Last week, a very good friend of mine invited me to have an early dinner in her friend's restaurant at Ampid, San Mateo, Rizal named Estancia de Lorenzo. It's a farm to table restaurant that will be open to the general public soon; but so far, they're still on soft opening exclusively for family, colleagues, and friends. :)
Estancia's Duck Burger
This couldn't be more perfect to be their signature dish. It deserves to have the restaurant's name on it. I'm obsessed with their Kamias vinaigrette!! It's tangy, sweet and uniquely refreshing!♥ And the salad matches the burger perfectly. The patty tasted good but the seasoning was a little unbalanced, there were saltier parts and a little more binder was really needed to refrain it from falling apart but I really love that it's not oily or gamy. The buns were falling to pieces too, so that needs to be fixed as well but so far so good. :)
Duck Ragu Bolognese
I was told every dish were made from scratch! I was really impressed because it could only get better from here. :) What I love about this pasta is the chicharon-like bits. I couldn't get enough of it! :D Anyhoo, this dish is already A-okay, I don't have any critical comments. :)
Organic Duck Salpicao
People who like healthy organic food will really love EDL. I would probably enjoyed this dish more if it came with mashed potato or twice baked potato or rice. Haha! :p The duck cubes were a little tough and chewy, probably from overcooking. The sauce tasted amazing, it's salty with a hint of sweetness. I personally prefer salpicao to be really garlic-y and pepper-y but I understand that some people don't like that. :)
Minted Kamias and Pineapple Basil
I was kind of disappointed with my Minted Kamias because I did not, in any way, tasted any hint of mint. I expected it to be really refreshing because I imagined the coldness of mint and the sourness of kamias combined but I got shocked when I sipped and tasted what seems to taste like a candied kamias shake. My friend opted for their Pineapple Basil and the combination was divine!☺
Triple Chocolate Tablea Smores
This dessert was not too sweet and the chocolate wafer won me over. Think of champorado with a twist. The smores were unavailable at the time so I'm kind of excited to go back and try this once again complete with smores. :)
Pandan Cheesecake
Sumptuous, isn't it? I really like that the pandan flavor was incorporated really well in the cheesecake and the ice cream makes the ensemble burst flavors in your mouth. :)
I really believe that with a few alterations and innovations, Estancia de Lorenzo has a potential to be one of the best farm to table restaurant in the metro despite of being hidden in the suburbs of Rizal. :) I want to thank my friend, Tweetums, for the invitation and the Lorenzo family, especially Katrina and Catherine, for the awesome dining experience, for the complimentary food, and for taking my comments with kindness and respect. :)
Toodles!☺
