South African chef invades The Establishment

The usual thing to do for those nights out on the town is to dine in one place, before moving on to other venues and finally settling down in your favorite nightspot to party the evening away. The problem with this arrangement, however, is that there is a tendency to lose members of your original group. With the hassles that come with migrating from one watering hole to the next, some people may throw in the towel and opt to head for home instead.

Perhaps one advantage of The Establishment at The Fort is that groups can do their wining, dining and socializing in a single spot. With a restaurant, bar and lounge under one roof, the transition between dining, drinking and just hanging out becomes truly effortless. In addition, what makes The Establishment more interesting is that guest chefs are brought in to bring variety to its cuisine.

The Establishment GM Dennis Riego and chef Hylton Le Roux

Until July 16, chef Hylton Le Roux will be the guest chef at The Establishment. The South African who honed his cooking expertise in London is proud that he worked his way up the culinary hierarchy from the entry level position of commis chef who peeled potatoes to what he is today. “If you have a passion for something, you will learn quickly,” says chef Hylton who believes that working his way up the ladder was a vital experience that taught him discipline and good time-management skills. He categorizes his food as “modern European cuisine.”

A sampling of chef Hylton’s menu at The Establishment’s Crystal Room started off with an appetizer of goat cheese & truffle mousse with tomato jam and aged balsamic vinegar. Perhaps it was not surprising that the chef used the white, creamy, and mild goat cheese variant. After all, many Filipino diners prefer this over the pungent and crumbly varieties. The startling aspect of the dish was that the tomato component was jam in its truest sense —cooked with sugar. “I noticed that Filipinos like sweet things,” explains chef Hylton. “Sugar kick-starts the brain to stimulate the taste buds.”

Beef, beef: The Establishment’s seared US Angus beef with French beans, leeks confit, onion jam, jus and brown onion puree

The sweet notes continued with the salad, but this time the sugar was more subtle. Morsels of sweet potato gnocchi were naturally flavored, providing a tasty contrast to the saltiness of crispy pancetta, the delicate flavor of oyster mushrooms, and the faint bitterness of baby rocket (or arugula) leaves. What really brought all components of the salad together, however, were slivers of Parmesan cheese and a drizzling of pesto oil. A soup consisting of roasted butternut squash — rich, thick, and satisfying — quickly followed.

Go green: Warm salad of sweet potato gnocchi, crispy pancetta, oyster mushrooms, Parmesan, and pesto oil

It was either seared US Angus beef tenderloin, or olive oil poached salmon for the main course. I opted for the meat, a dining companion chose the fish, and we agreed to try each other’s meal. As expected, the beef was tender and delicious, and I was quite happy with it. It came with a siding of French beans cooked perfectly crisp and deep green. However, the confit of leeks and onion jam were both distinctly sugary sweet. Although attuned to the Filipinos’ sweet palate, I will have to admit that onion prepared like jam was a bit unsettling.

The poached salmon, on the other hand, was moist and tender. It came with sautéed potato and chorizo, broccoli puree, and tarragon beurre blanc. Taken all together, the flavors were gentle, soothing, and light.      

“Hylton’s considerable culinary expertise will surely give our diners a heightened gastronomic experience,” says Dennis Riego, general manager of The Establishment. “Bringing him in as guest chef is one of our ways of giving our customers an unparalleled dining experience that is built on impeccable ambience, luxurious service, and innovative cuisine.”

We like innovation, but the meal prepared by chef Hylton Le Roux ended with a delicious classic: crème brulee. With almond biscotti, this timeless dessert was a sweet and satisfying end to the meal.