The Nostalgia Dining Lounge is the newly relaunched fine dining restaurant of Oakwood Premier Center Manila. Formerly called the Oakroom, The Nostalgia Dining Lounge features contemporary cross-continental classic cuisine with a touch of Asian. Resident French executive chef Jérôme Cartailler brings together Oakroom's well loved dishes from the past five years, forward into year 2015 with the addition of several heirloom recipes from Chef Jerome's family.
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| The Old Manila |
The Old Manila room features a long table reminiscent of the comedor of old bahay-na-bato (Filipino colonial houses). The chairs are covered with fabrics made of native Filipino fibers while the walls bear framed photos of the good old days. Highlight of the room are the two rectangular hanging capiz chandeliers. The Old Manila is the biggest among the three private rooms which can accommodate up to 14 guests.
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| Cosmopolitan Shanghai |
Bohemian Paris features a bohemian feminine design or pink walls and byzantium purple velvet button chaise chairs, with accents of plants and chic ornaments. The room can also accommodate up to six guests.
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| Bohemian Paris |
Two weeks ago, we got the chance to sample some of the signature dishes of Chef Jerome in an intimate lunch serenaded by harpist Holly Angel Paraiso. The restaurant was filled with the heavenly melody of her harp playing tunes such as "The Nearness of You", "Time to Say Goodbye" and "The Prayer".
It was a really unique experience to dine with live harp music playing at the background. To simulate the experience, here is a video from youtube which you can play while reading through the rest of the article.
For starters, we had a trio of their best-selling appetizers. The Crispy Pork Belly had a tender meat and super crispy skin. The Escargot in Puff Pastry is a unique twist to the usual escargot. It is served in a special way wherein the meat is enclosed in a puff pastry and served on a bed of salad. The Chef's Terrine is a delicate loaf of ground pork and veal marinated and slow cooked until moist and tender. The terrine is an original recipe of Chef Jerome's grandmother.
For the entree, we had Chicken Supreme with Mushroom Mousse and Light Gorgonzola Sauce with moist and tender chicken breast fillets delightfully flavored by the Gorgonzola cheese sauce. It is then served on mushed potato and topped with crispy carrot julienne for added crunchy texture. We also had the Pan Seared Macadamia Crusted Salmon with Buttered Vegetables and Chardonnay Sauce. Made only with the freshest Norwegian salmon, this dish is truly amazing because of the macadamia crust which does not only add a crunchy texture to the fish, but its light nutty flavor enhances the overall flavor of the dish. Also interesting are the ball shaped carrots, zucchini and squash served with this dish.
Finally, for dessert, we had the Tartufo, a coffee infused mousse coated with white chocolate and served with ganache on the side. It is perfect with brewed coffee. What a way to end this excellent three course meal.
The Nostalgia Dining Lounge will regularly offer themed set dinners with choices of appetizers, entrees and desserts. What we had for lunch are samplers of their well-loved favorites, which you can also ordered ala carte.
| Dish | Price |
| Crispy Pork Belly | P425.00 |
| Escargot in Puff Pastry | P530.00 |
| Chef's Terrine | P429.00 |
| Chicken Supreme with Mushroom Mousse and Light Gorgonzola Sauce | P645.00 |
| Pan Seared Macadamia Crusted Salmon with Buttered Vegetables and Chardonnay Sauce | P895.00 |
| Tartufo | P325.00 |
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| ala carte serving of Macadamia Crusted Salmon |
| RATING 4.1/5.0 |
Food 9/10 |
Value 8/10 |
Service 6/10 |
Place 9/10 |
Experience 9/10 |
Here's a summary of what we liked about The Nostalgia Dining Lounge:
- What we have sample so far from the ala caret menu are amazing. We also liked it that they can create samplers of their dishes.
- Considering the high quality of the ingredients used and the excellent execution of the dishes, you really get value from every peso you pay.
- Service is on the average side.
- We loved what they have done to the interior. The private rooms are also amazing. My personal favorite is the Cosmopolitan Shanghai room.
- Overall, it was one of the best dining experience we had. Great food and great ambiance. Congratulations to Oakwood Premier Manila for your newly relaunched restaurant!
Here are some suggestions for improvement:
- I would love to see more fusion of French Asian and Filipino dishes, dishes that would go well with the The Old Manila and the Cosmopolitan Shanghai.
- Service should be a bit more personal. Service staff was a bit too formal and stiff which does not match the happy nostalgic ambiance of the restaurant.
- The buffet section also needs refurbishment, the area looks sad and left behind by the lovely dining space of the main restaurant.
The Nostalgia Dining Lounge
6F Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila
17 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Contact Number: +63 (02) 637-7888 ext. 8603
Website: www.oakwoodpremiermanila.com
Facebook: facebook.com/OakwoodManila
Instagram: @oakwoodpremiermanila
Disclaimer: Pinas Muna was invited by the restaurant to sample and review their dishes and restaurant as a whole. Dishes were provided by the restaurant for photoshoot and sampling purposes only. Opinion on the food, place and service is ours and is in no way influenced by the restaurant through incentives, payment or any other monetary and non-monetary compensation.
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