I was supposed to go to my girlfriend's place for an after-work glass of wine - but I ended up crashing her foodie friends' dinner! (Well, actually, she did invite me at the end :))
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| Stephanie Zubiri - the hostess with the mostess |
Hidden in a little village in Makati is Atelier 317: a room of shabby chic interiors, good food and drinks and of course, fantastic company. Stephanie, who enjoys doing a bit of interior design as a hobby, put the room perfectly together. Aside from some prints of food, her mother Vicky gave her some still life paintings that add even more personality to the cozy ambiance of the room.
Stephanie started us off with her version of falafel, a light yet tasty flafel in a pita pocket served with lettuce and onion.
On the table was a mezze platter of roasted charred eggplant dip, spicy roasted bell pepper and feta dip, and green pea hummus- all served with pita triangles. All light and healthy tasting but packed with lots of flavor.
Next Steph served this tasting platter of Caprese salad with kesong puti; Camembert and raspberry on rye bread and gourmet cheese pimiento tartine, which, unfortunately, I didn't get to try! I did go back to the Atelier the next night for Uno Night and ordered the Caprese salad for myself - the smoky flavor just added that extra zing to it!
The next item on the menu was the shooter of roasted squash with lemongrass soup. The consistency was thick and velvety and the flavor packs a punch. You don't need to eat a lot of this to feel satisfied.
Now, this is why I appreciate Stephanie's cooking so much - she takes a classic and makes it better. Here is a balsamic adobo short ribs. Utterly delicious! If I wasn't in a room with so many new acquaintances, I would have wolfed this down like it was nobody's business. A girl has got to have her manners, you know.
Another winner was this chicken ala Bicol Express. Spicy verging on the side of dynamite - just the way I like it.
Steph served these dishes with red rice, which I am not so fond of when I want to drown my rice in sauce, just like that Bicol Express sauce. All I can say was less load on the rice meant more load on the dessert, which was a smorgasbord.
Claude told us very interesting stories about how the term "Bicol Express" came to mean spicy dishes made with coconut cream.
If you are a fan of aligue then you will adore this aligue pasta. Steph is the queen when it comes to making Filipino food modern!
For dessert, Steph served this oh-so-yummy cake. This cake has haunted me in my sleep. I have called this Modern Epicurean goddess on occasion to ask if she had any in her house that I could come and scarf. It's a ginger pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and walnuts (in case you were wondering, I just scrape off the walnuts). It's so moist you can eat the whole thing in one sitting. It's so moist, it makes Hong Kong's humidity problem look like the Gobi Desert.
To add to the calorie count, Steph served these Nutella chocolate cupcakes along with truffle ice cream from Alexandra Rocha's Pinkerton. OMG.
Malongo coffee's main man and our token Frenchman Geoff came to dinner as well. Aside from his witty repartee he offered to make his signature Malongotinis, which are to die for. If you never have had a Malongotini, you are missing half your life. It makes Patron XO look like an uncontrollable teenager!
We had such an amazing time, sharing food stories and more, that I ended up staying the whole night and even going to Time afterward. We all need a little cardio to work off the calories, right?
In whatever Stephanie does, she pours all her heart and soul into it, and you can feel it in the room and taste the love in all her food. As the prettiest waitress in town, she can't be beat! I can't wait to bring my other girlfriends here :)
Congratulations Steffie babes, on the success of your new endeavor!
Atelier 317
For reservations call +632.384.7064 or text 0917.830. 8393
Great article babes, my mouth is watering! When are we going?? xx
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