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I didn’t really want to attend the Wine and Raclette buffet because I avoid going out at night. Curiosity got the best of me because I heard Astralis just opened three weeks ago. Not only that, Astralis is operated under Diamond Hotel, known to offer exquisite dishes. . From the same names behind Diamond Hotel, this new epicurean landmark in the chic Rockwell area offers wine connoisseurs a venue to satiate their taste for this classy intoxication.

I didn’t want to start off with wine so I ordered their tea drink. Later on I discovered that this rich dish called raclette is typically accompanied by a warm drink or wine.

Sampling of their tapas selection started with this cheese dip.

Cauliflower Cheese dip with sesame and poppy seed sheets and foccaccia toast at 230 pesos

Though I didn’t touch any of the meat cuts, I loved the array of cheeses.

Cheese and Cold Cuts “select” with Manchego, Emmentaler, Brie de Meux, Chorizo Pamplona, Jamon de Aragon, Spicy Chorizo Salmanca at 690 pesos

Never drink water along with your cheese as this is said to interfere with the digestion. In rare occasions, the water and cheese combination can also result in death because cheese balls end up forming in the stomach.

Spicy Shrimp and Champignon at 320 pesos

Frito Misto with squid , mussels, fish, succhini and lemon wedges

Every Mondays and Thursdays, wine aficionados can enjoy free-flowing wine that ranges from light to full-bodied whites and reds for a reasonable price of P650++. The brands of the wines to be served change every month so as not to bore the taste buds. And for those who want to make wine drinking more enjoyable, they can do so with a buffet of Raclettes for an accessible price of P950++.

At first the scent of the raclette seemed strong and pervasive but after a few minutes, I got used to it. Besides, the explosions of flavor in the mouth more than make up for the way they smell.

Raclette is a cheese dish very typical of parts of Switzerland, Wallonia, and France. The word “raclette” means “to scrape” and it says a lot about how this dish is prepared. Raclette cheese is usually heated by fire or through a special machine, then scraped onto the diner’s plate. Traditionally, raclette is accompanied by Carlotte, Bintje, or Raclette small potatoes, pickled onions, gherkins, dried meat, sliced peppers, tomato, onion, and dusted with paprika and freshly-ground black pepper.

In Switzerland, raclette is typically eaten with warm beverages like tea or with a white wine called Fendant.

Originally raclette was made near an open fire using embers. In Astralis, the chef placed half wheel of cheese in this raclette oven where the heater melt the top layer, which he then scrapes off onto a plate.

That’s also where the word raclette originates: it comes from the French “racler”, meaning “to scrape”.

The chef added a secret spice on the raclette which I think is similar to curry. Traditionally, raclette is accompanied by small firm potatoes (Bintje, Charlotte or Raclette varieties), gherkins, pickled onions, dried meat, such as prosciutto and viande des Grisons, sliced peppers, tomato, onion, mushrooms, pears, and dusted with paprika and fresh-ground black pepper. I simply loved the sharp cheese flavors. However you can also choose a lighter cheddar cheese if you don’t want the strong cheese.

Aside from wine and raclette buffet, Astralis also offers three different wine flights hailing from some of the best vineyards in the globe. Vignoble des Verdots showcases the versatility and potential of David Fourtout’s winery – a young and upcoming winemaker in Southwest France. In a short span of time, he has produced excellent quality wines earning him the “Best Winemaker of the Year” award during the Bergerac exhibition in 2002. I only got to taste the fruity flavors of Two Oceans since I am quite allergic to alcohol.

Never mind if my hair smelled stinky. At least I got to experience a glorious gastronomic delight from the Raclette.

Astralis is located at Lopez Drive, Rockwell. For inquiries call 7032688

Tags: raclette