Tagaytay's Samira by Chele Gonzalez Enters Their Next Chapter With Grilled Eats + a Superb New Tasting Menu

(SPOT.ph) Tagaytay’s tranquil atmosphere and cool breeze are always conducive to relaxation—and with act of letting loose comes a carnal desire to, well, eat. When at Anya Resort, Samira by Chele Gonzalez is the place to dine; with new additions to their menu, the World Luxury Restaurant Awards-nominated spot proves to be a timeless gem to come back to again and again.

Also read:
Chef Chele Gonzalez's Fine-Dining Spot in Tagaytay Is All About Top-Tier Flavors in a Breezy Setting 
This Peaceful Resort in Tagaytay Will Treat You Like Royalty

Check out the new must-tries at Samira by Chele Gonzalez:

Samira’s New Tasting Menu

The Spanish chef’s debut menu at Samira was one that showcased Gonzalez’ way of bringing traditional flavors to sophisticated heights—and along with the rest of the team (including Junior Sous Chef Robee Joy Javier), he picks up from where he left with their new six-course tasting menu (P3,995+/head; additional P1,900+ for wine pairing). As with the original tasting menu, the flavors here are fearless and the atmosphere, tranquil—making for a great venue to bring that special someone for a date.

Bites open the journey: buttery cubes of the Brioche and Beef Tartar, Egg Yolk Emulsion & Ikura; sweet yet briny Gallagher Premium Oyster with Compressed Pear; crisp-creamy Black Squid Arancini paired with a Parmesan Mousse; and the returning Bulalo Tacos. Samira brings in freshness from this point, with the Tasmanian Ocean Trout Tartare where fine-chopped cubes of the fish are brought to life by dill, fried capers, and apple and red radish slices before creme fraiche and dill oil are poured over as the dish is served.

The Charred Grilled Octopus is a nod to a similar dish from the previous tasting menu, with a similar tandem of octopus grilled over charcoal until tender, its smokiness mirrored by black ink breadcrumbs and captured by paprika parmentier on the bottom. On the simpler end of the spectrum, the Pan Seared Dorado, Charred Romaine with Sunkissed Tomato & Hazelnut Salsa highlights the clean taste of fresh dorado fish, amplified just a touch with a minty sweet-pea puree and the tang of the tomato-hazelnut salsa.

The Secret Iberico Rice, however, could well be the previous course’s antithesis. Small as it may appear, this course is a rich one worth savoring, what with its base of Iberico pork-mushroom rice with parmesan, butter, and truffle oil; and slices of Secreto Iberico that’s cooked sous-vide then seared for a perfectly browned exterior and juicy interior. Then comes the star of the night: Grilled Bolzico Beef Tenderloin cooked to the perfect medium-rare doneness, and paired with a burnt-eggplant puree that hugs a wad of confited potato. A dessert of Cream Cheese Ice-Cream, Grilled Strawberries concludes the degustation, bringing to mind a deconstructed Eton mess with its combo of lime-tinged meringue chips, cream, and fruit.

Treasures From the Grill

For more casual occasions with friends and the fam, Samira’s Grill Experience—available as a four-course set menu (P2,995+/head) or ala carte—is just the thing. Nibbles of the savory-sweet Foie Gras and Mango Waffle, classic Chorizo Pintxos with a fried quail egg, and crisp-creamy Bacalao Buñuelos keep you company as you’re seated; all are perfect accompaniments to relishing the Tagaytay breeze, especially with a glass of the White Sangria alongside. Samira keeps things refreshing in the upcoming numbers: Fresh Coconut Ceviche featuring snapper fish, calamansi, coconut, cashews, corn, and cilantro; and the Local Goat Cheese and Tomato Salad using homegrown produce and goat cheese from Silang’s Beata farms.

The highlight of the Grill Experience, of course, are the grilled seafood and meat—and Samira keeps things relatively simple here, with little embellishment to let their natural flavors shine. The Grilled Tiger Prawns, for one, are simply cooked in salt and served with a lemon wedge you can squeeze over for brightness; the Rib Eye, employing USDA Angus beef, is kept perfectly juicy, kept company by sweet-tangy confited bell peppers (as is typical in the Basque Country, we’re told), herb-roasted marble potatoes, and a salad.

Not to be missed is the Charcoal Grilled Maine Lobster. Samira is generous on the garlic here, which is just the thing to amp up the lobster’s subtle sweetness without taking over—especially with buttery, rosemary-tinged roasted potatoes surrounding the crustacean. Go ahead, spoon over some of the accompanying lemon butter sauce for added richness. The kicker, though, is the heady side that is the lobster rice—heck, we wouldn’t mind downing this by the entire bowl. Finally, Gonzalez pays ode to the city in the Tagaytay Pineapple Expressions dessert—which gives torrija (Spanish-style french toast) a tropical twist with grilled Tagaytay pineapple and a pineapple sorbet.

If there’s anything that can keep you going through a seemingly endless work week, it’s the premise of a drive out of Manila come the weekend or the next break. For this, of course, a trip to Samira is well worth bookmarking.

Samira by Chele Gonzalez is at G/F Anya Resort, Buenavista Hills Road, Barangay Mag-Asawang Ilat, Tagaytay City, Cavite. For more information, check out Samira by Chele Gonzalez' Facebook page.

Hey, Spotters! Check us out on Viber to join our Community and subscribe to our Chatbot.