Restaurant 101

Shanie Mae Flores

4.0

RESTAURANT 101 at Enderun Colleges – Your Food Network Food Dreams Unexpectedly Within ReachWhen people hear about Enderun Colleges, the premier college in McKinley Hill known for turning out quality culinary graduates, they immediately think that it is an expensive place, and that its flagship restaurant, Restaurant 101, is an expensive place to dine.It’s actually not that expensive, and is a good place to go for special date, or some website “me” time, or for those times when you feel like you deserve a better lunch/dinner than the same-old-same-old place you buy from. Restaurant 101 has a LUNCH prix fixe 3-course meal for Php450, and a DINNER 3-course set menu for Php550. The adjacent Bistro 101 offers bistro meals for only P180 that include a salad, a meat course and one round of iced tea.Restaurant 101 changes their a la carte menu every three months, and their tasting menu every two months. There is a 5% gratuity on top of the prices.Last week, I tried their new A Breakfast Affair, a one-week menu showcasing breakfast items re-invented as dinner. They often offer this type of special tasting menus to showcase new dishes, new ingredients, or to try something new.A BREAKFAST AFFAIRThe menu consists of 5 courses, and includes a cocktail and coffee or tea. It was P1,380/person +5% gratuity.MimosaWe started with cocktails, and I chose to get a Mimosa (orange and champagne). We were also served some really good bread while waiting – with a crisp crust and chewy inside. Blinis This blini dish is a wonderful start to the meal. The sweet, savory, earthy, bite-sized pancakes are surrounded with maple foam and a wasabi sauce. The smoked salmon is perfectly salty. There’s sweet, savory, hot, salty and creamy in one plate.Tomato SoupThe Tomato Soup is very comforting. It is creamy and cheesy, with just enough acidity from the tomatoes to cut the creaminess. I could drink a big, big bowl of this every day! The toasted bread with melted mozzarella turns into a puffy, cheesy sponge that soaks up the yummy soup! I felt like a cat eating this, if cats liked tomatoes and cheese in their cream! This is my favorite out of the 5 dishes, although it was really hard to pick which one I liked best, because everything was delicious!Uni Scrambled Egg Toast (2 pcs) A bite-sized symphony! This is the most unforgettable dish out of the 5 courses, taste-wise. There’s creamy, moist, and fluffy scrambled eggs, a crispy bread chip as the base (also adds crunch and a contrasting texture), topped with some pickled onions that wake the palate, and cubes of delectable, fatty unagi (eel) and drizzled with sweet and salty unagi sauce.Marinated Hanger Steak with 63-degree EggsThe hanger steak was well-seasoned, flavorful down to the center. It was also tender and juicy. It was served with a hollandaise espuma (foam), and pickle relish (which tasted like a coleslaw) that was a good foil to the rich eggs.Take a look at that egg yolk! The golden, molten goodness had me itching to scoop it up with the accompanying crispy bread chips (croutons). The egg white was soft, gelatinous and just beginning to set. I love sous vide eggs, and 63-degrees is the perfect one for me! Brioche French Toast MillefeuilleThis was our dessert. It looks pretty! However, it wasn’t my favorite dish. It is a stack of brioche french toast, filled with a honey cream, and decorated with strawberry glaze and dots of passionfruit mousse. I found the brioche with cream a bit bland. I loved the sweet and tart passionfruit mousse, and wished there had been more on the plate to provide more flavor and contrast for the brioche millefeuille.Restaurant 101 is a part of Enderun Colleges, so it comes as no surprise that students from Enderun Colleges staff the restaurant. It provides training and work experience for Enderun Colleges’ students.SUMMARYCheck out their good-value-for-money set meals. You might even spend less than you would if you went to one of the mid-range chain restaurants, but get better ambience, better food, and score more cred with someone you might be looking to impress!As for the food, try their main menu items or check out their tasting menus. Experience the type of dishes you think you’d only see from your favorite cooking competition shows! There are different kinds of mousses and foams, sous vide eggs, and delightful flavor combinations of sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami in one plate. It’s nice and fun, especially for a relaxing date with someone who also appreciates food.At P1,380+ per person, the A Breakfast Affair menu is a good value considering the quality ingredients used and the inventive food combinations we got to experience. Unlike buffets where the food has been prepared way in advance, the food here is prepared upon your order. It’s especially made for you! I didn’t think I’d be full, but in the end, I was full, and very satisfied.Restaurant 101 is located on the ground floor of the main building when you enter Enderun Colleges. Parking is available for guests, just let the guard know that you will be dining at Restaurant 101. Enderun Colleges is located along Campus Drive, literally just behind Venice Piazza.

Anindita Indriyanto

4.0

When people hear about Enderun Colleges, the premier college in McKinley Hill known for turning out quality culinary graduates, they immediately think that it is an expensive place, and that its flagship restaurant, Restaurant 101, is an expensive place to dine.

Adiee Pratama

5.0

Ambiance is nice, relaxing and modern. Tried the set lunch meal, soup was creamy..main course was so good..it has so many flavors and well plated. Servers are polite and diverse- a korean lady served my meal..i also noticed that the person in charge was keen to details and he spoke french...

Margalicious

4.0

It didn’t take long for Restaurant 101’s hospitality crew to leave its mark on Manila‘s competitive food scene. This chill-yet-sophisticated restaurant is your go-to spot for a weeknight steak that won’t break the bank. Steak Season Promotion: P680* inclusive of 250g USDA Rib-eye Steak, 7 side dishes (choose 2), 5 sauces

Okke Pramudita

3.0

Went here for a wine event, and while the food was great (though it’s a special menu) I have to say you need to keep in mind that the servers are students. Our table noticed the lack of attentiveness of the servers when it comes to service, taking plates away, missing spoons for certain courses, and most noticeably the wine refills. Because again, it was a wine event.

Viki Griffiths

4.0

Enderun Colleges never ceases to amaze me. Every time I find myself in the McKinley Hill Campus, there’s something new brewing. Be it the renovation of classrooms, construction of a new building, addition of new courses to the college offerings, or conception of a new menu at Restaurant 101, the ever-evolving process of Enderun makes me want to come back and check whenever I’m in the Taguig area. Lucky for me, I got an invite from my Alma mater to sample their latest restaurant creations, 101’s Market Menu as prepared and served by members of the alumni.The press and blogger event started with a demo for those who want to see how three of the dishes to be served to us later are prepared. (Well, for me it actually started about an hour earlier with a self-guided walking tour of the campus to see the new Titans Hall and other developments.) Alumni chefs, some of whom were batch mates, headed the demo in the Culinary Amphitheater with Enderun Chef Instructor Thomas Wenger doing the introductions and inserting his notes on certain processes.Afterwards, we were led downstairs to Restaurant 101 for the dinner proper. Funny thing is… that was actually my first time to sit and dine inside Restaurant 101, McKinley Hill. I used to eat at 101 back when the newly opened Enderun Colleges still had a place in Ortigas. When the school moved to Taguig, I always found myself either rushing to start the looong commute home or too busy with classes that I didn’t even get to treat myself to a lunch or dinner there! At least I got to experience the meal with a fresh perspective, just like some of the other first-timers in attendance. Onto the meal, then:Scotch Egg — Bacon crust, glazed asparagus, smoked cream, truffle dressingIt’s quail egg unlike what you’ve ever experienced before. They took an ingredient that’s commonly associated in the Philippines with street food or Chinese Birthday Noodles and transformed it into a dish that brings together so many flavors and textures—sweet-crunchy asparagus, savory-crunchy-soft egg, earthy-tart truffle dressing, and rich cream. The Scotch Egg is a tempting teaser of what’s to follow.Pan-Fried Goose Liver — Mesclun greens, cranberry dressingAm I biased in saying I love this salad? Yes, because I have a deep appreciation for pan-fried goose liver. No terrines or pâtés for me, please. Pan-searing brings out the crispy, caramelized outer part of the goose liver that’s half of the experience. (The other half, of course, is the taste!) Serving it in a salad was a way to balance the richness out as some people find the liver itself umay-inducing (resulting in a tired palate). You’ve got your fresh greens, tart strawberry slices, and the naturally sweet/tart cranberry dressing that instantly refresh the palate with each bite.Cream of White Bean Soup — With prawn and chorizo galetteI’ve tried a lot of ‘Cream Ofs’ before, but not with beans. If you like the texture of beans, then this is beans galore. The prawn and chorizo galette adds a salty, savory factor to the soup. Plus points for showmanship, since they pour the soup over the garnished bowl in front of the diner.Beetroot Marinated Salmon — Pickled cucumbers, horseradish mashed potatoes, “chicharon” of salmon skinAttractive colors on the plate. That’s the first impression I got from this dish. I love mashed potatoes and I love salmon, so the pairing is one I enjoy immensely. They added the pickled cucumbers to make it interesting, but I like how it didn’t turn out too sour. Not so much pickle as it still possesses that fresh cucumber flavor. The salmon skin chicharon is just plain fun to eat, while the salmon meat itself is tender and earthy from the beetroot marinade.Oven-roasted Magret of Duck — With apple hazelnut chutney, celeriac puree, port reductionThe duck was as tender as dark meat gets, and the aromatic taste of celeriac was distinctive. The only thing I didn’t like about this dish was how the hazelnut in the apple hazelnut chutney seemed past its prime.Layered White and Dark Chocolate Mousse — With butter-mint ice creamThis dessert was as much a treat to the eye as it was a delightful meal-ender. The harmonious combination of dark and white chocolate was countered by the raspberry jelly on the top, and who doesn’t like chocolate discs to chew on? I’m more of a peppermint gal myself, but the butter-mint ice cream did refresh the palate after the luxurious six-course meal.In addition to the Alain Ducasse level of quality in the food, there’s the students training for F&B service class working in the restaurant. Remember to be patient with them, because it’s their chance to put into practice all the techniques they’ve been taught.Thanks, Enderun, for having me over!

Yudha Wibowo

4.0

Aside from fine dining inside, Restaurant 101 also has a small bar and café at the side where I usually eat for breakfast or snacks. Expect Enderun students to be here, but only a few know that they also allow outsiders.I find the café quiet and relaxing. It's a nice place to have a short meeting. Or at times when I want to de-stress myself from work, I sit here for brewed coffee (which is cheaper than SB but tastes good!). I also like their fruit shakes.Some interns run the bar and café. They are all professional and very good.

Kate Macagba

4.0

Restaurant 101 is like a hidden special gem for me and my family. It's our go-to fine dining restaurant for special occasions and we love how it's very intimate. I think since it's primarily a training ground for culinary students of Enderun, there really isn't a need to market it. We've been here probably five times and they have always been consistent with the quality and taste of the food. They always have guest chefs from different countries that offer their own special menus and it's always worth the price. We never leave the restaurant unsatisfied and hungry. Service is wonderful too. Photos were taken from our last visit there about 3 months ago.

WildCath

4.0

How cool is it when you get students Hands on before they step out the wild 'real life'. Restaurant 101 started in Ortigas years ago and now moved to a bigger school called Enderun. Here students are the 'Chefs' guided by employed teachers and staff. The younger students are serves and talk about their food for the day. Here it's more of experience as a whole and not just food. I felt like a Chef too judging their every move. We enjoyed very unique dish that came out way and will definitely revisit to try out new creations. It's a bit pricey but what the heck.

Berkan Türemen

4.0

For those who want to take out someone special on a date this place is highly recommended as well for those momentous occasions. Their 6-7 course meals are just worth your time and money and I'm sure you would try like their Guinness Braised Angus Rib finger. I'm lucky as well that Foie Gras is also part of the meun so It's worth going to.