MESCLUN BISTRO is the casual version of the MESCLUN Restaurant & Cafe in Linden Suites by Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara, also the creator of Chuck’s Deli, Paulene Chocolats Suisses, and the now-defunct Cuillere French restaurant.
Its name is inspired by the mixture of culinary inspirations (not only from French cuisine but also from other European cuisines) from Chef Kat’s travels and collaborations with other chefs.
It’s nice to follow Chef Kat’s journey from Cuillere to Chuck’s Deli and now to Mesclun. You get to notice the maturity over the years and see her personality in her culinary creations.
I’m happy to know that she’s back in Serendra in the original location of the French resto that made her famous in the foodie circles.
Check out Mesclun Bistro when you are in Serendra (where Cuillere used to be located):
Related Blog Post: Chuck’s Deli – Now Serving Awesome Sandwiches in Serendra!
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Mesclun Bistro Menu: Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Pastas | Pizzas, Mains, Sides
Drinks Menu: Red (By the bottle), Cocktail/ Beverage List | Wine List by the Glass, White, Rose, Bubblies (By the Bottle)
Mesclun’s ambiance is minimalist and not intimidating. The wall of wine racks serves as the resto’s highlight.
★ Watermelon & Feta Roquette (P275 +10% service charge). Arugula with watermelon, feta and walnuts in balsamic vinaigrette.
We loved the combination of arugula with the refreshing watermelon and salty hints of the feta cheese. A good salad for summer! 🙂
The boys loved the fresh, hot, crusty bread that was very soft inside. We kept ordering more. 🙂
Bacon Flammekeuche (P275 +10% service charge). Alsatian-style flatbread pizzas with homemade creme fraiche topped with bacon, onion, creme fraiche with nutmeg.
I liked the crispiness of the bread and the very chewy texture of the dough. Sadly, the toppings were sparse and a bit bland in taste.
Four Cheese Sourdough Pizza (P345 +10% service charge). Homemade sourdough crust, baked on brick, topped with cream sauce, mozzarella, fontina, gorgonzola and goat cheese.
I enjoyed this sourdough pizza more than the flatbread version. The size was slightly small though.
★ Sisig Spaghetti (P245 +10% service charge). Spaghetti with pork sisig and light cream sauce, topped with chicharon (slightly spicy).
The Sisig pasta was interesting. It had just the right creaminess that matched the tasty sisig and little bits of chicharon. Best to put calamansi and chili in it to complete the sisig flavor experience.
★ House Cured Corned Beef (P595 +10% service charge). House cured US Angus corned beef with cabbage, potatoes, carrots and Pommery mustard-horseradish sauce, served with its cooking broth, and rice.
We liked this deconstructed corned beef creation with the flavorful beef strands served on a bed of cabbage, surrounded by potatoes and carrots.
You can enjoy it two ways: (1) with yellow rice with the brine and drippings of the corned beef and/or (2) with the mustard. The soup was flavorful and really fatty — make sure to eat it while it’s hot.
The corned beef is worth returning for! 🙂
★ Chateau Saint-Thibeaud, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet (P275 +10% service charge). Bordeaux, France. The color is deep crimson with powerful notes of blackcurrant and cherry, combined with the aroma of liquorice. This medium-bodied wine expresses itself fully. Backed up by low acidity, it is fleshy rich with a long-lasting finish.
Chef Kat is a wine enthusiast with good taste. As expected, she has a well-curated wine list. I loved the house red — very smooth, sweet and just the right pairing for the beef.
★ Sarangani Bay Apahap (Local Seabass) (P545 +10% service charge). Smoke-infused baked Apahap fillets with French beans in a light ginger-soy-sesame sauce with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and cilantro.
Mesclun supports local products like the local seabass from the farms in Sarangani Bay.
This is a really good fillet of fish with sauce and salsa toppings that are simple and not overpowering.
Cuillere was known for its rich milkshakes with Arce Ice Cream; now, Mesclun wants to be known for its own gelato creations.
We liked the strawberry flavor because we could really taste the strawberry fruit in the gelato. Also, try the Bailey’s gelato for a yummy, sweet, alcoholic finish.
Overall, we liked Mesclun, especially the the Watermelon & Feta Roquette salad, the House Cured Corned Beef and the Sarangani Bay Apahap. (Although, we did get mixed reviews for the pizzas– from the adults and the boys.)
You’ve got to try their selection of wines when you dine in Mesclun Bistro. Budget about P700/head.
It’s a good hangout for a nice meal with wine in the Serendra area. Congrats, Chef Kat!
MESCLUN BISTRO
G/F Serendra Place, Bonifacio Global City (Cuillere’s former location)
Telephone: +632 954-2100
Email: info@kuhnkitchen.com
Operating Hours: Daily 11.00am – 11.00pm
Facebook: Mesclun Bistro
★ – Highly Recommended.
Related Blog Post:
- OAP | Chuck’s Deli – Now Serving Awesome Sandwiches in Serendra!
- Click the City | Kitchen Pro Files: Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara
What’s New in BGC Restaurants in 2013?
- VASK: Traditional Basque Cuisine and Modern Gastronomy @VaskManila
- EARLY BIRD Breakfast Club: Start of the All-Day Breakfast Era in Manila?
- IHOP Philippines: Manila Goes Crazy Over IHOP? @IHOP_PH
- GYU-KAKU Philippines: World’s No.1 Yakiniku Japanese BBQ Brand now in Manila 🙂
- MAD FOR GARLIC Philippines: Italian Korean Wine Resto (and Garlic Breath)
- MESCLUN BISTRO by Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara in Serendra
- SABOTEN Philippines: The Original Tonkatsu Flavor Now in Manila!
- URBN BAR & KITCHEN: The Secret Yummy Food of URBN
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Full Disclosure: We paid for our meals. I wrote this blog post myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I have no business relationship with any company mentioned in this post or any organization promoting it. As a policy, I do not accept advertising from food and travel places we feature in the blog.
P.S. Here’s our chef souvenir photo with the boys for our collection. 🙂
Cuillere wasnt good at all! Food was mediocre and service was ho hum…I dont know about this one..but lets see. Im not hoping for anything extra ordinary or mind blowing though.
We got to try the first Mesclun in Linden Suites. That sisig pasta is the best rendition we have ever tried!
That wall full of wine seems to be the signature of Mesclun. It shall serve as an inspiration for a wall in my dream house 😛
tried it last friday. food was good, though the servings are a bit small especially the wine portions! but i have to say that the baguette is to die for! i ended up buying a dozen for home consumption. quite pricey, though–P300 per dozen. i wish they can find means to discover techniques on economies of scale to lower the bread price. i am definitely coming back for more bread!
@ MVIE:
One of Chef Katrina’s strengths is really how she makes her breads… the bread was core in Chuck’s Deli’s success. I didn’t know you could buy the baguette separately. Thanks for the info!
Cheers!
Best,
Janey
Between Bites
http://www.janedchua.com
i ate there this weekend. I had the crispy beef on salad. they served me the most disgusting rotten beef which my friend and I spat out. I should have asked the cook to eat it. they came back to tell me that it is because they over thawed it. I can just imagine the salmonella all over it by the time they served me. btw – no apologies from them. they just said they wont charge me – ahhhh – definitely they shouldn’t. no sense of any care or empathy at all. never again.