Tulipan Spanish Bar, The Establisment at The Fort
Posted by Noemi | Under Restaurant with 1,224 views
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Friday Jun 26, 2009
If the Philippines is a “third world country in first world drag,” then The Establishment at the Fort is the country’s gaudiest and most pretentious accessory. Some people may be relieved that the country finally has a fine dining establishment that rivals those found in Singapore and Shanghai, but considering how only a handful of people can afford to dine here, it seems almost indecent to put up a place like this.
The Establishment is actually a restaurant complex made up of four establishments: the Tulipan Spanish Bar, the Hall Spanish Tapas Restaurant, The Crystal Room French Fine Dining, and the Oriental Chinese Restaurant. I would normally not go to a place like this of my own choosing but an event I attended several days ago was held at the Tulipan Spanish bar, where the food was served in tiny, fine dining portions.
For appetizers, we were served asparagus and a salad. Presentation of the salad is excellent.
Seared Salmon as my choice of the main course was alright.
Creme Brulee dessert was just too sweet. It tasted like packaged dessert from the supermarket shelves.
Perhaps this is how the elite like to enjoy their meals, but the service was unbelievably slow – and expensive. I checked the menu. The whole meal lasted an hour and a half, from appetizers to dessert. I attribute my crankiness and irritability because of the slow service. I had to call the waitress to feed me already because I was that hungry but she said they had to follow a sequence. I insisted that they bring me a meal and they did five minutes later.
Yes, I am a diabetic and the small portions just didn’t satiate my hunger.
Would I ever come here as a paying customer? Definitely not, and unless you care about being seen rubbing elbows with Philippine high society, I wouldn’t recommend going here especially for events. They can’t handle large number of diners unless you are willing to wait. The least they could do is serve generous portions of appetizers or side dishes while the customer is waiting for the next dish.
But don’t take my word for it, go ahead and check it out,
Contact The Establishment
Unit A, The Fort Entertainment Complex, 26th St. cor. 5th Ave., Fort Bonifacio
Taguig, Metro Manila
(02) 844-6364
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