Hot Pink Coconut

Happyness in a Plate of Cheese, a Cup of Hot Chocolate, and a Drug Called LOVE

Last week, my boyfriend and I had a tasteful dinner. It was our first year together so we decided to try something different from what we were used to eating. Italian, American, and Japanese cuisines aside, we headed out to Chateau 1771 in Greenbelt 5. That night, we affirmed our love for each other through forkfuls of sumptuous French cheese, perfectly cooked pasta, and buttery seafood.

Honestly, we wanted to do something else for our anniversary, like maybe go out of town or out of the country. Unfortunately, due to time and budgetary constraints, we had to settle for a good enough activity—and that is to have dinner in a fine dining restaurant. So we met up after my work (it was a Thursday), boarded a cab to Greenbelt 5, entered the famous French restaurant’s wood and glass doors, and asked to be seated. We were offered a table by the window, where everyone going to and from Greenbelt 5 can see us. Once seated, we sifted through the menu, picked our pleasures in dishes, gave our orders, and then waited in animated delight. My hon, ever the shy type, asked our serveuse if we could transfer to a table on the other side of the room, the one facing the trees.

Thankfully, Chateau 1771 was not fully booked that night, so our whim was accommodated. All the utensils, glasses, and plates were then set up again by a garçon. A few minutes later, he came back to serve a basket of warm bread and butter. I was already really hungry by that time, so I finished (almost) the whole basket. Our appetizers were taking too long to arrive, and my stomach, hungry from a whole day of stress in the office, couldn’t wait any longer. Hehe. Just when I had finished off the last piece of bread, the garçon politely took the basket and had it refilled. Imagine my stomach’s delight.

After I had gone halfway through the second basket of bread, our appetizers finally arrived. My hon had Cream of Tomato Soup, while I had Chateau 1771′s famous plate: the Raclette. Mention Chateau 1771 to any patron and the Raclette usually comes to mind.

The Swiss dish is made of sharp and salty Raclette cheese melted to tangy perfection. Served with potatoes, onions, and what seemed like pickled baby cucumber, the dish is a delightful mixture of contrasting but blending tastes. Ahhh, you can never go wrong with a plate of good cheese.

For the main course, my hon had Grilled King Prawns. By its name (and price!), you can already tell that it’s a dish fit for even the most discriminating palates. My hon, a confessed shrimp-lover, couldn’t hide his excitement (and disappointment!) when his prawns were served. The smell of the giant prawns, grilled and slathered with butter, garlic, and parsley instantly filled our table straight to his nose. He couldn’t wait to start eating, although he was a wee bit disappointed that he got only two giant prawns.

If my hon loves seafood, I love pasta, so I ordered Lasagna Portofino. Actually, I didn’t have much choice, as Chateau 1771 only serves three vegetarian pasta dishes. The last time I ate vegetarian lasagna was months ago at A Venetto (if I remember correctly), so I was happy when my Lasagna Portofino was served. The Gorgonzola cheese was perfect; the bechamel had just the right creaminess, and the pasta cooked at just the right softness. The pesto in the dish added a bit of Italian taste; however, I had to admit, I was a little put off by the sour red thingy in between the lasagna layers that looked and tasted somewhat like mold. I had no idea what it was, and come to think of it, it might have been mold! Haha. Well, it just shows how fine Chateau 1771′s cheeses are.

After half an hour, we were done with our main course. Yes, we were that hungry. Unfortunately though, we didn’t try any of Chateau’s popular dessert dishes. A little pressed for time (my hon works night shift), we lingered for just a few more minutes. We asked for our bill and paid, after which our garçon handed me a form. Apparently, it was the form for Chateau group’s Gourmand Card. I filled it up, and after a few minutes was given a temporary card made of paper. The garçon advised that after a month’s time, I can claim the plastic card in Sidebar Ortigas. Using Chateau’s Gourmand Card, I can get discount in the total bill (10% for cash, and 5% for card payment) the next time we eat at Chateau 1771, Portico, Sentro 1771, or Sidebar Ortigas (yay!).

Done with dinner, my hon and I headed to Greenbelt 2 for a quick visit to an old friend. He’s bald, and he’s known for his sweet tooth. His name is Max Brenner, and he makes chocolate concoctions that are insanely addictive. (Yes, another reason why we didn’t have dessert in Chateau was Max Brenner!). Still full from dinner, my hon and I decided to try flavors of MB’s exotic chocolate drinks that we hadn’t tried before. I ordered a cup of Mexican Spicy Chocolate, while my hon a cup of Ecuador Dark Chocolate which has an orangey taste.

It took us about half an hour to go halfway through each cup of thick, hot chocolate. It was truly a sensual delight.

Even though we didn’t do anything grand that night, the scrumptious dinner at Chateau 1771, the wonderful dessert moment at Max Brenner, and the company of each other under the influence of a drug called LOVE, are more than enough to cap off a year that has brought us both so much joy. Now, can you spell ‘happyness‘?