WHEN IN MANILA, “Have a taste of world-class cuisine prepared by celebrity chef Cyrille Soenen and satisfy your sweet cravings with amazing desserts from an award-winning pastry team” only at Impressions.
Clearly, Impressions’ facade was already “impressive.”
From the lovely tables and chairs…
… to the elegant table set-up and…
… to Impressions’ magnificent wall — the wine cellar containing a very wide selection of premium wines.
I couldn’t help but admire the classy interior. Impressions even displays classic replicas by renowned artists. By the way, did you know that they didn’t hire an interior decorator for this French restaurant? Chef Hubertus Cramer, Resorts World Manila’s very own VP for Food and Beverage, did all these. “Impressive!”
To start, we had Impressions’ oven-baked breads – baguette, raisin or walnut. As always, I chose to have the walnut bread. It had a crunchy and chewy crust and soft interior.
Tartine Iodee of Sea Urchin, Scallops and Oysters, Assorted Cress, Sea Urchin Parfait in Cucumber Confit (Php 490)
Okay, let me explain this cold appetizer in simpler terms: Tartine (tahr-teen): a fancy open faced sandwich with an elaborate topping – (dictionary.com); Iodee (yow-dee): iodine
Impressions’ open faced sandwich had the sweetest and freshest selection of seafood: (right to left) sea urchin; fresh scallop with big salmon roes on top; chunky crab meat tossed in pesto sauce; plump and juicy French oyster topped with vinaigrette shallots ; sea urchin mousse enveloped in pickled cucumber. We were all raving about the French oyster – I could still recall the firmness of the meat and how deliciously sweet it was..mmmm
Duck Liver Terrine de Foie Gras de Canard, Grilled Eel, Cube of Aspic Lemon Confit and Red Cabbage Foam in Teriyaki Jam (Php 600)
This was one of my favorites in my Impressions French dining experience. I have always been in LOVE with foie gras. This is the one food that I could eat everyday for the rest of my life, given the chance. Upon tasting Impressions’ foie gras appetizer, I was instantly brought back to Paradou, a French Restaurant in New York. This was so good!!! As expected, everyone’s plate was clean after savoring each little bite of this dish.
Crispy Pamora Farm Egg, Asparagus Soubise, Caviar Sevruga (Php 410)
I was quite surprised to find Sevruga caviar on my breaded soft-boiled egg. Instinctively, I savored the caviar first, leaving behind the farm egg and sauce. Caviar Sevruga is generally one of the most expensive variety of caviar – buttery in flavor with a very smooth texture. How I wish I could have more of that – it was certainly the highlight of this hot appetizer. After relishing the last bits of the caviar, I cut the egg in half and scooped a spoonful of creamy egg yolk together with the thickened Parmesan-asparagus sauce. It was so good that I actually finished everything, leaving my plate clean… again.
Veal Shank Marinated for 48 hours, Served with Carrots and Mushrooms (Php 3,800 – good for 4-5 pax)
Our huge sous-vide veal shank was flawless! It’s very tricky to cook the meat evenly – keeping all the juices in and without over-cooking the outside.
Impressions’ Executive Chef, Cyrille Soenen, explains the process of sous-vide cooking and how tricky it can be. We also asked the perfect temperature and timing, but until now, it remains a mystery because it is top secret! :p
That is a well-done veal shank but look how pink the meat inside was! This only means one thing: it was cooked to perfection. All the blood and juice was packed and stayed inside – despite the very tricky timing and temperature.
Impressions’ Chef Cyrille carved the juicy meat himself, making sure that we fully enjoy our Impressions fine-dining experience. The meat was so tender that it easily fell off the bone.
I truly enjoyed this succulent dish – with the crunchy vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes with truffle oil, and delectable sauteed mushrooms with shallots. I highly recommend ordering this dish when dining at Impressions as a group.
Mille-Feuille
Meel-f… It’s very complicated to correctly pronounce the last part – this French pastry’s name literally means “thousand sheets.” It is usually made up of 3 layers of puff pastry, alternating with a sweet pastry cream. Impressions layered this charming dessert with hazelnut cream, raspberry jelly and topped with caramel-glazed profiteroles (a.k.a. cream puffs). Warning: The hazelnut cream filling can be addicting.
Yin and Yang (Php 310)
Passion Fruit, Earl Grey Tea, Rose Petal
The passion fruit dome had the consistency of a jelly-like mousse. It was the ideal compliment for the earl grey tea mousse in the center. This is a very unique dessert by Impressions. I cannot fully describe the combination of flavors in each bite but I guarantee that this is one of the best light desserts. The bottom part is chocolate mousse sitting on a thin dark chocolate-pecan crunch. The thin pecan crunch was a bliss! It was pure delight having this lovely dessert by Impressions.
The candied rose petal was a lovely surprise as well. I wish they sell it in boxes. I loved nibbling on it!
Silver Moon Green Tea (Php 160)
Ending a meal with something sweet is usually the way to go but there is no better way to cap off our big meal than with a nice cup of tea.
WHEN IN MANILA, and you want to impress your date, bring her to Impressions at the third floor of Maxims Tower, Resorts World Manila. “Enjoy a wine evening at Impressions featuring a six-course meal made special by celebrity chef Cyrille Soenen. Delight your senses with a sparkling selection of Chandon wines and indulge on exquisite, black truffle-infused dishes.”
7PM – March 28, 2012 – Php 3,000 nett
RSVP: Impressions Guest Services
AMUSE-BOUCHE
APPETIZER
Salad of Marinated Scallop Lentils and Leek Confit, Truffle Dressing
Chandon Sparkling Brut NV
SOUP
Truffled Chicken Consomme, Minestrone Soft-boiled Egg in Open Raviolis
ENTREE
Maine Lobster in Truffle Lasagna, Light Lobster Bisque Sauce
Chandon Chardonnay 2008
SHERBET
Chocolate Sherbet, Truffle Macaroon
MAIN
Capon Breast Stuffed with Truffle, Leg in Tourte Cromesqui of Duck Liver Like a Truffle
Chandon Shiraz 2008
DESSERT
Madeleine, Truffles Honey and Vanilla Ice Cream
Chandon Sparkling Rose NV
FRIANDISE
Coffee or Tea
Impressions also invites everyone to their weekly Sunday Gourmet Brunch starting from 11 am to 3 pm. There will be a full buffet set-up especially prepared for everyone’s satisfaction. Kids from 5 to 12 years old will be charged Php 950 nett while adults are Php 1,888 nett.
WHEN IN MANILA, let Chef Cyrille Soenen bring Paris to you at Impressions.
IMPRESSIONS
3rd Floor, Maxims Hotel,
Resorts World Manila
Menu: Impressions Menu and Wine List
Operating Hours:
Lunch: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Dinner: 6:30 pm to 10 pm
Impressions Guest Services
Telephone Number: +63(2) 908-8883
Email: impressions@rwmanila.com
WhenInManila photos by JoTan23
