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| Armed with good coffee as I binge-watch Manila's city sights. Photo by Alex Castillo |
GROWING up in the city does not make concrete jungles wherever I go less mesmerizing.
Architecture of towering concrete in repeated patterns creatively designed to stand out from its adjacent neighbors. And as it soars with height, competing with the clouds for a space in the sky, it gives you calm and perspective.
Now you don't have to imagine the experience of indulging Manila's city sights with Discovery Primea's modern European restaurant called Flame, they now serve lunch and dinner and has been open for almost two months now.
Apart from their delightfully innovative dishes, they offer a serene panoromic view of the Metro Manila skyline that you'll equally enjoy with your meal.
In any seat in the restaurant, you can witness the different city sights of Makati, and even Ortigas and Pasay at the distance. Surrounded by a remarkably glorious ambiance, one is sure to have an impressive, relaxing and thrilling dining experience (whether or not you're on solo flight).
Besides the cuisine it offers, the Makati Skyline is the main element and asset that makes Flame what it is.
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| Discovery Primea's general manager David de Ayala |
"We wanted our restaurant to capture the energy of the city of Makati, it’s the heart of business in the country. A city that registers in the international radar of business and commerce and we wanted it to capture that as well," Discovery Primea's general manager David de Ayala said.
Each of the restaurants inside Primea (which you can totally enjoy without having to check-in), offers a different vibe, look and set of dishes.
But I must say the food served in the hotel are all equally good (I've tried Tapenade and their in-room dining service) which I think is very much owed to the fact that its hands-on general manager was a chef for 20 years.
"We like our restaurants to feel like independent rests that happen to be inside a hotel," he said.
"We don’t like them to feel like a hotel restaurant. Because hotel dining–the way it used to be–it’s becoming passé. People like the independent-thinking, creativity, vibe of independent restaurants," De Ayala added.
And why name the restaurant "Flame," you may ask? It is said to represent their burning passion for cuisine and their continual attempt to innovate and deconstruct the food it brings to the table.
The restaurant's interior has neutral and muted earth colors, the only saturation of tone that can be found here are the deep greens of its potted plants and mustard yellow sofas lining the edges of the place.
Probably the only thing that stands out from its minimalistic interior is the Living Chandelier. Described to be "majestic masterpiece," this ceiling-to-floor decor is a sight that welcomes diners into the restaurant.
The place is simple yet stunning, with each dining experience different as the sky transforms into its daily masterpieces at noon and night.
The restaurant also boasts of its many gadgets including its wine dispenser, Josper grill imported straight from Spain, designer silverware and oil infusing Portholes.
Their wine program uses a nitrogen dispenser and their wine selection is described as an "interesting, approachable, non-intimidating–and a particularly good one–by the glass."
"What ruins wine is its contact with air when it starts to oxidize. Our technology has the wine taken out of the bottle with its volume replaced with nitrogen. Wine lasts longer (that way) and we can offer it by the glass," De Ayala said.
Across the restaurant are marble-top outside-the-kitchen stations, where you can watch chefs make all kinds of breads, pastries and desserts. It also provides spaces of interaction between the chefs and customers where you can learn more about the food that is being prepared right in front of you.
De Ayala says it was intentional that no exhausts be installed in these stations but trust me, it's the perfect way to build your appetite for a meal.
"Flame has more relaxed entries for lunch," he told us before we dug into our salad, and quickly added: "No one call it 'fine dining,' please."
On a separate post, I detailed the dishes that would be part of Flame's newest lunch menu, which you can start to order and enjoy every day!
Flame Restaurant is open for lunch from 11:30-2:30 p.m. and dinner from 6:00-10:00 p.m. For reservations call Discovery Primea at 9558888 loc. 71610.
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