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thehungrykat1 · 9 years

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Contemporary New York Dining High Above The City at 71 Gramercy

They say that height is might. I have always wished that I was a little bit taller, don’t we all? I might have become an international ramp model had I gotten a few more inches, you never know, right? It’s the same thing when it comes to properties and real estate. The penthouse is usually the most coveted spot in any building or condominium and usually commands the highest price. But what do you get when you reach the highest floor on the tallest building in the country? Welcome to 71 Gramercy.

71 Gramercy has taken its place as the undisputed rooftop lounge in the entire country since it opened its doors in January 2014. Located 71 floors above the concrete jungle of Makati, it is the tallest restaurant and lounge ever built, the crowning jewel of the tallest man-made structure in the Philippines - The Gramercy Residences. 71 Gramercy is the place to be for Metro Manila's party elite, offering a venue with a view of the Makati skyline that is without equal. But few people know that 71 Gramercy also has a restaurant with a contemporary New York dinner service that can rival any of the top fine dining establishments in the city. The Australian Wagyu Steak above should tell you what you can expect from this cozy restaurant high above the city.

At the culinary helm of 71 Gramercy is superstar Chef, Carlo Miguel. With more than 18 years of professional cooking under his belt, Carlo has been in charge of several well-known restaurants including Sala, Opus, Draft Gastropub, and Beso Cucina Vinoteka to name a few. At 71 Gramercy, Chef Carlo has a contemporary take on his continental dishes, taking familiar comfort food and turning it into something special.

The Dining Room of 71 Gramercy opens its doors as early as 6:00 pm, way before the evening party crowd starts arriving at the next door Lounge area at 10:00pm. You can catch the sunset 71 floors above the city while dining on Chef Carlo’s culinary masterpieces.

The dining room has a modern contemporary feel highlighted by these somewhat naughty artwork and paintings.

Come evening, the place turns into a magical and relaxing dining spot with its candlelit tables adding to the casual and romantic ambiance. The dining room only has a seating capacity of 50 guests, which ensures privacy and exclusivity. Watch the city lights emerge one by one below as the night slowly envelopes the horizon. The dining room is open until 11:00pm, after which you are free to transfer to the lounge if you prefer a nightcap.

Right beside the dining room is the main party lounge with a weekly roster of some of the hottest DJs in the country and almost daily parties rocking until the early hours of the morning.

The bright lights and high ceilings coupled with the majestic view make this one of the coolest and picturesque night spots in the city. Entrance is free but you do have to pay a minimum fee if you want to reserve the tables and sofas.

We had a few cocktails from the bar before dinner started, including the Cosmopolitan (P260) and my favorite Amaretto Sour (P280). The bar also offers a wide selection of beverages including red and white wines, champagne, beers, shooters, and many other alcoholic beverages to keep the party going throughout the night.

71 Gramercy also has a al fresco drinking and dining area where you can get a closer look at the evening city skyline. The city really looks different when you are viewing it from the tallest building in the country.

They had set up our own private candlelit dinner at the al fresco dining area and we were all excited to see what Chef Carlo prepared for us.

We started with a set of amuse bouches consisting of Mushroom and Feta Cheese Tartlets (left), Grilled Scallops with Chorizo Arugula Pesto (upper right), and Tomato and Strawberry Chutney on Toast with Avocado Mousse (lower right). These bite-sized appetizers were a good way to prepare us for the upcoming courses.

The first dish presented was the Gruyère Souffle (P320). This is a twice-baked soufflé made with gruyere cheese. It was so soft and so cheesy, definitely one of the best souffles in the city.

The Tuna Salad (P380) is made with herb-crusted tuna, fennel and orange with dill mustard dressing. I’m not a big salad lover but I do like seared tuna so I don’t mind having to go through the greens to get to the tuna.

But there is no doubt that I am a foie gras lover so I really enjoyed having the Foie Gras Napoleon (P720). This has a huge cut of seared foie gras, caramelized apple and crisp pastry with aged balsamic. The foie gras was cooked perfectly and I really love the plating that Chef Carlo did for this dish which reminds me of my Valentine’s dining experience at The Tasting Room in City of Dreams.

Another appetizer is the Cured Salmon (P380) which is green tea-cured salmon with arugula, feta, ginger and shallots. This dish was okay with just the right amount of saltiness, it is easy to finish this in just a few bites.

71 Gramercy also offers pastas and risottos, and I believe that one of their best pastas is the Tagliatelle Truffle (P480). This pasta comes with truffle cream, crisp prosciutto, a 62⁰ egg and Parmesan cheese.

Mix it all together with the egg and you get a messy but very creamy and delightful truffle pasta. I love its rich truffle flavor and the creaminess from the egg makes it so much thicker and tastier. This is one pasta dish I will definitely come back for.

If you like risottos then you can also get the Crab and Prawn Risotto (P460) which has truffled white risotto with swimmer crab and shrimp.

For our main courses, we started with the Duck Breast (P820). This is organic honey glazed U.S. duck breast with onion and thyme purée, rhubarb and hazelnut. You can taste the natural flavors of the duck as it is smoked just lightly which results in a tender and juicy pinkish inner portion.

I usually skip breakfast, but I will gladly have the Breakfast for Dinner (P580) any time of the day. This has a home-cured and smoked Berkshire pork belly with 62⁰ egg, potato hash, mushrooms and tomato fondant. The pork belly is brined for 3 days and smoked for 18 hours so this is really a labor of love. The result is a tender and delectable dish that you eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

The Roast Lamb (P880) has lamb served two ways, a boneless rack of lamb and confit ribs with roasted pumpkin purée, crushed minted peas and rosemary-garlic jus. I actually preferred the lamb confit over the rack of lamb as it was the more flavorful version among the two.

We also had some seafood for our main course with the Chilean Sea Bass (P1180). This is sea bass pan-roasted with lemon oil, crushed potatoes and eggplant relish. I really liked this dish as well as the very soft fish went so well with the lemon oil giving it that perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness.

But Chef Carlo saved the best for last with the 300 grams Australian Sher Label Wagyu (P2480). This steak is grain-fed and aged before being grilled over wood chips to seal in their natural juices. It is also seasoned with sea salt and freshly cracked peppercorns, then finished with café de Paris butter and served with a choice of frités, creamed spinach or green salad. I have dined at many hotels and steak houses before, from Angus to Wagyu to Kobe Beef, but this is probably the most flavorful and beefy steak I have ever tasted! Chef Carlo says that this type of Wagyu is his favorite among the many brands he has tried, and I definitely agree with him.

The night wasn’t over yet as we were treated to a few more rounds of their wonderful dessert selection. The #LEGIT Chocolate Cake (P320) has five textures and three kinds of chocolate. I was so enamoured by how rich and delicious this chocolate cake was that I just kept on eating and eating while Chef Carlo was actually behind me, surprised at how I just gobbled this beautiful and decadent piece of chocolate cake. He even got another order for me and I happily obliged.

They also have the Almond Tart (P220) which has strawberries, rhubarb and burnt butter ice cream. This one did not appeal that much to me, probably because I was still busy eating the #LEGIT Chocolate cake.

The Pavlova (P320), on the other hand, is a light and refreshing dessert item that can counter all the richness and creaminess of the other main courses and desserts. This meringue-based dessert has mango and passion fruit with Vanilla ice cream stuffed in the center.

Lastly, the Chocolate and Banana Souffle (P290) is a twice-baked chocolate souffle with butterscotch caramel sauce, caramelized bananas on the side and salty peanut butter ice cream on top. Chef Carlo really amazed me with his lineup of savoury New York style contemporary dishes and decadent desserts. I’m so glad I was finally able to meet him in person and got to try his amazing culinary creations. The Dining Room of 71 Gramercy is open for dinner from Mondays to Saturdays so head on over to experience great food with a great view. I’ll definitely be back for that chocolate cake.

71 GRAMERCY

71st Floor, The Gramercy Residences, Kalayaan Ave., Century City, Makati

Monday to Saturday 6:00pm to 11:00pm

Contact No: 0917-8477535

www.facebook.com/71Gramercy

#71Gramercy #GramercyResidences #Restaurant #Lounge #Cocktails #Kalayaan #Makati #CenturyCity #Rooftop #Steak #Souffle #FoieGras #ChefCarloMiguel

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