If there's a date place that I could recommend to anyone visiting S MAISON, it would be EPILOGUE. Granted that it may look a bit intimidating from the outside, it's actually cozy and quite homey inside. With a dash of cosmopolitan, this Japanese European Fine Bistro is the perfect place to bring your love ones to celebrate a special event or even just to hangout and relax, away from it all.
From my point of view, EPILOGUE in S MAISON is divided into three key areas: a BAKERY, a BAR, and the MAIN DINING HALL. As guests arrive, they are greeted by a variety of freshly baked goodies at the entrance. This is a good sign of things to come.
Here, you could actually check out the different pastries and sweet after thoughts that you may like to try out. Take note that they even give discount near closing time to ensure that there's minimal wastage.
Special mention though must be given to this GREEN TEA DESSERT. Not overly sweet, you get a hint of that bitter taste every matcha lover looks for. The texture is crunchy and crumbly at the same time. But, I am getting ahead of myself.
After the soft opening phase, EPILOGUE removed the tasting menu and went full blast allowing diners to pick and share their dishes with their companions.
One look at the spread and one might say that the names of the dishes and the parts of the menu might be a bit pretentious. For me, it's creativity. Riding along with the theme, epilogue is part of a book hence the terms used, I guess. Going back, things started off with the SIGNORE CARDINI (360Php) and the SEAFOOD TABLET (440Php). The Cardini is quite similar to caesar salad. Huge crisp bacon is placed on top of a harvest salad and partnered with coddled egg and shaved parmesan. The Tablet is basically couscous with calamari and prawns with a touch of balsamic vinaigrette.
Pasta is something that is always a good idea to share. Given that first dates should stay away from these dishes, it's fun to eat and filling as well.
There's the Amatriciana (480Php) and also the Veneto (580Php) to try out. The Amatriciana is your red sauce, basil, tomato confit and artisan pancetta all combined to give you that home cooked flavor. The Veneto, on the other hand, is EPILOGUE'S Gnocchi. Prosciutto di Parma, fresh cream, and handmade Gnocchi were tossed to produce this dish.
A definite partner to pasta would be pizza. EPILOGUE creates wonderful artisan pizza with the help of an imported brick fired oven. The Margherita (670Php) must be the simplest one on the menu but it is delicious. The crust is not super thick and carries the toppings pretty well.
Termed as CHAPTER AND VERSE, the Mains are heavyweights. The attention to detail and the quality of ingredients for each one speaks volume in the final products. Hands down, these dishes made me want to come back again.
The YUZU DORI (620Php) is crispy chicken flavored with SHIO-KOJI. It's placed on top of quinoa. The skin is crunchy while the meat is juicy and moist. The same goes for the CONFIT de CANARD (775Php). EPILOGUE'S DUCK CONFIT. This baby was slowly cooked and is partnered with potato lyonnaise.
People behind EPILOGUE must love their FOIE GRAS as they have a couple of entrees that has them as main components. It's buttery heaven.
For something "light", the FOIE'S GOLD (1,100 Php) is a 50g Pan-Seared Ernest Soulard Foie Gras placed on top of mushroom risotto and portobello. Each bite is like have an orgasm as the flavor and texture is spot on. But if you're a hungry person, the MAESTRO (1,550Php) might be for you. It's US PRIME ANGUS TENDERLOIN paired with Seared Foie Gras. It's the best of both worlds. It has gratin on the side as well just in case you need something to carry all that flavor.
If that wasn't enough the KING'S CUT (1,690/3,990Php) might do it for you. US PRIME ANGUS RIBEYE and potato gratin goes well hand in hand especially if you want something very straightforward as this. To add twist, it has demi-glace and wasabi in the fray.
I know I wrote about that green tea dessert awhile ago, but there are other noteworthy sweet delights. One could go for the COCOON (320Php) where a Belgian white chocolate dome is drowned in hot chocolate to produce homemade Italian gelato inside. Wishful thinking, maybe they could have placed a brownie inside as well. If that's not your drift, the TARTE TATIN or apple tart with tahitian vanilla ice cream might do the trick.
EPILOGUE seems intimidating at first but it grows on you. Dishes might be priced on the high side but you get what you pay for. Quality and taste wise, I couldn't find fault.
RELATED LINKS:
Siam Thai in Kapitolyo
Bijin Nabe in S Maison
Bijin Nabe: 5 Things to Remember
EPILOGUE
Ground Floor. S Maison.
SM Mall of Asia
Pasay, Metro Manila
Disclaimer: wrote this based on my experience. Visited this restaurant twice. Paid for my meal the first time and was the second was an invite from our good friends from Epilogue.
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