In the last two weeks, I have been frequenting the Fort Bonifacio area. It is here where many new dining places have opened. It has become a playground for a lot of chefs offering various cuisine, all wanting to do business in this hungry and curious market.

I tried what to me is the best-tasting Italian ice cream, or gelato, at Burgos Circle. Bar Dolci has a display of different flavors of ice cream. The ones that will bring a smile to your lips, but also widen the hips, are salted caramel, sour lemon sorbet and chocolate flavors. You can taste any of the flavors before indulging.

Of course, The Goose Station has a great fine-dining menu taken to a whole new level. I will never forget the foie gras taho and 24-hour cooked beef which melts in your mouth. Great food. And the to-die-for desserts!

We also tried out La Gerolle, a French restaurant at the Sapphire Bldg. on 30th St. I had a tasting menu where I experienced the best-tasting Pan-Seared Hokkaido Scallops ever. Perfectly cooked, it was served with anchovy aioli, mushroom truffle foam, perfectly cooked veggies and jus de gras.

The dessert of Chocolate Pot a Crème deserves mention, too. A very simple dessert, but one that will forever be embedded in our dessert bank. Chef Ian Padilla worked in a Michelin-star restaurant in Paris, and is now here to share his winning dishes (call 478-4419).

Enderun Colleges’ Restaurant 101 also has a dessert that everyone has to try. Louis XV is dark-chocolate ganache over a crispy praline bar. One of the best desserts I have ever come across, it is a creation of celebrity chef Alain Ducasse. The chocolate is bittersweet, very rich, has a gold leaf on top and is simply divine.

One of the Enderun chefs, I am told, cooks a mean and authentic laksa and Hainanese chicken rice. Chef Cheong Yan See has lived on our shores for over a decade now and was once the executive chef of Shangri-La Edsa Plaza.

The place, by the way, has the best facilities of any culinary school in our country.

I also dropped by a restaurant that specializes in barbecue. Huge hype and many very good reviews from credible foodies preceded my visit but, alas, my experience was just so-so. I was expecting a packed place at lunchtime, but found an empty dining room with only two other tables. I guess the food is not what it used to be.

I’m still looking forward to experiencing many new places at The Fort. HAPPY EATING!

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