P345 |
While I alternated between swiping at the tuna and stuffing my mouth with Speck, I wondered what could possibly be better than these two. I was well aware I had already eaten enough bread to last a lifetime, but I was still eager to know if there still was anything that could beat these two winners I was currently dumping into my mouth.
And then I saw it!
Mesclun’s Chimichurri Chicken.
What the server laid before me was a plate of sliced roast chicken, topped with chimichurri sauce and shaved grana padano, and served with a cup of rice pilaf. The Chimichurri Chicken had everything I wanted in a dish: herbs, a hint of spiciness, acidity, saltiness, a hint of sweetness. The flavors were confusing in an awesome way!
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| Chimichurri Chicken, P345 |
There was a moment of silence between me and my friend right after we both took our first bite. I want to eat this forever! I didn’t know what to do, I wanted to smash the wine bottles installed on Mesclun’s wall décor! If I had to pick my favorite chicken dish ever, Mesclun’s Chimichurri Chicken would be it, no doubt and hesitation!
We had wanted to get the House-Cured Corned Beef—mainly because of all the raves it is getting among fellow foodies—but I had been eating truffle pasta for two days straight already, so naturally I had to follow it up with a third, LOL! I adore truffle so much that I seriously considered calling my blog addictedtotruffle.com, but then again that wouldn’t have made any sense as I couldn’t feature it here every day.
Mesclun’s Linguine in Truffle Cream Sauce certainly did not disappoint. If anything, it served as an explosive finale for my three-day truffle spree! The scent of truffle wafted to our noses as the server set down the plate in front of us. I already felt full after the three previous dishes, but I still managed to finish this one clean. It was that good!
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| Linguine in Truffle Cream Sauce, P325 |
Dessert sounded like a great idea but bits of bread, butter, oil, and cream were already squirting out of my pores so I had to force myself to stop. Needless to say, I would be coming back to Mesclun because the night seemed incomplete without sweets. Not to mention that I wasn’t able to try the French Onion Soup, which looked like a beautiful mess. Oh Mesclun, wait for my return!
If you feel like indulging in a mix of different cuisines, a visit to Mesclun Bistro is the perfect answer. Raid their cozy little spot in Serendra after a hectic work night, or even after doing some shopping from one of the malls around. I totally fell in love with their interiors—very elegant but still casual, stylish but not intimating. All you have to do is sit there and enjoy the night over awesome food! Can you tell me what sounds better than that?
Related post by Food Reviews Manila, one of the bloggers I truly admire: Lovin' Mesclun Bistro at Serendra
~*~
Mesclun Bistro
G/F Serendra, 11th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
(02) 954-2100
Facebook: MesclunPH
Menu: Click here
Budget: PhP700-800/head
Have you tried Mesclun Bistro? What was your favorite? Did you also feel like ordering everything? Share your thoughts, rant, rave, write a poem or whatever in the comments section below!
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