French and Japanese Elements Intertwine at This Elegant Dining Spot in BGC

Prologue d’Fined  
G/F MITSUKOSHI BGC, 8th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City 
Contact: 0927-322-5052
Facebook: www.facebook.com/prologue.ph  
Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Sunday 

(SPOT.ph) MITSUKOSHI BGC continues to prove to be a destination mall for the food-inclined. Though many of its dining spots go Asian or Japanese in theme (for obvious reasons), one recently opened spot from the folks of Prologue breathes French flair into their lineup—and makes for a great date spot too. You'll want to come in for the luxe-meets-casual feel and stay for the excellent food at Prologue d'Fined.

Also read: 
Here's Your Definitive Guide to Restaurants at Mitsukoshi BGC

Here's what to try at Prologue d'Fined, the new MITSUKOSHI restaurant in BGC:

Walking into the restaurant, one is treated to warm white interiors and a glimpse of the open kitchen. There are natural touches of lush greenery, with an indoor tree to soften the space and bring the outside in. The natural light that bathes the interiors from the big glass door at the back of the restaurant immediately lends a sophistication to the restaurant's mood—without it being stuffy.

But the food is truly the star of the show, thanks to their use of high-quality ingredients. Start off your meal with appetizers that go beyond the usual fare, like the Hokkaido Octopus (P580). Here, fresh and tender sashimi-grade octopus leg enhanced with Paprika mousse, grilled veggies and an addictive olive crumble.  

For a refreshing bite, the Tasmanian Salmon (P780) will keep the taste buds hooked as it features home-cured, house-smoked Tasmanian salmo. It's accompanied yuzu-pickled cauliflower, beetroot, and radish for that tart zing—plus yogurt mousse for creaminess, and ikura (salmon roe) that bursts with the flavors of the ocean with every juicy bite.  

One of the house favorites for appetizers is the Pumpkin Flower Tempura (P480). Here, the blossoms are stuffed with scallop and shrimp mousse before being deep-fried to a crisp, then served with Padrón peppers and a turmeric aioli dip. These special bright green peppers from Spain are commonly served as bar snacks because of their addicting sweet and mildly hot, slightly smoky taste. 

 If you’re a soup-and-salad kind of diner, treat yourself to a luxurious bowl of Mushroom Cappuccino (P520). This rich starter has mushroom duxelles and scallions, plus the pièce de resistance: house-made raviolis filled with foie gras—which takes the usual mushroom soup to decadent heights. Order this and say merci beaucoup right after. 

From the French-inspired soup, take a little side trip to Italy with the refreshing Burrata Salad (P980). Creamy meets refreshing here as it's got sweet mango cubes, juicy cherry tomatoes, and a refreshing vanilla passionfruit dressing. 

Like Prologue branches, Prologue d’Fined also features similarly pizza and pasta dishes—and arguably high-caliber versions of them. The Beef Garganelli (P680) pairs garganelli—an egg pasta from Emilia-Romagna in Italy—with the classic French dish of beef bourguignon (“of Bourgogne/Burgundy,” referring to the eastern French region between Lyon and Paris best known for its wine). The sauce is made  sumptuous with collagen-rich beef cheek (joues de boeuf) and served with mushroom, a tomato cream foam, and tomato crisp. There’s a reason why this rich and hearty pasta dish is a favorite.    

For adventurous pasta lovers who want to go down the road less traveled, another heavily requested dish for regular diners is the Tarako Spaghetti (P750)—a beloved noodle dish in Japan. The spaghetti is made with tarako (salted Alaska pollock roe) cream, shrimp, shirauo (Japanese anchovy or ice fish), aonori (dried finely chopped Japanese seaweed), ikura (salmon roe), nori, and rice crackers. Each spoonful of this briny Japanese noodle dish lets the clean ocean flavor of the mixed roe and assorted seafood shine through, enhanced by the delicate seaweed. For frequent travelers to Japan, having this popular noodle dish in Prologue d’Fined may just be a way to bring Japan closer to home.   

You can’t miss the beautiful brick oven on display in the restaurant's open kitchen. This beauty is where all the pizzas are baked fresh and the Prosciutto di San Daniele Rucola (P950) is one of them. The prosciutto used for the pizza comes from San Daniele del Friuli, in the province of Udine in Italy. Compared to the more commonly known prosciutto di Parma, the San Daniele version is sweeter—which lends each pizza slice a fresh taste.

For mains, there’s a variety to choose from with whatever’s on your mind for your food trip of choice. For seafood lovers, the Jade Perch Aqua Pazzo (P980) features Jade perch, a fish variety originally found in the Barcoo River of Central Australia and now grown and harvested from Prologue’s own local farms here in the Philippines. Prologue d'Fined gives the fish (plus other shellfish) the classic Italian aqua pazzo ("crazy water") treatment, their way, as they're poached in a broth of dashi, paprika, tomatoes, onions, and fennel, then served in a special bag used for poaching. The result? Firm, flaky flesh, with a touch of broth that's best sopped up with Prologue d'Fined's freshly baked bread.  

For a date-worthy poultry dish, the French Duck Breast (P2,200) has your back. It uses duck breast cut from female Barbarry ducks (hence the French name Canette over its male counterpart, Canard); it's smaller, less fatty, and has none of the gaminess normally associated with duck dishes. The classic red-wine based Bordelaise sauce is the perfect complement for the succulent bird.

For steak lovers, Prologue d’Fined has only the very best and highest ranking Japanese A5 Beef (P3,200) from the Oita prefecture, a region located on the island of Kyushu and known for producing one of the best varieties of Wagyu beef. Its high fat content makes for a literally melt in-your-mouth moment, the signature sign of true premium Wagyu. Finished with wasabi, bagna càuda (an Italian anchovy-based dipping sauce), tamari, and grilled mushrooms, the dish pretty much delivers heaven in every forkful.  

For a sweet ending to your gastronomic adventure, there are four special desserts to choose from. The French-style apple tart, the Tarte Tatin (P280), with caramelized apples, salted caramel, and vanilla ice cream is bound to take you back to your favorite childhood dessert memories of yore. Meanwhile, the Baked Cheesecake (P280) is Prologue d’Fined’s ultra-lush take with custard cream, fromage blanc sorbet, and cacao crumble giving each mouthful an oomph of rich flavor.  

On the more offbeat, the Matcha Tiramisu (P280) takes diners straight to Japan, with hojicha (finely ground roasted Japanese green tea variant) making for a roasted aroma and nutty flavor against the creamy mascarpone. The dessert is daintily decorated with a matcha tuile wafer.

And for those who can't have a meal without chocolate, the Chocolate Mousse (P380) uses high-quality chocolate from the esteemed chocolatier Michel Cluizel. Adding fruitiness to the mix are strawberries and a raspberry sorbet, while vacherin (cow’s milk cheese) ups the richness of the mix. The smooth white chocolate is a match made in heaven with the raspberry sorbet and each bite brings one to immediate chocolate nirvana.   

Prologue d’Fined clearly brings together some of the best ingredients from all over the world and uses them in fine-dining caliber dishes, served in a casual and comfortable space that makes everyone feel welcome. The beginning of a diner’s meal always starts with a memorable prologue to introduce what is to come, and this d'Fined version (get it?) takes this to heart with each and every dish. 

Photos by Kai Huang

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