a bite of brownie

   It was a year late when we learned of this restaurant situated near the Church of Latter Day Saints. It's even funnier that we oft ride our way to Ayala and IT Park, while just shooting glimpses of this quaint pink colored house atop a narrow hill-like entrance.

We've decided to finally visit the place a few days after finally visiting the pastry and wine shop just at the outskirts of the place. I liked the ambiance outside, and I'm pretty sure La Maison Rose could compare.

La Maison Rose... in a nutshell is designed like an old french house with several paintings of Japanese ladies and products and advertisements. There were several nifty chandeliers and stuffed parrots and fanciful designs. It was like a world different from the outside, as one entered the barreled doors.

Arriving just in time for our reservation at 12 noon,  my family and I were seated and given two iPads to view their menu. Pretty fancy. And fancy too, since the prices were high.

For starters, we ordered Surprised Poached egg with caviar, Escargot, and Beef Lasagna.

But before that, we had free flowing bread to keep us occupied, which lasted until our entrés arrived. They also served us a sampler of pumpkin soup and some bites of flavored baked goods. There never was a time that our bread plate emptied and our supply of water down to the last drop. I'm happy to say that the staff were very attentive to the needs of their patrons.

First of all, the beef lasagna was oozing with cheese. Rarely do you see a lasagna like this where the chefs aren't scared of using cheese. It was too much for me that I think that the cheese overpowered the beef. The escargot, a fancy name for snails,  was a little disappointing. It had only three pieces and the sauce practically covered the whole thing. These were served in three individual saucers that looked like squished shot glasses. I think it could have been better. The poached egg was a good entré, if not excellent. The taste of smoked marlin overpowered the caviar though, which is kind of a waste especially they used black caviar.

After our entrés arrived, I had myself a plate of Duck vol au vent, which is duck in a hollow puff pastry. My sister had a special home made smoked sausage, my brother, a plate of roasted chicken with grainy mustard sauce. Last but not the least, my mom ordered for herself a serving of beef bourguignon.
  
My dish was how I imagined it to be: filling, but very light on the palate. It had just the right amount of flavor and a generous amount of greens that balances the whole thing. I'm quite impressed with the beef bourguignon; the meat was simmered in red wine. It's literally swimming in it. The sausage was adequately spiced, and the chicken was cooked just right.

It took us some time to finish our meals, including some small talk as we were enjoying the delightful array of food before us. As soon as the servers noticed this, the plates were taken and not less than five minutes dessert came.

Just so you know, we got one order of banana flambé, a cup of chocolate coulant, some vanilla creme brulee, and a sampler platter of cheese to close the stomachs.

Yum!




La Maison Rose
Lahug


Verdict:
A: 4/5
The food is good: very filling, nicely presented, and expensive. I thought that the portion sizes were fine. Not recommended for people on a budget. Very pricey.