COCONUTS HOT SPOT — With a degustation menu, an exclusive dining area that seats 20 people, and an intimate space showcasing the best of Filipino art, it’s easy to see why the 39th restaurant in Asia’s top 50 list can be intimidating for some.
This, however, doesn’t mean that Chef Chele’s cooking isn’t accessible.
VASK Tapas Room, just beside Gallery VASK, is a more casual dining joint that appeals to those who want to enjoy good food in a more relaxed setting. It’s classy but not intimidating — the perfect spot for enjoying a good meal without feeling self-conscious.
Some of the dishes on the menu are modern and traditional tapas served the authentic Basque way. In time for the restaurant’s third anniversary, Vask Tapas Room launched 30 new dishes, some of which Coconuts Manila got to sample.
Chef Chele, who isn’t a big fan of buffet-style service, divided the 16-course dinner into four parts: cold tapas, hot tapas, mains and desserts — all mouthwatering.
“I am not personally a fan of the buffet for two reasons: first, the food is not freshly done, and second, because there is much food in the garbage after the service. So, since we believe in sustainability, everything is made fresh,” he said as he brought the cold appetizers to our table.
We started with pintxos — an appetizer made from a piece of toast with toppings typical of the Basque country — made from blue crab and hollandaise sauce on a piece of toast.
There was also a delightful tomato and ricotta salad with sago, and crispy mustasa. At our table, the agreement was that the conchiniillo tacos (with minced suckling pig, mango salsa, frijoles mousse and sour cream) was the star of the cold tapas. At a close second was the very refreshing tuna tartare with lemongrass ice cream.
Shortly after, the hot tapas were served. This was the part which I enjoyed most, and the txipirones croquetas was easily my favorite dish among the 16 served that night. It was crispy balls oozing with black squid ink inside. There was also the vieras gratinada made of scallops, béchamel, Jamon Iberico, and cheese.
There were crispy oysters with spicy paprika mayonnaise and the 62 degree egg and foie gras. The egg was so flavorful and the puff pastry crumbs on the dish made a huge difference.
For the mains, the first one to be brought out was the Mahi-Mahi con guiso de Pescadores in fisherman’s stew with potatoes, squid, and peas.
It was shortly followed by the chicken and chorizo, lamb and vanilla and the Rabo al Vino Tinto (slow-cooked oxtail, red wine, and rustic potatoes)
To give the night a sweet ending, four different desserts were served. First was the Rosé Watermelon Sangria, cubes of watermelon spiked with Don Papa Rhum, dusted with green tea and served with mascarpone ice cream. It was light and very refreshing on the tastebuds.
We were treated to two kinds of cake: deconstructed carrot cake and tarta de calamansi. Of the two, the second one gave a more interesting taste because it was the perfect balance of sweet and sour. Served with calamansi ice cream, it was heavenly.
The rolling truffle was an entertaining spectacle. It was a mountain of Malagos chocolate (from Davao) mousse, brownie, chocolate brioche, and cotton candy, which crumbled as soon as Chef Chele poured over the chocolate sauce.
With the nice variety of food offered at VASK Tapas Room, it’s exactly the kind of place perfect for going out with friends on a casual Friday night.
The good news? The prices are pretty friendly. The dishes at the VASK Tapas room are only about PHP400 to PHP600 upwards, and the desserts are at PHP295.
Also, some of these dishes are available at VASK Tapas Room’s “Design Your Own Brunch” (with any hot tapas, cold tapas, main course, and dessert) every Sunday, 11:30am to 2:30pm, PHP1,600/head for 12 dishes; and PHP2,200/head for 15 dishes plus steak (for a minimum of four people).
VASK, 5/F CLIPP Center, 11th Ave cor 39th St, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; +63 917 8065292. Mon-Sun 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-1am. Reservations are highly recommended.
