Seeing Red, eating Red

Giving a whole new meaning to the term food coloring, Red at the Makati Shangri-La recently opened its doors to the public. Located at the ground floor, where Cheval Blanc used to be, Red brings concept dining to a new dimension, while delivering the goods in terms of food presentation and taste. Going for the long haul, Red is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

One enters the restaurant, and immediately one senses that the in-house design team of Shangri-La properties was out to make a statement with Red. Sleek and modern, Red’s interiors are a far cry from the traditional Shang look we’ve been accustomed to. All the walls are basically white, hung with Gallardo paintings, that are also white with bursts of red as accent. The pristine white tablecloths continue this trend, only offset by the Castillo glass sculptures and the snatches of black from the armrests. Etched on the glass wall separating the bar and receiving area from the main dining area are food and drink items that all possess that quality of Red-iness.

This thematic insistence is found in the conversation piece of a menu. Most of the listings have incorporated Red-iness as a prerequisite; and it adds to the fun element of perusing your food choices. But thankfully, beyond the cuteness of the conceit, chefs Christopher Romine and Jojo Borlagdan have come up with great dishes to sinfully indulge in, and trust me, to sin at Red is divine.

Among the starters, I’d recommend the crisp oysters, served up with Red spicy tomatoes, chorizo and three mustard aioli sauce. The pasta starter is angel hair with tomatoes, Red lobster and basil. For a more leafy repast, the black olive and herb tart comes with tossed greens, Red tomatoes, caramelized onions and pesto. I partook of their Caesar salad and garnished with shaved Parma ham, Red cherry tomatoes and roast garlic toast, it was garlanded by a tasty shell crust of Parmigiano cheese. Among their soup choices, the New England clam chowder is an extremely tasty version.

But all the above are mere preparation for the raison d’etre of Red. Conceptualized to be a steakhouse like no other in Manila, hence the red meat reference; it’s the choices of chilled meat among the entrees that are Red’s standouts. The New York strips and the beef fillets are tender and mouth- watering to the max. Opting for the New York strip, as I like my steaks with a little fat in it, the slices I wolfed down substantiated the claims of Christopher that I’d sense the difference between chilled meat and the frozen one. The double lamb chops and herb roasted rack of lamb also caught my eye and will be a priority next time out.

The seafood selections looked appetizing. Fresh catches included slipper lobster (of the Maine variety), jumbo king prawns, swordfish, tuna steak and salmon fillet. There’s a Red Shellfish Bowl, which gives you morsels of lobster, seabass and king prawns in one dish. Red’s own version of Finding Nemo.

For desserts, if you’re a first-timer, look no further than the Red bento box sampler. Done up in Japanese fashion, it’s four different desserts in one. And when they include a Valrhona chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and Red berries, a mango cheesecake with Red berry sauce, aged balsamic strawberry Red carpaccio with blood orange sorbet, and honey, vanilla and Red Thai basil-infused berries with sesame baklava and olive oil sorbet, you know you can’t go wrong. Half your life whizzes by if you didn’t leave space for this one.

I queried both Christopher and Jojo on how this Red theme materializes in their breakfast menu and they gleefully relayed, "Breakfast juices are laid out as strawberry juice, watermelon juice and blood orange juice. There’s a Spanish omelet filled with Red tomato concasse and pancakes with chutney of Red berries. The native option is naturally daing na bangus with achara, garlic rice and Red egg. Our piece de resistance is the poached eggs Benedict, served with Red muffin and Red caviar." It was one of those times when I was almost sorry I asked, as I knew it was only a matter of time before I would, with bleary Red eyes, make the trek to their breakfast window.

The wine list comes in an electronic tablet, and for the techie freaks, that’s a joy in itself. Loaded with information on the various champagne, red and white wine selections available. Management dutifully informed me that a traditional list on paper is also being readied as some older clients actually found the tablet too challenging. The cocktail list is also imbued with Red playfulness.

To mark its difference from other major hotel fine dining outlets, Red maintains a casual dress code. While this places Shangri-La Makati as one of the premier hotels without a formal dining establishment, the management feels it only right, at this juncture, to dispense with such formality and provide high-end cuisine without a rigid dress code. Me, I applaud that move, it’s one I’ll never d-Red.

Red, it’s a fun way to dine in style and necessitate that extra hour on the treadmill, additional laps in the pool, or 15 more minutes of power boxing. Believe me, if you have to indulge, this is one place to do it… and never re(d)gret.