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The best dates I’ve ever had with my boyfriend are those that happen spontaneously, like the one we had last Friday. As I was finishing work, I realized I hadn’t eaten anything after my late brunch. I was in the mood for a long, leisurely dinner so I asked Marco if he was free tonight, and if he minded taking me to that fancy restaurant he’s been raving about if he had no plans. The fancy restaurant is called Katre, a Mediterranean-fusion restaurant just off Tomas Morato. I’m not one for snooty, elitist places, but Katre is nothing like that at all; I suppose we only refer to it as “fancy” because the food presentation is a work of art, and because each dish costs about a hundred or two more than what we normally pay for at other restaurants. But if you really must spend your money somewhere nice, go to Katre. Unlike other fancy restaurants, which make up for meager portions with flavor, Katre doesn’t cheat you out of the portions you deserve. The serving size, quality of the food, and quiet ambiance is well worth what you’re paying for.

I made a really good call on the appetizer – a plate of pita bread served yogurt, hummus, and mutabal (P95). Katre’s hummus was the best I have ever had; I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely some sort of spice I don’t normally find at hummus served in other restaurants. The mutabal was slightly spicy but not overpoweringly so. On its own, the yogurt dip doesn’t taste like much, but the neutral flavor made it a wonderful complement to the mutabal.

For my main course, Marco suggested the navarin lamb on couscous (P395) because he knows how much I enjoy Middle Eastern food. I love him for being right about the lamb, because it turned out to be the best dish I have ever eaten at a restaurant. Ever. The first bite felt like explosions of flavor in my mouth, but I can’t describe it any further – words simply can’t do justice to how amazing it was.

I have not had couscous since San Francisco, and eating this dish made me wonder why we don’t use couscous in our cuisine more often. Sure, it’s not native to the Philippines, but the texture very similar to rice; I imagine it would go great with adobo, beef caldereta, and other rich Pinoy meat stews.

Marco had a medium rare US Top Blade Medallion – slightly expensive at P550 but well worth the price. This has got to be the softest, most tender steak I have ever had. All those other restaurants who claim to have the most tender steaks have nothing against the Top Blade Medallion at Katre.

What I love about the food at Katre is that the food is a total feast for the senses. The presentation of the steak was absolutely gorgeous; there’s something to see at every angle.

We wanted to have dessert at the Aristocrat bakeshop, but they were already closed by the time we finished our meal. Our second choice was Starbucks, but when we passed by the inviting windows of Kitchen of Cakes and Coffee, we couldn’t resist taking a peek inside. The place seemed like a cozy place for post-dinner conversation, not to mention that they probably have an abundance of dessert options. I think this is the first establishment we’ve discovered completely by ourselves, without any recommendations from friends.

I wanted to share a slice of sans rival (P75) with Marco, but he was in the mood for something rich and chocolatey. Not pictured is the Kahlua coffee (95) I had with my cake, which was made of really strong beans; I was up until 4 am!

Marco had the chocolate truffle cake (P75), which he couldn’t finish. By the time he was done he was shaking from the sugar rush.

I’m afraid that this entry doesn’t do justice to how amazing the food was that night, but I’m really not that good at describing the food experience. All I know is that our dinner date at Katre is the most unforgettable one I’ve ever had, and that I’m looking forward to the next time we dine there. Katre can be found at 103 Dr. Lascano St., Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City, Metro Manila. Kitchen of Cakes and Coffee is located along Tomas Morato St. itself, near Citibank if I remember correctly.

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