Valentine’s Day was very special for me because Mr. Boyfriend surprised me with a bouquet of flowers in the morning and a fancy dinner later in the day. What made it even more special was that he took me to a very nice restaurant called Chef’s Table. 

Chef’s Table is located at the Infinity Tower at 26th Street, The Fort Global City, Taguig. You won’t miss it because there’s a big signage at the entrance that says Chef’s Table. Parking is free at the basement below.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the staff and ushered to our table. Everybody was warm and friendly.

Jave (AKA Mr. Boyrfriend) purchased Deal Grocer vouchers for our date. It was for a special Valentine-themed 4-course meal which was called *ehem* “Lust”.

But before we proceed with the food, let’s talk about the restaurant…

Chef’s Table is the brainchild of Chef Bruce Lim. He graduated from a prestigious culinary school London and he’s also a celebrity chef with his own show in Asian Food Channel called Tablescapes. I’ve also seen him guest on various local TV shows.

Here’s a fun fact, he was able to train under the tutelage of Mr. Hell’s Kitchen himself, Chef Gordon Ramsay. Speaking of television shows, are you a fan of Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, or any other reality TV cooking shows? If so then Chef’s Table is perfect for you.

With its unique layout and design, Chef’s Table is perfect for culinary enthusiasts as it provides diners with a full and unadulterated view of the kitchen. If you seat yourself by the specially designed bar tables, it’s like watching your very own live cooking show. That way, you’ll have no doubts about the preparation, hygiene, and overall effort that goes into making your food. I’m guessing this is where the concept of the resto’s name came from- Chef’s Table. You can eat literally alongside the chef’s table where they’re chopping ingredients and plating dishes.

The ambience of the restaurant is intimate but not stuffy. It has modern furnishings matched by little details that are very Pinoy. The dim-lighting and accents add to the fine dining experience, but you don’t feel threatened by the understated panache.

Here’s another fun fact, we noticed that both the (male) chefs and servers were all bald (or skinhead). I asked our server and he said that it was really a requirement by Chef Bruce who is also proudly bald. It’s obviously great for hygienic purposes but, it is very cute too. It makes the staff look like a well-knit team. Like how the UP cheerdancers once cut all of their hairs short. Or how the DLSU basketball team shaved their heads.

The layout of the restaurant is also pretty unique. It reminds me of an open-space loft where there’s one big, high-ceiling room and a mezzanine-like second floor. As I’ve said, the restaurant doesn’t feel stuffy. It’s easy to move around in, and I’m sure this works well for both the customers and the staff. It’s probably good for Feng Shui too. Hehe.

By the way, I checked out their second floor and it seems like a nice place to hold small corporate meetings or special events. The space is limited though so it’s just for intimate affairs.

Since it was Valentine’s Day, they added a little romantic touch to the tables with red rose petals surrounding the candlelight. They also gave out long-stemmed roses to the ladies. It was a very nice gesture indeed.

Now on to the food!

The meal started with the special Love Potion No. 5 Cocktail which Jave and I really liked. It’s a sweet, red drink that tasted very similar to a Sangria. It was the perfect way to begin the celebration/meal.

Next came the  Spicy Ginataang Seafood Soup which contained local Capiz shellfish simmered in lemongrass coconut seafood broth. I must admit that I’m not a huge fan of neither seafood nor soups, but this really turned me around. The soup was divine! It tasted both simple and complicated at the same time, like an upgraded and upscale version of the soup that your mom would make. It wasn’t too spicy which I appreciated a lot.

This was followed by the Gayuma Platter which contained spiced and marinated fresh oysters, and sautéed balut in chili garlic. To tell you the truth, the looks of the dish freaked me out a little. I have never eaten balut before. But since it was a special night, I was up for the challenge! I didn’t eat the part that looked like a little chick already. Hehe. It was a fun experience though, like a cool way to break the ice, something to spark up laughter and conversation.

For the main dish we had two options- oven-roasted Chili Prawns or Spiced Pork Ribs. Jave went with the Chili Prawns and I chose the Ribs. Both tasted great! In fact, Jave wished he could have had more of the Prawns.

Dessert came and we were both excited. When the Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta was served, we eagerly dipped our spoons and scooped away. The Panna Cotta was very rich and smooth, and the nuts on the side paired with it perfectly to add texture. To sum the dessert in one word- YUMMMM!

I loved the food! But what I really loved more was the fact that Chef Bruce himself visited our table about three of four times to ask if we were okay or if we liked the food. It made us feel that we were really being taken care of and that he really wants to ensure our enjoyment.

What’s funny is that the first few times he came over, all Jave and I could say were one-liners like “Yes“, “Great” and my personal favorite “Yeah“. Talk about spacing out! =)) Eventually we were able to blurt out entire sentences. Thank goodness!

Most of the things on our special Valentine dinner are not on their regular menu but they do have a lot of other offerings that look very interesting. They have dishes such as:

• Ensaladang Tuna at Salmon
• Kangkong Melon Soup
• Inasal na Chicken Ceasar Salad
• Adobong Pusit Pasta
• Ilocano Table on a Plate 
• Buko Pie Martini

Note: Prices range from PHP200-550 per dish +service charge.

Very playfully Pinoy right? With these other dishes to look forward to and the nice experience we got, surely we’ll be coming back to Chef’s Table in the future.

For more information about Chef’s table, visit their website here. 

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