We had only one day to meet.
My instagram friend @edwardeats (now also my real life friend, lol!) arrived from Copenhagen the day before, and I was flying out the morning after.
Vask was his choice for our lunch venue, which extended to dinner, but more on that later. ;)
I've been to the Basque tapas bar and restaurant quite a few times in the evening, but never during the day.
It was bright, airy, and so much fun
Hidden Mickeys on the ceiling
Oh, deer!
There was a man with funny mustache checking us out!
Spoon and fork seesaw in the outdoor area
Amuse bouche of potato soup welcomed us
I left the ordering to Edward, who took the task very seriously. He ordered 4 tapas, 2 mains,
and 3 desserts, which made him not only my real life friend, but also officially one of my
favorite eating partners. Lol. :D
Tortilla de Jamon Serrano
Sous vide bacalao confit, garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomato, idiazabal cheese, rosemary
Caramelized baby lamb sweetbreads
And a dish the kitchen sent out to replace our order of razor clams. They were not very
happy with the quality of the clams they had that day.
Honestly, our appetizers were just okay, not mind-blowing. We figured it might be because Chef Chele wasn't there.
And then… TA-DA!!!!!!!!
Look who suddenly appeared at our table! The chef himself!!!
What a surprise!
Chef Chele wasted no time and started working on our mains.
And our mains were exceptional!
Secreto Iberico, Mansanas y Mostaza
The meat, cut from the leg and back area of acorn-fed black Iberian pig, was cooked 62 degrees.
It was lean with a light marbling that gave the pork a very rich, delicious flavor. It went beautifully
with the bed of apple mash, mustard sauce, white wine, and apple confit.
Scallops and Black Ink Risotto
The scallops tasted… blank. Sorry, I don't have a better word to describe it. It felt like I was
eating something and nothing. There was no flavor, only texture, BUTTTTTTTTTTTTT...
THE BLACK INK RISOTTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was perfect in every way, from the texture of the rice, to the flavor, to the color, to the consistency,
down to the color it left on our teeth and lips. We didn't care. This was absolutely amazing.
Our desserts in order of my favorites:
Torrija
Brioche, milk, anise ice cream
Caramel Chocolate Lava
Dulce valrhona chocolate, financier crumbs, coconut ice cream, mint, pine nuts
Deconstructed Lemon Cake
Pistachio sponge, golden biscuits, greek yogurt mousse, lemon custard
So lucky we caught Chef Chele during lunch service!
Thank you, Edward, for the feast!
See my previous Vask posts:
Vask
Vask, Revisited
Vask, A Third Time
Vask: 5th Floor, CLIPP Center, 11th Avenue corner 39th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Tel: +632 217-6563, +63915-5077047, +63917-8065292