Not quite breakfast, it can be as filling as lunch, with a yummy mimosa or Bloody Mary to boot.
There are only a few places in Manila that serve a true brunch, and I am happy to say that the ever-elegant Masseto has started serving brunch on their "day" off: Saturdays, from 11am to 2:30pm.
So it turns out I've eaten at the place twice in a row. G wanted to get dressed up and have dinner somewhere. I had just gotten a text from Masseto saying they were going to have their chantrelle and truffle festival and I got excited, so I suggested Masseto, only to find out the festival was to start on Friday, July 1.
Duh!
Then on the day of dinner, M and I wanted early dinner and G and S wanted late dinner, which just turned out to be drinks. When S arrived at Masseto, she called G on the phone, saying, "You should see the place! It's a proper restaurant!"
So it was M and I that were the only ones who ate; sharing a very delicious foie gras and having a pecorino cheese ravioli each. But the truffle/ chantrelle festival was still lingering in our minds.
Then, upon looking at their website, I noticed Masseto had Saturday brunch. OMG.
Every single dish on its menu called out to me. Lamb sausages. Fresh homemade corned beef Benedict. Gruyere frittata.
So I trooped over there to see what all the fuss was about. And oh there was a fuss.
First, the fuss was about the dress code: apparently sandals and shorts are not allowed in Masseto, not even on a casual Saturday.
But when they saw it was me (and I had just been there a few days before), they let us in.
Chef Tippi sent over some mimosas to start our meal (thanks Tippi!!)
The menu confused me. I thought I knew what I had wanted but I had forgotten the truffle and chantrelle festival had started and so there was another menu of dishes to tantalize the taste buds.
To start we decided on chantrelle mushrooms in puff with 5 grams of truffle. If you don't know what 5 grams looks like, check it out here:
It comes out to about 3 slivers of truffle.
The puff and chantrelle was beautifully presented. The chantrelles did not disappoint but unfortunately the scent and flavor of the truffle was a little too subtle. In fact, you could only smell a woodsy aroma, not the usual truffle one, if you sniffed it real close.
I had just come from London in mid-June, and I had attended Taste of London where chantrelles and truffles were all the rage in many of the dishes. So do you think I was A) spoilt; from the abundance of fresh truffle or B) desensitized from being sniffing it everywhere back then or C) being greedy.
Unfortunately, I think the answer is that on its way to the Philippines, the truffles drank and partied too much and didn't maintain themselves properly in airtight containers so the flavor and aroma had lost some nuance. But that didn't stop me from saving a sliver of truffle for my next dish.
The mushroom lover that I am, I ordered the poached egg with bacon and mushroom in hollandaise and red wine sauce, with a side of fried potatoes. It kind of looks like a Rembrandt painting, if Rembrandt painted eggs instead of portraits.
I thought I was really hungry but I could hardly finish my food. The wonderfully greasy bacon with the woody earth-flavored mushrooms and rich hollandaise on this bread that just soaks it all up makes for a very heavy meal - possibly to soak up a lot of the alcohol from the night before. Well, I didn't have any alcohol from the previous night, so it had filled me up all day until dinnertime.
A ordered the lamb sausage with potato hay, two eggs sunny side up and a side of greens. Another fabulous choice.
The lamb sausage was full of succulent flavor. When you pair it with the sunny side ups and the crispy fried potato hay, it created a perfect bite that blended flavors and textures.
And just when I thought I couldn't eat anymore, Chef Tippi sent over another dish for us to try, the cheese frittata (thanks again Tips!)
It was fluffy and light, with the cheese harmoniously blended into the egg, to make it sort of like a souffle. Unfortunately, there was not a single centimeter of space left in my tummy, so we couldn't finish it.
I would highly suggest anyone who loves their brunch to head over to Masseto the next Saturday. Not only do you get to enjoy a delightful gourmet meal in ultra-lush settings, you can enjoy your meal in peace, where waiters don't rush you but are quietly on hand to bring you whatever you want. This is definitely not a Chelsea!!!
Masseto
114 Valero Street
Salcedo Village, Makati City
tel +632.810.3565
The truffle and chantrelle festival started on July 1 and will go on until supplies last. Try the chantrelles and truffles with other things on their menu, such as with roast chicken, quail, fresh pasta or en cocotte.
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