Feeling on top of the world with Chef Jessie and Citi

MANILA, Philippines - At the 33rd floor of the MDC 100 building in Eastwood, Libis, it’s easy to feel like you’re on top of the world. From your seat at 100 Revolving Restaurant, the only revolving restaurant in the country which opened last July, you can watch the world pass by, literally, from the corner of your eyes. This restaurant with a view â€” lots and lots of it, picture a 360-degree breathtaking view of the metro — is enough to give anyone an adrenaline high. But the view is not the only thing going for 100 Revolving Restaurant. Its chef, Jessie Sincioco, cooks up a feast to give everyone a gastronomic high.  Who doesn’t know Chef Jessie of Chef Jessie Rockwell Club and Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie on Paseo de Roxas, Makati City?  And now, she gives us 100, a restaurant with a perfect view and food offerings to match for a truly top-of-the-world dining experience.

Enjoy the cozy warm, relaxing ambience and the gently shifting views (we caught sight of the hazy fringes of the Sierra Madre Mountains, Mt. Banahaw, Manila Bay, Laguna de Bay, Montalban, Antipolo) as you savor Chef Jessie’s best sellers, such as the star of the buffet, the truly tasty and crispy cochinillo (roast suckling pig baked in lemongrass, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley to a crisp golden brown, and served with Chef Jessie’s own light and smooth gravy), Dragon Maki, spicy tuna maki and assorted sushis, smoked caviar pie, laing with tiger prawns, Pinoy pizza, rib eye steak, baby back ribs, and the revolving tortas.

Now, here’s one more great reason to dine at 100 Revolving Restaurant: Citi cardholders get 50-percent off (inclusive of VAT, service charges, and local taxes) on the lunch buffet every Saturday. This brings down the price of the Saturday lunch buffet from P1,830 per person to P915 per person. Now, where can you find such a steal of a deal in the city?  Truly great value for money, the inaugural buffet menu last Dec. 14 included (hold your breath now), among many other dishes, salads like alugbati in bagoong vinaigrette dressing; carvings of US black Angus rib-eye au jus, baby lamb leg in rosemary jus, herbed garlic studded roast, and roast suckling pig; 100’s chicken adobo in coconut cream sauce; baked whole Norwegian salmon in salt crust with dill-hollandaise dressing; and for dessert, 100’s peanut butter cheesecake, crème brulee, and the revolving tortas (banana, jackfruit, macapuno, mango, pineapple).

You’ll be delighted to know that the menu changes every week so there’s something different to try on each visit.

“Our cardholders tend to be more affluent and we try to find restaurants where we can do an offer that’s compelling, one with a good reputation and that’s aligned to the segment of our cardholders,” says David Stoughton, Citi Credit Payment Products head. “And 100 Revolving Restaurant is a good fit with our cardholder base.”

David elaborates, “I like the combination of classic French and continental flavors with the Filipino touch, the quality of the food, and the personalized service of Chef Jessie.”

This beautiful love affair goes back a long way. “I was still with Le Soufflé when Citibank asked me to run its executive dining place, Top of the Citi, in 1996,” Chef Jessie fondly recalls. “The Citi executives love food and they’re the easiest people to work with.” 

Open to all Citi cardholders, the promo is valid  on their Saturday lunch buffet and runs from Dec. 14, 2013 to Jan. 31, 2014.

Chef Jessie points out, “For the hardworking people, they want something close to home, something homecooked.” For instance, at 100 Revolving Restaurant, she’s got her sisig, lechon kawali, balut soup, and other innovative Pinoy dishes to warm the heart and the belly.

Based on a Citi survey, Citi cardholders  prefer buffets. And with restaurants opening every day, people are now starting to eat out more. In fact, when chef Jessie opened her buffet last Dec. 14, she already got 160 reservations (the place can seat a maximum of 300 diners). Of course, diners have more than 100 reasons to come to 100 Revolving Restaurant. Personally, I’d come (again and again and again) for the bangus a la pobre smothered with garlic sautéed in olive oil and the baked whole Norwegian salmon in salt crust.

“It’s a nice way to cook a fish,” notes Chef Jessie. “It seals in all the moisture, giving a smoking hot and juicy fish.”

There’s a lot more cooking at 100 Revolving Restaurant on New Year’s Eve. “You can enjoy the food while watching the fireworks and not be bothered by the noise and the pollution,” a beaming Chef Jessie sends out her New Year’s invite. 

Surely, 100 Revolving Restaurant provides just the right setting for gatherings — from an intimate dinner date to lavish parties to corporate functions. It’s also bound to be a family dining destination. “It’s the children pulling their parents to come to 100 Revolving Restaurant. Coming up here is something of a treat for them. They have a lot of fun running around,” Chef Jessie shares.

Now, who can top this most tempting culinary offer? 

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Chef Jessie’s 100 Revolving Restaurant is at the 33rd floor of MDC 100 Building, C5 corner Eastwood Drive, Quezon City. For inquiries and reservations, call 962-5654 or 962-1016. Visit www.chefjessie.com. Like it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Chefjessierestaurants.