Lunch for the Queen : Tapenade at Discovery Primea in Makati City

January flew by so fast for me. With three quick trips to Manila, the entire month went by like a blur but it was a fun and eventful one, I must say. The last trip was my favorite though as I was able to spend every waking hour with family. After all, it was to celebrate Mommy's birthday and we made sure to shower her with all the love that she deserved for days.

On her actual birthday, we took her to her favorite restaurant -- Tapenade at Discovery Primea. Mommy can be a very picky eater and for her to rave about a particular restaurant for months on end definitely means something. She first told me about Tapenade last October but since we had a very hectic schedule then, we were not able to push through with our family dinner at Tapenade. Then, the December holiday came and went, again another failed attempt to visit Tapenade. So, on her birthday, Pan and I made sure that we push through with it and while we miss Paul and my brother in law E who were both busy at work, it was a nice family lunch just like old times. Of course, this time, we have my beautiful niece A joining us.



We all decided to go for Tapenade's Midday Menu (Php. 980++) which is a 3-course lunch set and an option to avail for the Signature Salad Room for an additional charge of Php. 500. I was so intrigued about the salad room as this was what fellow bloggers and even Mommy were raving about. Mind you, this is no ordinary salad bar. Check out what you can enjoy at Tapenade's Signature Salad Room:

Fresh greens and a good selection of toppings

Prosciutto and some marinated olives

Chilled seafood which you can enjoy on it's own or...

Ask the server to cook it for you. 

Interesting appetizers and tapas 

An entire bookcase filled with all sorts of bread and spreads, pates and jams. 

They also got a good selection of cheeses and cold cuts too. I went back twice and was truly in salad and antipasti heaven!

Our lunch set started with Soup of the Day where we had Roasted Pumpkin Soup that day. It was so good and I was a bit hungry that I quickly slurped up my soup without even taking a photo! Oops!

Moving to our mains, Mommy and I decided to get one of each to share. We had the Italian Beef "Brasato" which was delicious! Melt-in-your-mouth slow-cooked US Beef cooked like a stewed short rib and served with creamy polenta and vegetables. I really get excited whenever I get to have polenta as it's one of the few corn-products that I can safely eat. The serving was HUGE! I'm so glad that I was sharing it with Mommy but then again, Mommy doesn't have a big appetite to I ended up getting a bigger share and stuffing myself like crazy at the end of our meal.

The other entree was the Black Olive-Crusted Tuna Loin. To be honest, this one paled in comparison to the amazing beef option plus the black olives made the tuna so salty. It was just too salty to be enjoyed. Served with cherry tomatoes, green beans and basil-cilantro gremolata, I don't think I'll have this again on my next visit.

It was such a nice leisure lunch where we did a lot of family catching-up while enjoying our meal. I had several visits to the Salad Room in between courses but despite feeling so full, we all made sure to leave space for dessert.

To go with our cups of coffee and tea, we each had the Espresso Tart which was a delicious slice of coffee-infused tart served with milk ice cream and vanilla chantilly. It has a rich coffee flavor and the crust was crumbly and buttery, just the way I love it.

Happy Birthday Momsy! We Love You! ♥  

This was definitely the highlight of my recent trip home and I can't wait to go back with the family again. Till next time, Tapenade!

Check out Tapenade at the Ground Floor of Discovery Primea, 6749 Ayala Avenue, Makati City. Call them at +63 (2) 955-8888.