Studio Kitchen: Creative Cuisine in Alabang

Having been born and raised in the northern part of the Metro, I have nothing but sheer curiosity of what the South holds within its area. Although the Dora-like part of me made me explore Makati and Taguig despite the distance, there are still parts of the Metro I have yet to travel to. One of them is Alabang in Muntinlupa which is the southern most city of NCR.

When given the chance to visit Alabang and dine in Studio Kitchen, an upper-class sit-down restaurant offering the creative fusion cuisine of chef-owner Mark Tan, I immediately contacted my fashionable and dear friend, Ronn (Yes, the one who competed in Lee's National Denim Day and the one who created these fierce statement blazers) to not only be my food trip partner, but to also be my travel buddy for the day.

Located in the Commerce Center Building's 2nd floor (which is more than 2 hours away from my place), Studio Kitchen is a barely 6-month old restaurant exuding both simplicity and elegance as opposed to pure intimidation. Although the wide dining space looks posh, the whole place was not embedded with knickknacks. Just simple square and rectangular tables, leather-cushioned seats and a lovely artsy wall, paired with a soft yellow-tinted lighting, and Studio Kitchen is all set.

Food was not immediately served due to an unforeseen circumstance. But, we definitely understood the situation as the chef-owner, Mark Tan who was trained in the Michelin-starred Providence and The Bazaar, both in Los Angeles, was the only one in to do the culinary management. In fact, we maximized the opportunity to see the chef in action as he meticulously prepared the dishes in their open kitchen.

After a few minutes of waiting which we didn't mind at all, we were then served with a plate of Fresh Green Salad (P300). Loaded with fresh crispy greens, cherry tomatoes and seasonal fruits, this platter of healthy goodness was topped with a balsamic dressing. And with the freshest ingredients, one can't simply go wrong with a vegetable salad.

We were then served with the Fresh Crab Salad (P330), another lovely plate full of greens, but this time, with Granny Smith apple mash, Piquillic, basil, Espelette, fresh wasabi, and the star of the dish -- fresh unshelled crab meat. Being a seafood lover, this plate definitely satisfied my craving. Everything tasted great, and I liked the greens here better than with the Fresh Green Salad's.

After a light start, we kicked the night off with a serving of the Lapu-Lapu Rossejat (P595) -- a beautifully-plated Aioli-based dish with lovely Lapu-Lapu, mussels, squid and shrimp atop a bed of paella pasta. Although I want to love this dish to bits, I was really confused if I like it or not. The Lapu-Lapu was perfectly cooked and all the other seafood created sparks. But, I think it was the paella pasta which didn't make the cut. I quite liked it taste-wise, but I think I'm just not a fan of thin noodles.

We also got to sample the Funghi Pasta Ala Chitarra, Appetizer (P375); Entree (P490). This dish filled with hand-made and hand-cut fresh pasta, Swiss Brown, Shiitake, Parmeggiano Regianno and chives definitely received a nod for approval. Although the Swiss Brown sauce was creamy and very likable, it was the mushrooms that stole the night.

We were also served with one of Studio Kitchen's best-selling dishes, the Maple Glazed Pork Belly (P540) -- a sous vide-cooked pork belly dish glazed with maple-star anise sitting on chorizo and Granny Smith apple-infused paella rice. Although I like the flavors of this dish, our table tried to veer away from getting more of the pork because of its oiliness.

Another carnivorous dish followed suit as we were served with the Braised US Beef Short Rib (P695) -- slow-cooked beef short rib with mushroom risotto and asparagus. The beef short rib was very straightforward and unpretentious. It tasted of meat and nothing more, yet it managed to make me tempted because of its succulent and very tender quality. The mushroom risotto was also the perfect carb partner as it contrasted the simplicity of the meat with its salty yet savory flavor.

We also got to sample the Dutch Veal Cheeks (P925) which was served with cauliflower puree, roasted asparagus, and wilted arugula. Compared with the 2 previous meat dishes, this one is the bomb! The veal cheeks were very tender and savory as it was cooked in port-veal jus. They were oozing with flavor in every bite, and the asparagus and arugula gave the meat a delicate bitterness to balance the meaty taste.

For the last entrée, our group had the Surf and Turf (P740), a beautifully-plated ensemble with prawns, ox tongue, baby artichokes, confit cherry tomatoes, ox tongue duelle ravioli and tomato gastrique. Everyone in our table was at awe when this was served. The lovely plating by the chef made this look like a real culinary artwork. But of course, we shouldn't judge it by just how pleased our eyes were. And upon tasting, the ox tongue ravioli became my favorite in this plate. The ox tongue pieces and prawns had a lot of potential as they were cooked to the right texture and doneness. However, there were parts of them which had a very salty and bitter taste. We're not sure if the unwanted unpleasant flavors were supposed to be there, or if something had gone wrong.

With our taste buds quite upset from the last dish, we were glad when the server brought us a plate of the Chocolate Coulant (P300), a dark chocolate-almond cake filled with chocolate ganache and plated with vanilla Chantilly and macerated strawberries. And contrary to the last food item we had, this serving of dessert was pure bliss! We just love how the cake was quite crisp on the outside, yet oozing with delicious chocolate ganache on the inside.

We also had this lovely Laiskonis Egg (P130) -- eggshell filled with chocolate pot de creme, maple syrup, caramel sauce, caramel foam and Maldon salt. And like the previous dessert, this piece of egg tasted divine! Sitting at the bottom of the egg is a decadent chocolate goodness which harmoniously blends with the salty foam on top which created a perfect balance of sweet and salty.

To cap the night off, we also had some chocolate sandwiches and macarons which are 2 items from Studio Kitchen's Plate of Mignardises (P150). Both of these goodies were a delight to eat, but we preferred the chocolate sandwiches as the cream filling was just so good!

If you're curious what Studio Kitchen has for beverages, fear not 'cause they have an array of white and red wines, soda, San Miguel products, coffee, tea and some fresh fruit concoctions like this Fresh Squeezed Lemon-Pineapple Slush (P120) which I had.

THE VERDICT

This trip down to Studio Kitchen was a very exciting one not just because of the adventure my friend and I had to-and-from Alabang, but also because of what Chef Mark Tan's culinary prowess had offered us. Although I have to admit that there were some misses when it comes to the food flavors, I'll still give Studio Kitchen a shot as I believe these were simply brought about by that night's unfavorable circumstances on the part of the restaurant. And with a simple yet classy space, a very courteous set of staff, and food that looks so delectable, I'm sure this will not be the last time I'll visit the south.

Taste - 3.5/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 3/5
Overall Value - 4/5

Studio Kitchen, Alabang
Unit 202 Commerce Center Building
Commerce Avenue, Filivest, Alabang
Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02)822-0508
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