Gourmet Bar By Novotel

Vann Aronne Tolentino (vanntot)

4.0

Got the chance to dine here during new year's eve. They were serving unlimited refreshments and a variety of finger foods except maybe for the hearty bulalo soup.They would take out several batches which would be swiped by hungry patrons waiting for the fireworks to start. It takes time for a certain selection to be refilled and you really had to wait... very close to the buffet table to guarantee that you would be getting something.The food was great, and the staff are friendly too.

Carrie Garces

5.0

I’ve officially moved back home! Manila, I have missed you, your consistent hustle and bustle and your continuously growing food scene! It truly was the best the best first day back having an eat-up in another one of Novotel Manila’s F&B outlets. This time, Team K was treated to a wonderful dining experience in their lobby restaurant, Gourmet Bar. 😻Gourmet Bar operates 24/7, serving ala carte International cuisine. They take pride in their sustainable farm to table food, and it really translates in the flavors of their creations. Everything we had was absolutely amazing! The proteins were perfectly cleaned and cooked, the veggies were all crisp and the seafood taste sweet and fresh. 😻1.) Sun-Kissed Fizz (Gourmet Cocktail)There were two beverages served but I only tried this one, because after one sip I fell in love with it. Hahaha 😸 It had mango juice, calamansi juice, mint leaves and lemonade. It was very refreshing and very delicious! The citrusy flavor was well balanced with the sweetness and the freshness of the mint leaves. It was a really good beverage as it pairs well to all the food served to us. 😸2.) Norwegian Smoked Salmon and Avruga CaviarServed with chives buffalo mozzarella garnished with crispy sweet potatoThis was amazing! Every bite was bursting with flavors! The fish tasted so fresh, so plump it was almost sweet. The sauce and the caviar was divine, and the cheese mousse went so well with the salmon. The kamote crisp gave the dish a nice contrast in texture and a balance of flavor. I could easily finish an order of this all by myself! 😻3.) Homemade Bocconcini and Organic Cherry TomatoesMarinated cherry tomato and mozzarella with truffle-basil pesto and aged balsamic soilThis was great too! It may appear very simple, but it was actually very flavorful! The balsamic soil in particular was the bomb! It was light and hearty at the same time. The cherry tomatoes they used tasted so fresh, juicy and new. 😸4.) Scallop & champagne veloutéThis was fantastic! It was thick soup exploding with the fresh flavor of scallop in every spoonful. It was very well manifested they only use the best of ingredients because the scallop was so fresh that its sweetness was very pronounced. The soup was good enough to enjoy with a cup of rice actually or a warm bread roll. Omygosh, it was love in a bowl. 😻5.) Pizza lunga bresaola con rucola e granaIf we weren’t eating so much food, I probably would have had more than a slice of this pizza. This was actually very good! I liked that the crust was quite thick but still very light and airy. I liked that they did not scrimp on toppings either. Sooo good! 😸6.) Black linguine with crab pasteHomemade black pasta, with talangka paste, locally farmed rocket, and crispy Maya-Maya cubesOMG, this was amazing and one of my favorites too! (Take note, I really couldn’t pick just one favorite because everything we had was absolutely delicious!) The consistency of the pasta was perfectly al dente. The talangka paste was to die for, I think I can enjoy the sauce with a cup of steamed white rice. The fish was sooooo good! The dish was wonderfully seasoned, and the ingredients they used were again fresh. They have their own farm, kudos to their sustainable food. 😻7.) Beef Caldereta sliderWith red onion, gherkins and organic Baguio lettuce on pandesalJust ansarap! I loved this so much, I told myself I will only take a bite since there was so much more food to try. But I couldn’t help it hahaha I finished one slider. It was soooo gooooood!!! The meat was tender and the sauce was excellent! It was like a Pinoy sloppy Joe, and I absolutely love it! 😻8.) Chef’s double burgerMinced pure grass fed beef topped with Comté cheese, fried eschalots, bacon, organic grown tomato and romain lettuce served in pandesalThis was great too! I liked that the texture of the patties were all so juicy and tender. The burger was very well seasoned, and I liked that they used the very Pinoy pandesal as the bread. They toast the bread with butter too, it gave the burger more awesomeness! 😸9.) Gambas al ajilloPrawns from Roxas in garlic, bio olive oil, chili and sweet paprika served with garlic breadAgain another winner among the dishes served to us! The prawns were so plump and the sauce was absolutely delicious! It was spicy and garlicky with just the perfect amount of sweetness from the fresh prawns. 😻10.) Churros, 2 waysWith vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauceIt was the best way to end the meal. There’s always room for dessert. The ice cream they used was also available in their ice cream shop in the lobby. I’ll write about that separately because our gracious host even let us choose more flavors. The churros was great. It was crispy on the outside but still creamy and just a tad undercooked on the inside. It was actually really good! 😸They also served us a couple of Indian items that aren’t on the menu, but may very well be served as a special request. Novotel Manila really takes pride of their Indian chef, and I must say he deserves it. His food is authentic and definitely delicious. We were fortunate enough to enjoy another batch of his wonderful cheese naan! 😸Visit Gourmet Bar today! Definitely a must visit! 😻***Note: This was a sponsored event of Novotel for Team Kaladkarin. Johnbunag Jayson Jao Christina | Kain Club