A sumptuous lunch doesn't have to be complicated. And no labels needed. Unclutter your lunch experience at UnFrench Bistro...
Borderless cuisine without the labels, just good food with unrestrained and honest flavors masterfully executed with modern culinary techniques. For Chef Michelle Adrillana, her establishment UnFrench Bistro is more than just another new restaurant with a witty name. It's a statement. Discover a sumptuous lunch without borders or labels, just honest cuisine for an unusual, unconventional and even unexpected dining experience at UnFrench Bistro with their Bistro Lunch Set offering. Curious? Then, read on...
The name says it all. It isn't your typical French restaurant. It's not even a French restaurant. And no, it isn't fine dining. For Chef Michelle Adrillana, UnFrench Bistro is all about quality and unpretentious cuisine with the freshest ingredients executed with modern culinary techniques gained from her years of restaurant and catering experiences (for more on UnFrench Bistro, see my previous post Untraditional, Unconventional and Totally Unexpected. At UnFrench Bistro...). The result is UnFrench Bistro, one of the most unique dining spots tucked inside the Greenhills neighborhood.
The cozy and homey interiors with its high ceiling adorned with an ornate chandelier already suggests this is far from your usual restaurant. The pristine white walls will soon become a colorful mural, detailing colorful stories of the establishment including the notorious Mango the Cat adding to the curious and intriguing bistro vibe of UnFrench Bistro. A bottle of wine opens up the palate as Chef Michelle Adrillana serves the first course of the Bistro Lunch Set...
...starting with the Apple Walnut Salad, a refreshing medley of garden fresh and crisp greens, sweet apples, the nutty caramelized sweetness of walnuts and crunchy cheese balls with its flavorful burst of bleu cheese for intense yet soothing layers of richness.
Fresh and clean notes followed by mildly sharp hints from the vinaigrette drapes the palate with bold and lingering flavors. The freshness of the different components come together in an elegant blend, simple yet hearty consistent with Chef Michelle Adrillana's culinary philosophy. Garnished with edible flowers, the Apple Walnut Salad at UnFrench Bistro sets the stage for Chef Michelle Adrillana's inspired creations with the next courses reflecting her inventive and untraditional style for the unique UnFrench Bistro experience.
In an unexpected twist, Chef Michelle Adrillana draws inspiration from local cuisine with her Seafood Tinola Bouillabaisse for comfortingly familiar yet refreshingly new flavor experiences. Succulent prawn, squid and fish bring a briny sweetness to the light delicately strained broth with elegant hints of saffron and dill completing the flavors.
Each sip warms the palate with its unrestrained flavors for a masterful reinterpretation of a popular local staple. With each course, Chef Michelle Adrillana's unorthodox style reinforces the unique UnFrench Bistro concept.
For the main course, Chef Michelle Adrillana served her Ox Tail and Beef Cheeks Sisig on pasta (also available on steamed rice) topped with a sunny side up. The savory richness of the buttery and melt-in-your-mouth beef cheeks and ox tail lays the dish's foundation for solid flavors made even richer with the sunny side-up.
The stylized rendition of the ubiquitous local sisig with ox tail and beef cheeks is by far the most indulgent version I've tried with its deep, rich and bold beefy notes pairing well with the soft yet firm pasta and sunny side-up. Gently tap the yolk and let it ooze down the noodles. It's surprising and totally unexpected dishes like this along with the Seafood Sinigang that makes the soon to be launched Bistro Set Lunch at UnFrench Bistro a much anticipated offering.
For dessert, Chef Michelle Adrillana's now famous Taho Cheesecake with tapioca pearls slathered in a thick and sweet syrup crowned with a gold leaf caps a sumptuous, hearty and untraditional lunch at UnFrench Bistro. The soft and chewy tapioca pearls, the silky smooth texture of the cheesecake and the sweet syrup come together seamlessly to end your lunch on a sweet note.
UnFrench Bistro isn't your typical restaurant. Far from it. The creative and even whimsical approach to flavors in a playful freestyle manner with fresh ingredients and masterful execution opens your palate to new flavor experiences. And for Chef Michelle Adrillana, good food shouldn't be limited, boxed in or defined by labels. That's UnFrench Bistro, without the labels and pretentions. Just good food, uncluttered for a hearty lunch.
UnFrench Bistro is located at the Ground Floor of 81 Xavier Residences, San Juan, Metro Manila. You can also visit their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/UnFrenchBistro and IG Feed at unfrenchbistro for more information and updates.
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