LOVE IS IN THE AIR WITH LOLO DAD'S VALENTINE'S DAY MENU!

               I was still getting over the fact that I had finally gone to Lolo Dad's, a restaurant that had long been in my Bucket List, when I got an opportunity to once again go back. When you get a chance to a restaurant such as Lolo Dad's, you drop everything you're doing. Ironing, Scuba Diving, or on the phone with the president, it matters not. You leave it all behind and run if needs be to Manila. 

         I managed to convince Rina at first that I had booked us a dinner at Lolo Dad's, and since it was so hard to get a reservation there, the only available day to go was two weeks earlier. The moment she saw fellow blogger Yedylicious at the same restaurant, she was on to my ruse.

        Nonetheless, It was a dinner she would never forget. 

               

           There's something relaxing about the veranda at the entrance of Lolo Dad's. I sat at the outside table watching the sous chef work her magic through the glass window of the open kitchen. But not in a creepy way (The rack of lamb looked really good, so the drool was understandable).

          The dining room we were situated in, had a formal, yet comfortable feel to it. The ambiance is ideal for a romantic evening with your date, and trust me.. You take your date to Lolo Dad's, she WILL be impressed. (If she isn't, then you know she ain't the one for you).  

             Chef Ariel Manuel was kind enough to take a break from the kitchen and explain to us what he had in store for us that evening: The Valentine's Day menu. Lolo Dad's Valentine's menu is a Six course meal that features some amazing dishes that helped the restaurant earn their legendary status. 

THE VALENTINE'S MENU 

              Once again, I was reunited with some old friends.. The Maple Butter with Roasted Garlic that I had during the Anchor Mystery Dinner...

       As well as a basket of steaming dinner rolls, which Lolo Dad's makes in-house, which should be considering a course on its own. I must have had around half of dozen of these bad boys with a generous smearing of the Maple butter with Roasted Garlic.

FIRST COURSE

            They laid the first plate in front of Rina and her beautiful big brown eyes lit up. Rina is a big fan of Seafood, and never really gets to indulge in it when she's with me, so she really tore into the Marinated Salmon, Boursin Cheese and Tomato Confit with Molouga Caviar, Pickled Shellfish and Cucumber Salad. 

             Rina enjoyed the freshness of the Salmon, as well as the unique flavor of the Tomato confit, that was stuffed with the shellfish meat.

SECOND COURSE

        The second course was the Espresso of Duck Consomme with Barbecued Duck Leg Open Ravioli and Caramelized Foie Gras Crostini. I had never heard of an "Open Ravioli" before.. That trademark uniqueness was classic Lolo Dad's. Beautiful smokey flavor on the BBQ Duck leg Ravioli, and the Foie Gras had an amazing touch of sweetness, while The consomme had the unmistakable flavor of duck.

THIRD COURSE

             Next up was the Bacalao (Codfish) Croquette filled with garlic Aioli, with a side of Chorizo and short grain rice. I love Croquettes, but I never had one with codfish in it before.

              Since this was a croquette from Lolo Dad's, this wasn't your average, ordinary, breaded potato ball filled with fish. If Aioli is a popular dip for croquettes, Chef Ariel developed a new way to add it to the dish.. by putting it inside the croquette. After splitting it open, the creamy Aioli came oozing out. The Aioli was the perfect compliment to the nice saltiness of the codfish mixed with the potato. 

        The rice had a nice touch of add of acid into the dish that worked with the croquette perfectly.

FOURTH COURSE

                  As a nice breaker in-between meals, Lolo Dad's has their Citrus Sorbet. This was pretty much the same Sorbet that I enjoyed the last time, and It was a wonderful palate cleanser. It was the perfect balance of citric acid and sweetness, getting me raring to go for the next course.

FIFTH COURSE

                The main course is the Eye of Rib Eye Steak with Sauteed Beef Tenderloin Strap, with a side of Marscapone Potatoes, sauteed asparagus and shallots. The meats in this dish,The Rib Eye Steak and the Tenderloin Strap were both absolutely stunning. They were extremely tender and soft, and it was bathed in an incredible savory sauce.

          The Marscapone Potatoes were fantastic. It was silky smooth and creamy, and the shallots gave it an added punch of flavor. 

SIXTH COURSE

              You can't end a romantic dinner without an incredible dessert, right? Boys, you're in luck, because Chef Ariel Manuel made sure that you end the night with enough pogi points to make sure you go home lucky happy.

       Your woman will end the meal with "The Gift".. Which is a beautiful Chocolate Coated Vanilla & Butter Frozen Cream, with Chocolate Ribbons and  Fresh Berries and Cannoli.

       Apart from it looking stunning, with its intricate designed ribbons and gorgeous smearing of strawberry sauce, it tasted delicious. The Vanilla and butter frozen cream was absolutely mind blowing. It was perfectly sweet and creamy, and the tartness of the cream cheese in the cannoli was just right to balance everything out.

       The Gift was so pretty, I offered it to Rina as an early Valentine's gift!

       The Valentine's Day Menu costs P2,850++ per person.. It sounds a bit steep but if you consider the quality all six courses, the price becomes understandable.

       We all had a lovely time with our dates, and we were more than honored to be among the first to get a taste of Lolo dad's Valentine's Tasting menu! 

My Lolo Dad's adventure continues soon! 

Much more to come!