Planet Grapes-Shangri-La isn’t good only for one meal. I’ve been back several times and it keeps getting better and better. It’s a cool and elegant place serving fun yet sophisticated food, with wine at its core. Last week, I was invited here to taste fine dishes cooked and prepared by Chef Phil Neil, the head chef of Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group. Chef Phil visited the Philippines and we were pleased to have personally experienced his cooking at Planet Grapes. The theme of the night? Pork dishes, using quality pork straight from the UK. There’s no doubt about it. We were in for a special treat! π
Food Rundown: Pork Dishes by Chef Phil Neil at Planet Grapes
For starters, the combination of skewered pork chops in garlic and oil, breaded pig ears in strips, and seasoned meatballs made of pork shoulder with scotch eggs was pretty much spot on across the board. Everything was well-constructed with great textures. The pig ears were light yet crisp to the bite; the pork chops, juicy; and the pork shoulder balls, hearty and meaty with a nice crispy sear on the outside and really moist inside. Satay sauce and the olives with chives tartar sauce served as perfect accompaniments to taste.
Braised to fork-tenderness for three hours, the pork cheeks were moist and relatively lean. Zesty notes of the carrot puree, shallots, and potatoes did a good job to complement the natural flavors of the pork.
Teeming with sweet and savory flavors, the pork ribs cooked with jasmine tea, ketchup, soy sauce, honey, and peanut butter and then topped with sesame seeds didn’t disappoint. Given the heft of the various elements, I didn’t expect them to be well-matched. Overall, the result was an enjoyable bomb of aromatics. Thumbs up!
Pork belly (liempo) delivered in spades. Oh baby, this is what dreams are made of. It demonstrated a mix of crispy and supple textures with fats, along with a heady, porky taste that was evened out by the brightness of veggies. Lentils, carrots, and thinly sliced onions gave a nice contrast, a refreshing respite from the hearty portions of pork.
Glorious pork ribsΒ wereΒ back in action, but this time theyΒ wereΒ braised with apple sauce. It’s wonderful how the meat was infused with a sweet and succulent accent of apple. Not to be taken as a “meh” side dish, the roasted potato fries cooked in duck fat had gorgeous silkiness and golden-crisp edges. This is the type of thing you wake up in the middle of the night shaking for because you want it so bad! π
Lastly, the pork shoulder rubbed with salt and pepper showed off all the classic goodness that you’d expect in pork. It has got everything a killer dish should have: big on flavor, properly tender, and certainly praiseworthy with a hint of heat. I can imagine it would also be sublime in a sandwich or tacos. π
And of course, when in Planet Grapes, whether it be a casual midweek lunch, a birthday throw-down, or a classy get-togetherΒ with friends, it’s a must to dine in with wine. There’s a ton of variety to choose from. Get it by 1/4, 1/2, or one full glass, from the enomatic machine, or by the bottle.
We had the 2009 Chateau Siaurac, Lalande-de-Pomerol to drink through our sumptuous meal. This full-bodied red wine from France has a flexible structure and a long finish, with harmoniously interwoven notes of black currant, black cherry, licorice and underbrush.
Leche flan, crepe, turon and chocolate cakeβyou can’t go wrong with any of these for desserts. I highly recommend the leche flan which had rich, creamy, smooth, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. It’s sweet but not to the point where you’d reach a cheek-tingling sugar panic.Β So yummy! π
photo-op with Chef Phil
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
Very nice writeup with great looking photos. I do like pork better than beef, so this article is really quite tempting to try, even I imagine it is quite pricey because of the 5-star location.
Thanks, Fred. Prices aren’t sky-rocket high but not also what you can call affordable. It’s a good meal to share with friends on a cool night. π
It’s true that the quality of the ingredients affect the taste of the dish, especially Grade A pork meat which has a good marble and delectable taste of the fat. And based on the pictures, they were really truly a good piece of pork. I also happen checked the place but cannot eat because of the price. A little pricey for students like me.
Well, that’s true. I also could not eat out in a place like this when I was a student. Gotta save up my allowance for school stuff. π Anyway, it’s good enough to know that you can celebrate special occasions or treat yourself some time in Planet Grapes. The menu is diverse also and you can wish to have more on your plate.
And this post makes me hungry! Ah mouth-watering food! Now, I’m craving. But thanks for this one. Reminds me of the bliss of having those in my taste buds. π
I can’t decide which is the best of the bunch. Everything was really well executed and full of flavor. π
This is a really fine place to visit and the aura exudes elegance. I also like their food offerings as it does look really tasty.
Come any night of the week and this place will be filled. It’s filled with people who are enjoying themselves because theyβre eating some very solid food…and wine. π
I didn’t know Planet Grapes had food! I thought it was just a wine place. The dishes look absolutely amazing! π
Oh it used to be. π Glad to know also that they have great food to pair with different kinds of wine!
Looks like a great place to enjoy some yummy food and friends. Those dishes look so good. I am hungry just looking at this post! ha!
One by one the dishes arrived, each one better than the next. Thereβs nothing particularly jaw-dropping there, but each one tasted like we were eating it for the first time. The desserts were pretty fantastic as well. π
Looks interesting. When its from Jamie Oliver’s training it has to taste good. Unfortunately I can’t comment more than that, coz here I am a vegetarian..
Hehe that’s okay. Thanks for droppy by, Bhushavali. π
If this is somewhere near me I wouldn’t mind going there and pig-out! The quality of the ingredients takes the big factor of how a dish taste. Pork from Uk is something very tempting to try. The dishes are well presented and undeniably looks yummy.
I wondered how different pork from US would taste as compared to locally sourced produce. It’s high quality and certainly delicious. π
I absolutely love the presentation! It’s also amazing to learn more about the people behind it. I’ll surely look into this!
Planet Grapes has the look and feel of something that was conceptualized by someone who has a clear vision and a sense of aesthetic. Look at the wine lights and you’ll be in awe! Discovering wines one glass at a time sounds good. π
I like how you convey your thoughts about all these foods you’ve tried. Amazingly written because you made me feel like I want to go to Planet Grapes now. Your photos? They’re all stunningly taken.
Haha thanks, Lai. π Expressing my views on food tastes is one stress outlet for me.
So many varieties of Pork? Must be like heaven for pork-lovers. Too bad I don’t eat it.
Well, if you don’t eat pork, there are other food on the menu that can cater to your taste. Maybe wine and some desserts? π
The food looks great, it’s a nice mix of the traditional dishes with the chef’s own twist. I love the plating as well! I’m glad you had a great time tasting what they have to offer!
Yup, the plating instantly won my heart. As people say, you first eat with your eyes. π
There was a time when I ate meat that I would be able to say that I would love to try these…but since I’ve become vegetarian, the only thing I can say is that my husband would love to try these!! They do look very appealing and unique!b
Haha okay, I understand. π Turning to be a vegetarian is a nice change of diet and lifestyle. Your husband will love Planet Grapes.
You got me at the dessert…. No I prolly shouldn’t be looking at that because it’s sinful! Oh gosh, I want to try that banana crepe!
Haha it’s great, not too sweet but just enough to wash down the heavy flavors of the main pork entrees.
I love planet grapes choice of menu.
I like their dishes and wine pairings.
They pretty decent choices actually
Thanks for your appreciation. I bet the Planet Grapes team will be happy to read your comment. π
Omg such a feast! wow i wish to try the pork ribs, it looks so tempting and delicious.
You can visit soon. π Enjoy Planet Grapes and may you have a good experience as we did.
Good food AND wine. I need to go there!
Sure, spend one weekend lunch or dinner with friends and have fun. π
The desserts look delectable. It`s quite difficult for me to find a leche flan which has the right sweetness. It`s good to know theirs isn`t too sweet. I wonder how their turon tastes like. Also, what is the yellow below the turon and the white powder-like stuff on top? Great photos!
Thanks, Grace! Oh I’m not sure about that white powder thing. We can always ask the team in our next visit. π