Nectar Restaurant: Wine Dining 101

Update: Nectar Restaurant has closed its doors on July 7, 2012.

Wine has been an intriguing luxurious drink for me. Most aficionados use fancy words I've never heard before. And although I would love to learn more about this famed alcoholic drink, just the terminology in wine-tasting already intimidates me. Fortunately, there are places like Nectar Restaurant in Legaspi Village, Makati which aims to break away from the norm when it comes to orienting people with wine culture.

Instead of basking wine neophytes with overflowing intimidation, Nectar Restaurant provides its wine diners with a casual and laid back ambiance filled with hues of browns and oranges to give off a cozy atmosphere. Beautiful paintings are also hung around its function rooms to exude a feeling of Synesthesia -- the becoming one of senses.

Aside from a nicely decorated space, what's unique in Nectar Restaurant is its owner, Mr. Robert Joseph's participation. He welcomes first-timers with a Wine Personality Test, a fun and interactive way to educate people with wine. If you're interested, my result is a Merlot -- soft, juicy and down-to-earth.

Despite the warm ambiance and accommodation, I'm sure another issue one has with wines are the prices. Fortunately, Nectar Restaurant offers wine as close to retail prices as it is owned by the same family behind Ralph's Wines & Spirits. And if you don't want to splurge on a bottle but would like to sample some wines, Nectar has a feat uncommon to other wine dining restaurants -- a wine dispenser where you can choose to get and pay only for a tasting portion, half or a full glass.

And of course, it wouldn't be wine dining without the food. So after a quick but thorough introduction to Nectar and its feats, it was finally time to do some wine and food pairing.

We first had the Spanaconchitas (P295), Greek spanakopitas infused with Spanish chorizo, and served with a sour cream dip. These triangular pocket pies were a delight to eat, especially when paired with a glass of the zesty and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc.

We also got to sample one of Nectar's bestsellers, the Crispy Toro (P480). This beef shank dish was crispy on the outside, yet tender on the inside. Everyone on our table nodded for approval, and we definitely enjoyed it more with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.

I may not be a big burger lover, but I very much enjoyed these Burguittos (P275) -- opened face mini burgers topped with juicy and succulent patty, fried quail eggs and potato allumettes. They may be small in size, but I can assure you they have big, bold flavors.

After the Burguittos, we got to sample its big brother, the La Mancha Burger (P590). Sandwiched between the big wheat buns are gruyere, sundried tomato paste, pickled bell peppers, minced steak burger patty and fried beef flakes, served with potato wedges. This burger is one of the meatiest I've tasted so far. I also love the crispy beef flakes as it added a nice and interesting texture to the whole ensemble.

We were also served the Aglio Olio Gamberi (P425), a rich garlic oil pasta topped with 3 tiger prawns, garnished with alfalfa sprouts, and cooked using Chef Mario Mendoza's secret technique. And although I wasn't able to get a hold of one of the tiger prawns, the pasta itself had a prawn flavor. The garlic slices were also beautifully caramelized, and the alfalfa sprouts gave a nice zesty hint and a mild crunchy texture.

For the main course, we had the Pork Tenderloin ala Plancha (P395) -- a tender pork fillet dish drenched with plum sauce, and served with braised red cabbage and barley faux risotto. Although pork with plum sauce was quite unexpected, I definitely enjoyed its unconventional combination especially when eaten with the red cabbage shreds. I also liked the barley risotto as it was very creamy and had a very interesting texture.

And to finish off on a sweet note, we were served with the Chocolate Climax (P175), rich chocolate mousse topped with dark chocolate. I just had a small bite from this cake, but it was really oozing with chocolatey goodness.

We also got to sample the Apple Tartatin (P175), layered puff pastry with apple slices, topped with whip cream and rich caramel sauce. I didn't manage to get a big forkful of this dessert, but it was good.

What I got to enjoy with two spoonfuls is this Mango Madness (P175) cake. With a texture crossing between chiffon and mousse, this mango cake was really soft and smooth, with a mild yet very enjoyable mango flavor. And although we only got to enjoy Nectar's house wines -- Claro brand Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, our impromptu wine dining 101 was definitely a success.

THE VERDICT

Being a newbie in wine dining, I really enjoyed the educational, casual and fun experience at Nectar Restaurant. The Italian Mediterranean food items we got to try were all of great quality with impressive flavors set in a relaxed and cozy space. But above the food and ambiance, the experience was elevated because of our very friendly and bubbly host, Mr. Robert Joseph who didn't only made the mood enjoyable, but who also taught us and convinced us of how great wines can be.

Taste - 4.5/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 3/5
Overall Value - 4/5

Nectar Restaurant, Legaspi Village
G/F Concorde Condominium, 200 Salcedo St.
Cor. Benavidez St., Legaspi Village
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 478-2941
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