We got to try the Ascott’s specialties because fellow blogger Spanky Enriquez knows the hotel’s lifestyle manager Ms. Susan Salcedo and after a series of emails later, we were finally able to gather together for a dinner there.

The evening started with a series of nibblers. They were good, but it seems we were too busy catching up on the gossip, political news and post-storm Ondoy chit-chat to notice much.Appetizers like peanuts, potato chips and vegetable sticks are served for free for diners of the cafe.

The big plate of chicken and seafood frites (P615) is for sharing. The serving consists of chicken fingers, fish fillet, squid, mussels and onion rings. For dips, you can choose between homemade aioli, barbecue and ponzu sauce.

I really liked their Artisanal Cheese Board (P470) consisting of three kinds of cheeses – local farm-produced chevre, pecorino and blue peppato, with dried fruits and nuts, organic honey, biscuits and crusty bread. Good enough filler for light eaters and the health conscious.

The house salad, called the Ascott Salad (P380) is a mesclun of mixed greens with cubed fresh mangoes, grapes and green apples with blue cheese dressing and scallops croutons.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of starters, our main courses arrived. I had the grilled “medium well” New Zealand lamb chops (P950) which came with a duo of mint sauce and port wine sauce. It had the right tenderness I desired, and the glutton in me was even eyeing the angus beef ribeye steak that Jane ordered. It also looked awesome. Most of us it seemed were in a carnivorous mode that night, and I settled for lamb because it’s not something that I eat everyday.

Mr. Z had fish and chips (P480), something which he seems to be fond of ordering whenever we go out these days

In the picture: Chef Dennis Edillon and Ascott lifestyle manager Ms. Susan Salcedo. I was surprised to see Chef Dennis again, whom I knew way back when he was still in Hotel Pontefino in Batangas City. The degustacion menu he served while there was awesome, and am glad he repeated it again that night at the Ascott.

After our dinner, we were toured around one of their two-bedroom suites which came complete with a washer and dryer, kitchen, wi-fi connectivity, a topnotch home entertainment system and L’Occitane toiletries in the bathroom, among others. At something like $300 a night, the two-bedroom serviced residence doesn’t come cheap but their target market is clearly the expats and high-flying businessmen who demand luxury when they need one. Happily, there’s no such distinction for habitues of their Cafe on the 6th because it’s open to outsiders.

Ascott Makati
Glorietta 4, Ayala Center Makati
Reservations telephone no.(632) 755 8888