Firing Up New Dishes at Discovery Primea's Flame Restaurant

Since it opened almost two years ago, Flame Restaurant at Discovery Primea continues to surprise and impress...

Flame Restaurant at Discovery Primea blazes through the year's end with a refreshing and innovative selection of inspired new dishes created by Executive Chef Luis Chikiamco. It's another great year at Flame Restaurant, and diners can expect even more flavorful surprises in the coming new year. Read on for a tasty peek at Flame Restaurant's new dishes...

Flame at Discovery Primea fires up flavorful new dishes (for more on Discovery Primea's Flame, see my earlier posts, Igniting The Next Culinary Standard at Discovery Primea's Flame Restaurant on my first visit, Flame Restaurant Fires Up for Lunch for their lunch menu and Power Lunch at Flame, Cocktails at Edge...)...

...reflecting a modern Asian spin created by Executive Chef Luis Chikiamco. Located high up at the 16th Floor, diners can enjoy stunning views of the Makati commercial and business district. It's the perfect setting for an intimate lunch or dinner, and the right spot for a pre-dinner cocktail.

Executive Chef Luis Chikiamco showcases his mastery of modern Asian flavors with new dishes including appetizers, mains and a Dinner Tasting Menu for even more reasons to visit Flame Restaurant. His inventive infusion of distinct Asian notes add layers of vibrant flavors, reinterpreting comfortingly familiar dishes. The sweet and sour, salty and tangy, and mildly spicy undertones are intricately woven in a rich tapestry of exciting and palate-pleasing flavors with his take on modern Asian cuisine. It's this bold approach to flavor that makes Flame Restaurant one of the metro's favorite dining destinations, and the addition of new dishes including a curated Dinner Tasting Menu that's available for the month of December prove that the culinary passions remain lit and constantly re-ignited under the watch of Executive Chef Luis Chikiamco.  

The culinary team at Flame Restaurant prepared our elegant amuse bouche to begin our dinner...

...with delicate and tasty bites of Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese stuffed in lychee and draped in desiccated coconut, Grilled Pineapple with Kung Pao Shrimp Popcorn tossed in XO Sauce, and Tandoori Chicken on crisp papadum chip topped with creamy yogurt dressing, tomato salsa, mango chutney and fresh cilantro. The rich and diverse blend of flavors reflect the Asian-inspired palate of Executive Chef Luis Chikiamco, tempting our own palate with each bite as the next course was served...

The Marlin Ceviche with coconut milk, cilantro, chili and ginger and served with Crunchy Tofu Salad with grilled pineapple, chili, cilantro and red onions drizzled with sharp kung pao vinaigrette are just some of many new dishes that's part of the Dinner Tasting Menu at Flame Restaurant, available until December. Elegantly plated, the tasty duo offers both textural contrast and delicate flavors...

...with the fresh and clean notes of the premium marlin delivering a briny sweetness balanced by the fiery chili and subtle notes of red onions, cilantro and ginger for a perfect start to our dinner at Flame Restaurant.

The modern and innovative style at Flame Restaurant are highlighted once more in the second course, the Tuna Yukhoe Tacos (P 420) with gochujang, carrots, red onions, cabbage and soy-honey vinaigrette. Served on bamboo, it's one of those dishes that not only looks good, it tastes good too. The tasty hand-held bites deliver a rich blend of fresh flavors, first feeding the eyes before the palate. Each note comes together in a perfectly balanced and seamless blend, but there's more...

The Josper Grilled U.S. Chicken Wings (P 420) laid on togarashi waffles, charred leeks, garlic chips and spring onions drizzled with sweet teriyaki sauce draws inspiration from the classic American chicken waffle but Executive Chef Luis Chikiamco adds an Asian flair to this all-time favorite. And it works. Delicately grilled, the chicken wings are juicy with its subtle notes kicked up by the sweet teriyaki sauce pairing well with the togarashi waffles.

A personal favorite, no dinner at Flame Restaurant is complete without their signature Seared Wagyu Beef Cubes (P 450) with garlic, scallions, Madeira-mirin glaze and applewood smoke. The presentation of the dish is an experience in itself, infused with applewood smoke releasing a fragrant aroma. There's just nothing quite like fork-tender Wagyu beef, and Flame Restaurant's Seared Wagyu Beef Cubes remains high up there on my list of favorites along with their Chili Lobster Spaghetti and Foie Gras Chawanmushi.

For the next course, Executive Chef Luis Chikiamco unveils a rich and flavorful surprise with a soup dish. But it's not just any soup dish. The familiar becomes new and exciting as Executive Chef Luis Chikiamco adds an indulgent yet playful twist to a comforting local dish...

The Foie Gras Sinigang is unlike anything I've tried, totally unexpected yet all the contrasting notes work so well together with each ingredient delivering its unique notes without overpowering the other from the richness of the melt-in-your-mouth foie gras to the tart and vibrantly sour hints of the broth capped by the sweetness of the fresh vegetables. I'll probably never look at the usual sinigang in the same way again. 

The Crispy Pork Belly (P 760) with eggplant, ground pork, tofu, tomatoes, and hot bean paste combines the sharpness of mapo tofu with juicy pork belly and its crisp outer layer of crackling for another new flavor experience. The savory richness of the crisp pork belly is tempered by the sharpness of the hot bean paste, and perfectly finished by the savory finely minced pork, tofu and tomatoes. You'll want a bowl of steamed white rice with this dish.

The Grilled U.S. Beef Short Ribs with crispy garlic, sesame seeds, leeks, mushrooms and dashi gohan is another new dish that's part of the Dinner Tasting Menu infused with sharp Japanese-inspired notes...

...while the Pan-Seared Black Bass (P 680) with spinach, water chestnuts, candied walnuts, coconut masala and Asian gremolata is an excellent choice for a light, healthy yet tasty option. Both dishes offer tasteful infusions of Asian-inspired flavors, each one masterfully executed.

Craving for more beef? The A-5 Wagyu Beef Claypot (P 1,800) should satisfy any serious beef cravings with dashi-gohan, fresh carrots, crisp French beans, nutty shimeji and shiitake mushrooms draped in tare sauce. A one-pot dish and a meal in itself, this one's another personal favorite. 

The Crispy Crab Claws with black beans, ginger, bell peppers, vermicelli and egg floss is another new dish that's part of the Dinner Tasting Menu adding a festive vibe to your dining experience at Flame Restaurant. The fresh, clean and briny notes of the succulent crab is absorbed by the soft vermicelli noodles releasing a burst of flavors. Hearty and comforting, you'll definitely go for seconds with this dish.

Our dinner continues with another signature favorite at Flame Restaurant, with the Take-Out Lobster Fried Rice (P 920) with spiny lobster, free-range egg, Chorizo Macau and char siu pork...

...and the Crispy Chicken (P 650) with crunchy noodles, mandarin oranges, chives and radicchio drizzled with a tangy citrus vinaigrette for another memorable dining experience at Flame Restaurant. Signature dishes and new offerings, old and new favorites, the flavors of modern Asian cuisine is celebrated at Flame Restaurant.

A lavish and indulgent dessert of Spiced Chocolate Tart (also part of Flame Restaurant's new Dinner Tasting Menu) with hazelnut snow, ginger bread crumble, vanilla ice cream and candied orange and Cheese Tart (P 360) with Quezo de Bola "air", condensada creameaux and vanilla ice cream caps our dinner at Flame Restaurant for another perfect sweet ending. Rediscover your old favorites or experience new flavors at Discovery Primea's Flame Restaurant, and re-ignite your appetite for modern Asian cuisine.

Flame is located at the 16th Floor of Discovery Primea, 6749 Ayala Avenue, Makati City or call (632) 955-8888 local 71610 for reservations and inquiries.

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