Food-Stars: Rustic Cuisine at Kitchen's Best, The Fort Makati

It's always an adventure when trying out a new place.

With that in mind, we were ready to take on Kitchen's Best wares one rainy Monday evening.

Kitchen's Best Home Patisserie, The Fort

The rain was beating very hard on the windshield that we almost missed the restaurant. Just noticed that the window bars didn't help their signage at all. I couldn't get an angle that would capture the whole name. Sayang.

The red walls and gold trims added drama to the place while the chandelier & huge mirror added elegance. This would've been a good start except their a/c was having problems that night. With the yellow bulbs they used, we were in for a hell of a hot night. Sigh.

Bread with Trio Dip

To start off the night, they served us this homemade bread with 3 types of dip. The bread was hot & the texture was perfect for spreading. Among the 3 dips, my favorite was... all of them! Yup, each had their own distinct flavor that I couldn't just pick one. The red one was the 3-layer Dip. My advice? Really dig in, the tastiest bits are found at the bottom. The orange one was the Cheesy Chorizo. The saltiness of the chorizo really complimented the cheese. The last but certainly not the least was the Mushroom Dip. The mushroom with the olive oil was simply superb. Superlatives all the way! Nice one Kitchen's Best! :)

Pumpkin Soup (Php 180)

Hubby had a steaming hot bowl of their Pumpkin Soup. This was pureed goodness. The pumpkin with cream was perfectly balanced. The bread was a nice add on too.

Kitchen's Best Salad (Php 285)

Don't let this dish fool you. The veggies were crisp and fresh, just how all salads should be. The Asian dressing was divine! My only gripe was that the macadamia brittle was too small. Hehe. :)

40 Cloves Chicken (Php 280)

Swimming in olive oil, this was a tasty treat. Kitchen's Best bestseller dish and I must say, it definitely live sup to its title. The chicken was cooked until soft & tender. The baby potatoes complemented the chicken. Though the taste reminded me a bit of adobo (a Filipino staple food) but in a good way. Order comes with rice already.

Baked Salmon (Php 340)

Special Rice

Nestled on a bed of spinach, I was happy to see that they weren't stingy on the serving size. The melted cheese on top was a lovely sight to see. Wasn't able to personally taste this but verdict by the other people on the table was it was soft & tasty. Add the special rice that goes with this dish & you're all set for an evening of YUM.

Hickory Barbecue Spareribs (Php 320)

The meats from the ribs slides off the bone easily & the sauce had the right amount of barbecue. Coupled with the buttered vegetables & rice, I was a happy camper.

Dessert Sampler (clockwise from left: Macadamia Brittle Cheesecake, Triple Chocolate Mousse, Mango Sansrival & Lace Crisps)

And now for my favorite part of the meal, dessert! They tease you with 4 of their bestsellers. Let's start with my least favorite of the bunch, The Macadamia Brittle Cheesecake. I l♥ve the macadamia on top, it gave the crunch and texture to the cake. I'm not liking the cheesecake itself. It tasted weird to me.

Serving the Triple Chocolate Mousse in a shot glass was ingenious. It let's you see the different layers as you spoon through each one, so it tickles both your eyes & taste buds. Chocolate-y good.

The second best for me was the Lace Crisps. Biting into this wafer-like dessert was pure yum... well at least for me. :)

But the piece-de-resistance was the Mango Sansrival. Hands down the best Mango Sansrival I have ever tasted. Just writing about it now is making me crave for a slice. FS Verdict? Highly recommended. A definite 5-star dessert. Buttercream icing + mangoes = HEAVENLY. Good job Kitchen's Best!

If you need any more proof, just walk to their cake selections where almost half of their desserts have awards. Galing.