G’day mate!
Circles Event Cafe at Makati Shangri-La will be serving authentic Pacific Rim cuisine in their food festival called An Australian Sojourn which is already ongoing and will run until October 2.
Each dish is meticulously prepared by guest chef Matthew McCool who flew in all the way from Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney! Chef McCool even brought some real good stuff from the land down under.
Check-out what we had during the intimate media launch of “An Australian Sojourn”.
Wonderful dishes at An Australian Sojourn
STARTER
Tomato soup damper and dukkah
The night before my “An Australian Sojourn” visit, I had too much booze which gave me a really bad hangover. And this tomato soup was just what I needed because they say tomatoes can cure a hangover.
Chef McCool’s tomato soup was smooth and light which I found delightfully soothing. It was served in a double-walled cup to keep your soup hot while the outside surface remains cool. You can easily hold the cup without burning your fingers.
And while you’re sipping some soup, pinch some Australian damper, dip into the citrusy olive oil then Dukkah.
Australian damper is a bush loaf made from flour and water, cooked in a camp oven.
Dukkah is an Egyptian side dish consisting of toasted herbs, nuts and spices that is used as a dip. It has an earthy flavor and reminds me so much of Persian cuisine. It’ll add a nice crunch to your plain bread.
COLD DISHES
Cheese board
Assorted Australian cheese with dried fruits partnered with a nice red wine.
Quinoa Salad
This superfood is your perfect substitute for rice. It’s also rich in protein, high in fiber and other minerals. This superfood tastes really good and has a pleasantly nice crunch, too. Chef McCool threw in some roasted bellpeppers and other veggies and voila! A dish with not a lot of frills but packed with flavors and nutrients. 2 thumbs up!
Beetroot Salmon
Truth is, this salmon dish was light and simple. But what made this addicting to eat is the freshness of the salmon and the blending of flavors from the ingredients they used. The sour taste from the capers when you bite into it gives a zesty character to the entire dish.
HOT DISHES
Roasted Lamb Rack
I was stoked that this lamb dish did not taste gamey at all! I, for one am not a lamb eater because of the after taste it usually has. But Chef McCool made this lamb very pleasant to eat by adding lemon myrtle for some zest and fragrance. Had I not known it was lamb, I would’ve mistaken it for something else. Even the texture was that of a liver. I was just blown away as how delicious this roasted lamb was! A must try when you visit “An Australian Sojourn”.
Steam Snapper
Fresh steamed red snapper with mussels, flavored with ginger and soy sauce.
DESSERTS
Lamington
This Aussie classic are squares of sponge cake covered in chocolate icing and coconut. Sweet, moist and fluffy… my coffee’s perfect partner. This is actually a good looking dessert!
Pavlova
Look at the layers of meringue and cream. The lime gave this dessert a wonderful cooling effect. A great ending after all the savory dishes.
Already drooling? Wipe that off and don’t miss out on “An Australian Sojourn” which also includes Circles International Buffet.
DINNER RATES
Friday and Saturday: Php2,272.00 nett/head
Sunday to Thursday: Php2,008.00 nett/head
Contact Details
Circles Event Cafe is located at the lobby level of Makati Shangri-La
Ayala Avenue cor. Makati Avenue
Makati City
T: (63 2) 813-8888
F: (63 2) 813-5499
Twitter and Instagram: @makatishangrila