Food Review: KRAVE by chef Vince

Last year, I had the rare opportunity to attend a food tasting event for RED Garlic Bistro weeks before it opened its first branch in Katipunan Avenue. Together with other three other bloggers, we had the most scrumptious time devouring each of the masterpieces made by the food master himself -- Chef Vince Rodriguez.

Last week, I never thought that another chance would come so soon because invitation was again extended to try Chef Vince’s other gastronomical creations at KRAVE Restobar located right in the heart of Makati.  We found out that the resto-bar is actually a venture between Chef Vince and other businessmen including today’s much celebrated actor, Mr. Dingdong Dantes himself.

Krave Restobar is a cozy hub that serves signature wines and cocktails and, of course, Chef Vince’s finest food creations. For starters, we were served with a delectable appetizer called Shrimp Popcorn served in a cocktail glass. It comes in two flavors: spicy mango for those who want to try the sweet fruity taste and the Wasabi mayo flavor for those people with a more challenging palate.

Next to arrive at the table were the Krave Texas Steak Rolls. These are made using US-certified Angus beef shredded and wrapped in nori and deep fried to give you crispy diced rolls with a spicy dip on the side.

Foie Gras Nigiri is quite a sinful indulgence. Three pieces of nigiri come layered with foie gras on top of each. Each is drizzled with olive and balsamic sauce. For P325 per serving, it is quite pricey but for foie gras lovers, it will still come as a treat.

The Lava Roll is a twist of sushi, wrapped in nori, and comes in three flavors: shrimp, scallops and tempura made fancy with melting mozzarella cheese on top. For Japanese food lovers, this will surely come as a delightful treat.

The Beef Carpaccio Pizza reminds me of RED Garlic’s Torre del Griego Pizza because of the Arugula leaves. But this one featured slices of tenderloin beef shredded on top and drizzled with balsamic reduction and vinaigrette which will definitely make pizza lovers enjoy every slice. It has a thin crust so you can enjoy the flavors with much delight.

The Tuna Tower is presented in a very artistic fashion. It comes in different layers of diced tuna, Japanese cucumber, shredded radish, ripe mango on top of a rice tower. The best way to eat it is to mix it well to blend all the flavors together.

And of course, it won’t be a Chef Vince banquet without some of his signature creations like the Dinosaur BBQ Ribs, noted for its super tender meat. The preparation of this special dish takes four hours to achieve in marinated perfection. The apricot cranberry sauce supplements it all the more.

Another of Chef Vince’s grilled masterpieces is the Angus Pinwheel Steak.  What makes it uniquely delightful was the presentation. It was served hanged on a metal hook with flame underneath it, cooked fresh from the fire. This succulent mouth-watering steak is a 100% USDA Prime Rib Eye served best with fresh salad and baked potato. The steak is best dipped in sauces with three different flavors one can choose from. These include the steak oil, Pepper Mill dressing, and red wine sauce which became my personal favorite.

For dessert, KRAVE has a very enticing mix of panacotta and toppings which come in twos. The first one was Panacotta with fresh diced fruits on top while the other one was more special -- Panacotta with red caviar in a flavorful sauce which makes it a more unforgettable experience for me.

The last dish we ate, but not certainly the least, was Chef Vince’s signature dessert that is the talk-of-the town in each of his restaurants – the Yorkshire Bread Pudding. The first time I tasted this was in RED Garlic and the experience was out-of-this world. Nothing has changed since then. The bread pudding at Krave tasted as exceptional as ever.

All of these superb food-creations of chef Vince are best enjoyed with wine which KRAVE covers a wide selection including hard drinks to cap-up a great fine dinning evening. And for the ladies, a mild cocktail mix are also available upon request concocted by their talented bar tenders.

Krave Restobar is located at 109 C. Palanca St. Legaspi Village, Makati City. They are open from 11am - 2:30pm and 6-11pm everyday. For more info, please visit their Facebook page