LEMURIA: French Degustation with Wine Pairing of Lemuria’s Bestsellers! @LemuriaGourmet

LEMURIA is a private dining French restaurant conceptualized by Mrs. Marina “Kitt” Schroeder, hidden in Horseshoe Village, Quezon City. It’s name is inspired by the mystery behind the lost continent of Lemuria.

The cozy dining area is located on top of the Brumms Quality Wine Cellar, with a curated wine list from Germany, Austria, Romania, and other boutique wineries the Shroeders love.

After 8 years, it continues to be one of the most romantic garden restaurants in Manila. It never fails to lure lovely couples to dine because of its charm, focus on quality, and personal touch.

It’s a bit nostalgic, reminiscing my initial post about this place: Lemuria’s Mystique – a Romantic Restaurant in the Metro, and revisiting Lemuria after almost 8 years.

LEMURIA GOURMET
5 Julieta Circle, Horseshoe Village, Quezon City
Telephone Numbers: +63.2.724.5211, +63.2.722.2185
Operating Hours: 
LUNCH By exclusive booking only 
DINNER: Tuesday-Sunday 6:00 pm-11:00 pm 
Reservations strongly recommended 
E-Mail Address: lemuria@brumms.com.ph
Website: http://www.lemuria.com.ph, http://www.brumms.com.ph
Facebook: Lemuria Gourmet Restaurant
Twitter: @LemuriaGourmet
Dress Code: Smart Casual: No shorts (inclusive of extremely short female dress shorts), No slippers (regardless of brand), No Sandos, No Baseball caps, No Crew-neck (round neck) T-shirts

You have to turn left after the bridge in Horseshoe village. You should see a small gate with a Lemuria signage.
 
The place is beautifully lighted at night, with a lush garden surrounding the homey setup.

It’s good to go on a weekday, when it’s not too crowded. Couples are seated by their own private corners. 

Lemuria Ala Carte Menu: Appetizers, Soup | Pasta, Risotto, Main Course | Dessert | Beverage List | Today’s Specials

Lemuria Infinite 8 Degustation Menu – P1,188+ per head, P1,888+ with wine pairing (valid until August 24)

It was awesome to have dinner with Mrs. Kitt Schroeder, Sommelier Ava Sarfati Araw, and their new Chef Kevin Endaya, together with my wife Rache.

I ordered the Infinite 8 Degustation with wine pairing, while my wife ordered from the Ala Carte menu.

The meal starts with a complimentary bread basket with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and butter.

✮ Prahova Valley Demi-Sec, Romania. A wine round and suave, with a special charm and sensuality; delicate flavors of honey and citrus flowers. Notes of pineapple and elder flowers.

The degustation kicks off with a bubbly semi-sweet, fruity wine from Prahova Valley in Romania, to entice your taste buds and to prepare your palate.

[Infinite 8: 1st Course] LEMURIA PLATE with fig salami and apricot compote.

The amuse bousche is a savory mini-cupcake with a nice mix of chicken liver-foie gras pate, balanced with the sweetness of the fig and apricot. Best to eat in one bite and enjoy the playful contrasting flavors.

[Ala Carte] ✮ SCALLOPS WITH MUSHROOMS AND BEURRE BLANC (P830 +10% service charge). Seared giant scallops on top of sauteed fresh mushrooms.

The Atlantic scallops are soft, juicy, and not overcooked. They are paired with fresh sauteed Chanterelles mushroom with white butter.

[Infinite 8: 2nd Course] TOMATO CARPACCIO with Tuna remoulade.

A good starter salad — slices of tomato with tuna on top and these red seeds for added texture.

[Ala Carte] ✮ MUSHROOM AND GRUYERE (P357 +10% service charge). A creamy forest mushroom soup topped with gratinated swiss cheese.

The soup is a creamy blended mix of ceps (porcini), shiitake, and button mushrooms, topped with melted cheese. 🙂 It’s velvety smooth and not too rich.

[Infinite 8: 3rd Course] MUSHROOM AND GRUYERE. A creamy forest mushroom soup topped with gratinated swiss cheese.

This is the same soup but in a smaller serving size for the degustation.

[Infinite 8: 4th Course] FRESH WATER BASS. With braised fennel and leaks.

The appetizer course was just OK — a small slice of fish and clean-tasting vegetables.

2011 Gunderloch Riesling trocken. Rheinhessen Region, Germany. Concentrated and powerful, with racy flavors of dried quince, pear, and ginger. Mineral and spice power through to the crisp, structured finish. 

This wine is fruity with a dry spice finish, which is good to pair with light meals such as fish and not-too-creamy dishes.

[Ala Carte] ✮ SEA BASS (P1,050 +10% service charge). Pan seared Chilean sea bass with mushroom risotto and fresh vierge. 

I love that they remember to cook their sea bass medium, so that it’s juicy, soft, and literally melts in your mouth. The risotto was also perfect, cooked al dente, with mushroom and creamy sauce na di nakakaumay. 

[Infinite 8: 5th Course] LEMURIA SORBET

We had a nice fruity sorbet as a palate cleanser to prepare for the main course.

[Infinite 8: 6th Course] SOUS VIDE PORK BELLY with red wine reduction.

A nice slice of really soft pork belly cooked the French way, with dried fruits and greens.

[Infinite 8: 7th Course] ✮ HERBED LAMB CHOP. French rack of lamb pan-roasted and crusted with herbs, served with potato puree and cherry tomato confit.

The main highlight of the meal is this serving of herbed lamb chop. It’s best eaten with a bit of the herbs, potato, and candied cherry tomato.

 ✮ 2007 Salzberg (Limited). GERNOT HEINRICH, Austria. Dark ruby-garnet color, a touch of violet. Ethereal nose of sweet forest berry fruit, fine herbs, soft tobacco, and noble wood. Richly faceted, compact, and powerful. Nuances of chocolate, orange zest, and juicy berries. Wood spices in the finish.

This was beautiful! I wish I could describe the satisfaction of drinking a really good red wine. Highly recommended. Make sure it’s at the right temperature and let it breathe properly before serving.

Try it: 2007 Gernot Heinrich Salzberg (.75 Liter)(Limited)

The Salzberg was a nice match for the meat. It enhances the flavor of the lamb.

[Infinite 8: 8th Course] LEMURIA CHEESECAKE. Carabao’s milk and dulce de leche cheesecake with strawberry compote.

A fitting sweet ending to a wonderful degustation, with the right portion size for the courses, a good balance of flavors, and a defining quality that embodies the essence of Lemuria.

2010 Schubert Dolce, New Zealand. Lightly golden in color, with high viscosity this wine combines flavors of white peaches, apricots, and zesty citrus aromas, with layers of floral honey and green walnuts, showing some minerality and all nicely balanced by an elegant acidity.

The dessert is nicely paired with a sweet honey and fruity dessert wine. 

[Ala Carte] OLIVE OIL AND CHOCOLATE MARQUIS (P326 +10% service charge). A merge of chocolate and olive oil in an interesting way served with banana scallops. 

This was just OK. You’re better off ordering the Grand Marnier Souffle instead.

I think the attention to freshness and quality of ingredients, the boutique romantic ambiance, a well-curated selection of wines, and having a trained passionate staff is the secret behind Lemuria’s success and what keeps it going strong after 8 years.

If you order ala carte, I would recommend the MUSHROOM AND GRUYERE, SCALLOPS WITH MUSHROOMS AND BEURRE BLANC, SEA BASS, and HERBED LAMB CHOP.

A Lemuria dinner isn’t complete without the wines. I recommend starting with the Prahova Valley Demi-Sec and having the 2007 Salzberg (Limited) for your main course.

The desserts are OK. It would be nice to have a mystical dessert to cap the experience.

Don’t miss this chance to try the Lemuria Infinite 8 degustation, which is only P1,188+ per head and P1,888+ with wine pairing. It’s only until August 24, in celebration of their 8th year anniversary.

Congratulations and more power to the Lemuria! 🙂

LEMURIA GOURMET
5 Julieta Circle, Horseshoe Village, Quezon City
Telephone Numbers: +63.2.724.5211, +63.2.722.2185
Operating Hours:
LUNCH By exclusive booking only
DINNER: Tuesday-Sunday 6:00 pm-11:00 pm
Reservations strongly recommended
E-Mail Address: lemuria@brumms.com.ph
Website: http://www.lemuria.com.ph, http://www.brumms.com.ph
Facebook: Lemuria Gourmet Restaurant
Twitter: @LemuriaGourmet
Dress Code: Smart Casual: No shorts (inclusive of extremely short female dress shorts), No slippers (regardless of brand), No Sandos, No Baseball caps, No Crew-neck (round neck) T-shirts

Driving Directions: From Greenhills shopping center, go onwards straight Ortigas Ave. past Santolan Road up to N. Domingo St. Turn right until entrance to Horseshoe Village. Take Main Horseshoe Drive up to the bridge. From bridge, take first street left. Lemuria sign stands on left side of corner.. Go straight until the next sign by the entrance of Lemuria. 

Live an Awesome Life,

Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com 

Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of Mrs. Marina Schroeder. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.  

P.S. It’s nice to be able to compare the difference between my blogging style in 2006: Lemuria’s Mystic – a Romantic Restaurant in the Metro, which has evolved into a more visual storytelling style in 2014: LEMURIA: French Degustation with Wine Pairing of Lemuria’s Bestsellers! @LemuriaGourmet.

Time has passed by so fast. It would be a real treat to revisit Lemuria again after another 8 years and do another post.