something to tickle your tastebuds

the most awaited wedding task... food tasting at edsa shang! too bad aldo missed this one!

since their coffee shop is under renovation (hence no nearby kitchen), we had to go to paparazzi for the food tasting. interiors are artsy and homey (what restaurant wouldn't be if the chandeliers and glass accents are all murano!), a perfect place for dinner and wine. mom had cream of mushroom soup and seabass fillet - surprisingly not expensive - which turned out to be really really good. the portions were generous, enough to be shared by 2 people. sam had their shrimp pasta which had huge chunks of shrimp on it. portion was generous as well, as sam was struggling to finish it.

now back to the wedding food.




the bread plate is now a standard in all shang restaurants and weddings. instead of servers going around with pandesal, this is a prettier alternative. i love the cream cheese & garlic spread that goes perfect with the crunchy breadsticks. the ciabatta is also noteworthy - the blend of herbs compliments the balsamic vinegar and olive oil dip.




the cream of pumpkin soup with frothy cream was good. a bit salty, but good nonetheless. it had the right balance of cream and pumpkin, although tends to be a bit filling when you consume the whole bowl. we're thinking of changing this as it makes the whole menu heavy - our guests might need anti-acids after the meal if we feed them too much. worse, they could fall asleep in the middle of the program!




next was the entree - flowers of smoked salmon with tarragon mayonnaise & tagaytay greens. i love smoked salmon! this one is really an appetizer - with only 3 pieces of smoked salmon, you'll be ready for your main course. the greens prepare your tastebuds for more - although the lemon slivers are a bit overwhelming when you but right into it.




now for the main course - chicken breast with saffron potatoes, asparagus pepper ragout with orange sauce. although the name isn't too appetizing, this is a definite winner. the portion is pretty big (although aldo says that what's big to me is small to him LOL) and filling - i couldn't finish the chicken, moreso the safron potatoes. the chicken itself was tasty without the sauce, and broiled just right so that it's not flaky nor rubbery. again, here's the heavy part - the asparagus and muchrooms have a cream-based sauce which makes it very rich. the saffron potatoes are also yummy, but a bit heavy if you attempt to finish off the portion. if guests are on the atkins or south beach diet, this is a definite no-no.




and the grand finale... iced mango parfait topped with raspberry sherbet and fresh strawberry garnish. i'll be looking forward to my own wedding because of this one. the mango parfait is much like a lite mango cheesecake that tastes like a real cheesecake - and not the fake ones that are sold in bakeshops all over metro manila. the raspberry sherbet on top perfectly blends with the parfait, with the tangy raspberry swirling with the parfait's creamy base. shang didn't have strawberries that day so they replaced it with a mango garnish. with the strawberry garnish, i'm sure it'll be a big big hit. hmm, one more reason to table-hop: if guests can't finish it, i'd be happy to help them out. hehehe.

at the end of the meal, i was ready to go to sleep. the whole meal was a bit heavy for me, so we're thinking of changing the soup to a clear one instead. my sister and i loved the dessert so much that we're arguing over who gets dad's share (he's diabetic).



exactly 2 months to go to W-day!