First Bite: Privatus Dining by Radical Culinary Inc.

The term fine dining never fails to scare my wallet as it always sounds so expensive. But I was proven wrong by a few establishments, one of which is Privatus Dining by Radical Culinary Inc. I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to go to this restaurant as the location seems to be a bit off from the usual roads I take. But reading the beautiful write up of Esquire about this foodie destination made me think otherwise and soon, I found myself in front of the restaurant (which happens to be very easy to spot as long as you have your Waze on). 

Hello, Privatus Dining.

Located at the second floor of EMPro compound, we were greeted by sophisticated modern industrial interiors enveloped by warm yellow lights.

We were quickly assisted to our table and were given some welcome drinks called Espuma & Berries. 

I loved the fizz I get from each sip and I enjoyed munching on the strawberry and blueberry bits.  

After a quick chitchat with some of our foodie friends, the crowd favorite Squash Blossoms (PHP180) was served and soon followed by Sisig Croquetas. 

I absolutely loved Squash Blossoms which had seafood mousse and uni mayo. Its crunchy batter gave a nice contrast against the soft squash. The seafood mousse and uni mayo gave the appetizer more character and made everyone yearn for more. 

Sisig Croquetas with chili mayo was pretty good too. With the sisig stuffing in béchamel sauce, prepare your tastebuds for a splash of flavors. 

Next on the menu was Shrimp & Singkamas (PHP350) as our salad. 

This lovely plate of bundled shrimps wrapped in cabbage sitting on a pool of aligue sauce with turnip on the side was nothing short of brilliant. It was pure bliss munching on this dish. I loved the crunch of the cabbage and the snap of fresh shrimps. Though T commented that the aligue sauce could be a bit stronger, I like it as is as I prefer the dish before my mains to have lighter flavor. 

Inasal Stew (PHP450), one of the two mains served that night, made such an impression when it masked the whole place with its fragrant pandan leaves. 

The sous vide chicken was cooked beautifully. The succulent white meat and flavorful brown chicken skin were complemented by mushrooms, onions and tomato chunks. Though it doesn’t exactly give the usual grilled chicken inasal taste (and instead something a bit more Chinese), it was still stellar in my book. Don’t skip the stew as its slight tangy taste is also a treat to the tastebuds!

But the spotlight was on Local Wagyu (PHP950) which was paired with glazed onions and pickled cauliflower. 

The local wagyu from Bukidnon had a nice beefy taste which other wagyu do not have. However, since our local meat are used to walking around, these meat chunks are tougher than the ones sourced from places like Japan. 

Though it was great taste-wise, I think it would have been better with garlic. 

Before indulging in some sweet treats, we were given some tequila shots cleanse the palate. And I loved how the sugared lemon made the shot a lot sweeter. 

For desserts, we were given Strawberry Shortcake and Fried Ice Cream (PHP200). 

The Strawberry Shortcake which was a combination of spongecake, strawberry mousse and chocolate with strawberry sorbet on the side was a tangy treat. I was warned by one of the chefs about it as they only use locally sourced ingredients to make their dishes hence the strawberry sorbet may be a bit sour. And true enough, this dish served more as another palate cleanser than dessert, except the chocolate dome. 

Then again, foodies addicted to sour candies would love this!

The Fried Ice Cream (which I misheard as fried rice) was superb! I loved the rich taste of sweet mango ice cream and combining it with crisp fried sweet potato strips. 

The different textures and flavors were just too heavenly and made me smile from ear to ear. 

We capped the night with some bubbly and cheered for a fruitful 2017. How’s that for a memorable dinner?

Thank you Mark Marquez, Chef AJ Reyes and Mikaira for the fantastic dinner!

P.S. Privatus will have a special Valentine’s menu which they do not want to reveal to anyone yet. Make sure you get updated by following them thru their Instagram and Facebook pages. 

Privatus Dining is located at 8 F. Legaspi St. Barangay Maybunga, Pasig City. Privatus is located every Tuesdays to Sundays from 4 pm to 10 pm. 12 noon to 4 pm is strictly for reservations only. You may contact them at +639 98 590 0996 or at (02) 532 7511. You may also email them at reservations-privatus@radicalculinaryinc.com or at inquiries@radicalculinaryinc.com.