Why Nabbing a Reservation at Impressions is a Bang for Your Buck

Both locals and foreign visitors are becoming more food-obsessed these days as compared to ten years ago, but without ever losing their discriminating taste for unparalleled good food.  One reason why a French restaurant in Resorts World Manila stood the test of time, and have been regarded  as one of Manila's Best French Restaurant, none other than Impressions.

So when a random text message comes with an invitation to try one of Impressions' Wine Dinners, how could I say no, even though my work is up to my neck I said yes in a heartbeat, with only six hours left before the said dinner.

It wasn't my first time here at Impressions, to date this is my third time and I'll keep on coming back. Well, for one, they have good wine selections, you can actually see them displayed on glass walls and sparkled with blue LED lights. Add to that my non-diminishing awe of how Chef Cyrille Soenen worked his magic on me.  Had to admit, I'm deliriously in love with all the dishes I have tried here. But what tickled my fancy by far was the meat carvings lovingly seasoned and prepared to my liking, oh also the adorable plating, oh wait how can I forget the burst of flavors in every dishes and the creativity shown in the menu.

But more than that, I just realized this when I last checked out Resorts World Manila's website, Chef Cyrille have been so busy whipping up themed dinners and banquets by passionately modifying weekly offerings.  Something regular diners are akin to be excited about.

As mentioned above, my dinner, together with some newly acquainted personnel from Resorts World, is a buffet composed of beef together with a whole lot of fresh ingredients to play with, paired with wine.  I started of with a glass of  Beringer Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  It's a great white wine to prep your palate with the savory meaty goodness of the beef dishes that were being served for the night.  It has that ripe berry, woody and a hint of mint at every sip which finishes of clean on the my mouth.  

While waiting for our other table mates, I took a shot of this gorgeous mound of roast beef that has not been but yet, fresh from roasting.  

Beside it was the Beef Medallion.  Together with the latter, these beefy beauties are part of the themed buffet being offered that night.  

Here are some of the dishes I was able to partake which were part of the buffet. Since the buffet is all about beef, most of the dishes if not all were beefed up.  In some way or another, the chefs magically metamorphosed simple hotel esteemed dishes into lavish delights. 

Fried baby potatoes made garlicky and mixed with bacon-y ground beef.

A beef bacon on some sort of mousse embellished with pesto sauce and black caviar.

A gamut of freshly-baked breads were also a-plenty.

There is also a place on the granite counter for DIY salad.  Don't you just love the fresh and inviting colors?

Beef burgers for your entree.  You can actually have the chefs prepare a sandwich with these, with of course your choice of trimmings.

These juicy and fall of the bone beef spareribs, I paired gladly with my salads, yes I had more than three different salads for that matter.

How about some meatball lollipops?  These are not your typical round of the mill party grubs, these are gourmet stuff you can only find here at Impressions.

Now, I'm thinking if this was a Tuesday night, cause if it were so, I could have easily called it a Fat Tuesday night, cause boy I really gained tons of calories gorging on these beef chicharones.  I succumbed to the crunch, the flavors, as well as the fats that exploded in my mouth.  I sinned but it doesn't matter only for this night...

Mini Beef jerkies on some sort of mousse of flan.

All hail to the first and only chef in the Philippines granted with Maîtres Cuisiniers de France! Master Chef Cyrille truly deserves this honor and after seeing an array of molecular gastronomy in his helm, I can only gasp in awe.  Have you ever had ravioli on a bed of beef froth, btw?

To date, this was the first time I had Bulalo for a salad.  Even if it was raining I saw the sun shone through the clouds with this unique dish. Say hello to Summer Bulalo, or a cold bulalo but the loveliest of them all.  Beef floss and shredded vegetables comprising the typical Bulalo (Beef Bone Marrow Soup) were stowed on a bulalo broth aspic, many would attribute the aspic for a gelatin.

As Chef Cyrille had put it, the broth was reduced leaving all the beef and vegetable flavors intact, then clarified into a consommé, after which it's kept on the fridge.  Because consommé is high in gelatin, it hardens when it cools, forming aspic.

The heart-attack inducing meal was heightened with these.  I stood in a heartbeat and didn't think twice, and the healthy side of me kept mum, grabbing me one of this and some more chicharones. 

The next thing I knew I was scraping clean a small-sized marrow of its bone and licking daintily my fork with it's frothy minty sauce, while also picking with my bare-fingers chicharones morsels and popping it in my mouth.

Okay, as if I had enough joie de vivre that night.  I was still at amuse bouche and this time a glass of red wine.

Then I was reminded the roast beef or beef medallion on the carving station were also part of the beef and wine buffet.  As I was contemplating whether to get another helping of the Bone Marrow, my well-done roast beef plate was served.  Oh it was sided with potato salad, some greens, marinara and a bun.  I still can remember how succulent and herbed-infused the beef was.

When dining like this, leaving the place a tad bloated can always be excusable, but without having dessert, well that might spell anticlimactic.

Dessert wasn't included in the buffet, but you can always check the menu to cap a delightful meal.

One of which I definitely would recommend is the Fruit Minestrone, a refreshing soup dessert.  Haha, kinda given me something to ponder,  earlier I had savory soup made into gelo, then my dessert was a soup.  Just a lovely play of culinary you can catch, nowhere else in Manila but here at Impressions in Resorts World Manila.

I was first served with a slew of fresh and preserved fruits and a vanilla ice cream with an apple crisp in the middle.  Then, one the staff poured the citrus soup on our plate.  The basil infused soup was like a taste of summer and spring all at the same time.  It has that lovely mix of sweet and tangy with a subtle infusion of basil.  It's a far cry from my usual fruit salad intake, something that I'm definitely boasting with to everyone.

This was a one-time themed buffet. but you too can have a heck of a dining experience, Impressions will be having this time a premium seafood buffet on July 23, starting at 7 PM.

Indulge in Baked Oysters with Mushrooms, Parmesan and Béarnaise Sauce; Oyster in Shell, Sour Cream/Crème Fraiche with Apple Aspic; Fresh Oysters,  Shallot-Coriander-Ginger Vinegar or Shallot Vinegar;  Baked Scallops with Garlic and Orange Beurre Blanc; and Seared Scallops with Beetroot Puree in Half Shell.

There are Tri-color Prawns Tempura, Yuzu and Trilogie of Mayonnaise (Wasabi, Soy, Miso); Grilled Prawn, Olive Tapenade, Gremolata, Tomatoes; Shrimps Poached in Court Bouillon; and Shrimps Wrapped with Kaddaif and Prosciutto, too. 

Or choose Chilled New Zealand Mussels Poached in Court Bouillon; Baked Mussels with Parsley Garlic Butter; Steamed Chilean Mussels and Fries; Stuffed Squid with Bolognese; and Fried Calamari Rings with Tartare Sauce. Plus, delight in servings of Chilled Blue Crabs Poached in Court Bouillon; and Crispy Crablets, Black Garlic Puree and Lemon Cream Foam.

Served with some premium wines, this special treat is available at PHP1,500 nett per person.

Visit Impressions located at 3F Maxims Hotel.