It was a rainy Saturday evening, which was not unusual for my birthday when I’m here in the Philippines. August is the month for rain, rain and endless rain. I had no idea where we were headed. All I know is that I’m supposed to dress in a smart casual way. Whatever that means.
But when we finally entered the driveway of Lemuria, my jaw dropped. My sister Lynn showed me their website before and I’ve wanted to go here for the longest time. I was even planning to have a birthday or an anniversary here. Whatever needed celebrating – a nice and cozy celebration – should be celebrated here. I love their look.
I already adored this place based on what I’ve seen on their website alone. Will it live up to my expectations?
My sister made the reservation for dinner that night. When we got there, we got seated promptly near the window. My mom and my sister know good food is all it takes to make me happy on my birthday. Possibly because they’re the same way too!
While tempted to order wine, I decided to go fruity instead. Can you guess? Of course it had to be Mango Shake! It’s my favorite. As my other sister Lani pointed out, it looked like the glass is shaking.
If you’ve never had Philippine mango, then you’re missing out on something special. Whether it’s ripe or not, the darn thing is just delicious. The ripe ones are sweet. You can eat it the way it is or use it for smoothies. The green ones are sour and best eaten with shrimp paste. I know it sounds weird, but trust me on this.
Anyway, to continue with the rest of the food, I didn’t get to photograph the first batch of bread, but got this one. Care for some Walnut Bread?
Mommy ordered this Caramelized Cabbage Soup, which is creamy cabbage soup with bacon bits and crème fraîche.
Lynn had this Mushroom and Gruyere Soup, a creamy forest mushroom soup topped with gratinated Swiss cheese.
I’ve been missing kale since I got here, so I had this Sauteed and Crispy Kale tossed in honey lemon dressing with goat cheese and chorizo. Still not enough kale for me though.
Beef Bourguignon, Lynn’s order, had U.S. Short ribs braised in red wine for eight hours with shallots, carrots and lardoons.
My Kurobuta Pork Belly was braised slowly, lightly browned then served with salardaise potatoes, porcini mushrooms, roasted dried fruits and a red wine reduction.
Mom’s pan-seared Chilean sea bass came with mushroom risotto and fresh vierge.
For desserts, I ordered their Opera Cake, a layered cake that was supposedly created for the Sydney Opera House. They made it special for me!
Lynn had Lemuria’s very own chocolate soufflé served with grand marnier scented créme anglaise.
Mommy went classic with their Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. Such a pretty presentation!
A quick pic before leaving!
If you’re curious how the place looks like, check out their gallery!
Verdict: The neatly dressed wait staff paid close attention to us while we dined. They were all too willing to share their recommendations when we were still deciding what to order. Food presentation was visually appealing. The dishes we ate that night were all delightfully well-prepared. With its quiet and cozy ambiance, Lemuria is perfect for romantic dinners. Location-wise, it’s pretty secluded and private, which I actually prefer.
What can I say? This place definitely lived up to my expectations. The romantic in me fell in love with this place long before I even set foot inside. But now that I’ve been there, I look forward to going back in the future.
Address:
Lemuria
5 Julieta Circle Horseshoe Village
Quezon City, Philippines
It all looks amazing!
I definitely agree, Christine!