Must-Try: The Nest at Vivere Hotel Alabang

I've only been to Alabang a few times because I live in Manila. The only times I go to Alabang is to try out restaurants, check out their malls, or go to their annual Christmas bazaar. One of the rare times that I got to visit Alabang again was to try out food at The Nest located at the Vivere Hotel. I was luckily invited by food blogger Aldous of Aldous Ate the World to this food blogger event and I was able to have a taste of some of The Nest's best selling dishes. 

Vivere Hotel: 5102 Bridgeway Avenue Filinvest City, Alabang

Phone: (632) 771-0158

The Nest is located at the topmost floor of Vivere Hotel. Upon entrance to the restaurant, you will see a cozy space for dining, and there's also a newly constructed mini bar where you can order a few drinks. There's also an open area where you can see the nearby surroundings from the roof deck. I think this place is actually ideal for spending Valentine's Day for those couples who are looking for a romantic setting. The place is serene and it's actually perfect for watching the sunset. I wasn't able to catch the sunset during my stay there, but I still found the view very nice in broad daylight.

On to my review of the food! There were a total of 11 dishes served to us which comprised of 2 salads, 2 appetizers, 4 main courses, and 3 desserts. (See complete menu in the picture below).

SALADS

Mango Salad with Scallops (P475)

This is not the conventional type of mix that you would find in a salad. I almost didn't notice that scallops were included in this dish. The scallops were quite large and they were grilled to perfection that I found it really flavorful after one bite. The strawberry vinaigrette sauce also mixed nicely with the salad, along with the feta cheese.

Crispy Catfish Salad (P390)

I would say that this is not your typical type of salad, so I guess that's why this is a best seller here at The Nest. The catfish meat is served in flakes on top of the salad with green mango at the sides. It's quite good if you're a fan of green mango adding a bit of sourness to your salad.

APPETIZERS

Beef Salpicao (P450)

This may be quite a common dish in most restaurants but what we normally look for is the quality of the beef and how tender it is. I can say that this dish passed with flying colors as the beef chunks are really tender. The beef chunks were also cooked and simmered in lots of garlic sauce. The garlic mashed potato at the side is also a good addition to the dish. 

Buffalo Chicken Wings (P380)

The menu says that the wings are hot and spicy, but it didn't taste hot at all for me. I liked the Blue Cheese sauce that came with it as it gave it the much needed flavor.

MAIN COURSES

Crispy Binagoongan (P475)

I really like Lechon Kawali a lot, which I think is not healthy at all haha. This dish of lechon kawali was simmered in shrimp paste (bagoong in Tagalog), tomatoes and chili which gave it the much-needed flavor to make the dish one of the best-sellers in the menu. You will surely feel full and satisfied after eating it with the cup of rice that comes with the dish. There are also some slices of green mango on the side to give you more variation in taste.

Bistro Steak (P1155)

I rarely order steak because of the high prices, but on the occasions that I do get to order steak, I become a food critic because I want to know if I got my money's worth. For this dish, I would say that yes you will get your money's worth because look at the size of that steak (225g of meltique striploin), and so that you'll know, yes the meat is very tender as well. To add to that, there's even a side dish of mashed potatoes and some shredded corn and asparagus included. I loved the mashed potatoes as it's not too mashed and still has small chunks of potatoes in it. With all this included in the dish, I would believe that this dish could be good for sharing between 2 persons.

Pan Grilled Chicken and Garlic Steak (P380)

This dish consists of grilled chicken thigh steaks. The presentation looked good, and the chicken tasted quite nice for me, but there was not any special flavor that could be associated to the chicken except for the taste of the mix of chicken and the garlic chunks when eaten together. Adding the chicken drippings sauce did bring out more taste but could be a bit too salty for some.

Vongole (P310)

The fresh clams were cooked in white wine, olive oil, butter, garlic, and chili. However, the dish tasted a little too bland for me. Maybe it's because I'm not a fan of clams, or maybe the olive oil did not really bring out the taste of the pasta. I would suggest to squeeze the lemon into the pasta to get more of a tangy taste to give it more flavor.

DESSERTS

Frozen Brazo (P220)

Their version of the frozen brazo is one of my favorites. I really liked the frozen vanilla butter flavored ice cream. The meringue on top is also soft and fluffy. The combination of all these ingredients make for a heavenly delight. I will definitely order this again when I come back.

Molten Lava Cake (P220)

My first impression of this dessert when it was served at our table was that this would be the best among the three. However, it was quite the opposite as I found the cake quite dry and kind of bland. Even the molten center did not do it justice. Thank goodness for the salted caramel sauce as it made the dessert more flavorful when mixed together.

Mango Creme Brulee (P220)

I really liked the presentation of this dessert. I had fun taking pictures of it in different angles. The custard was really creamy and the mangoes and caramelized sugar on top added just the right mix to the dessert. The custard wasn't too sweet except when mixed with the caramelized sugar. 

DRINKS

Lemon Grass Iced Tea (P125)

We were all given a glass of lemon grass iced tea during the event. I like the sweet taste as it's house blended and not powdered, definitely a must-try also.

Cappuccino (P135)

After all the eating done, we were given a cup of cappuccino to cap it all off. The piece of cookie was quite sweet and is a good pair with the coffee.

It was a really fun event, and I got to meet and chat with the very young and lovely sister owners. I also got to meet other bloggers as well. I hope you liked my review, and I do hope you get to visit The Nest soon to try out their yummy dishes.

Ciao!

Kat <3