Planet Grapes is one of Shangri La's best kept secrets. This dimly-lit wine bar has an extensive sampler of the world's best wines in the comfort of their own cellar.
However, the place shouldn't only be known for wine. It has its own delectable selection of comfort food and other intercontinental dishes which effectively complement the wine.
Our Zomato Foodie Meetup here was in essence a wine tasting event coupled with a sampler of their flagship dishes.
Their wines were served by the bottle or through their state-of-the-art dispensers. A customer can order a glass which can be full, half-full, or in sips. Their most ordered wines are usually stationed here.
We first had a sampler of the Riesling. It was a variant of white wine with a stony, mineral-like flavor. This is usually drunk to rinse the palate before eating.
We were served with a helping of their classy street food dishes. This one is the BBSM or Baboy, Bagoong, Singkamas, at Mangga. It cost Php 290. The Pork was sauteed with Bagoong (dried shrimp sauce), tomatoes, chili, and garlic. A pungent and tasty flavor emanated from it due to the presence of the Bagoong. It paired well with the unripe mangoes and its sour flavor.
Our foray into sour and spicy territory was cut short by another offering from their street food menu. This was the Cheese Fondue with Puto Calasiao. It was the classic puto dish save for its unconventional sauce: a mix of expensive cheeses melted into a fondue. This rich, sweet dish truly balanced out the spicy flavors we had earlier. The Php 545 price tag was quite steep though.
The Squid Balls and Curry (Php 245) was composed of the classic Pinoy style squid balls albeit with curry sauce. This was quite tangy due to the peppery taste of the curry.
The Sotong Goreng Php 230, was a plate full of glazed, fried squid. The glaze was composed of honey and soy sauce. It had leafy toppings such as lemongrass and kafir lime leaves. The dish was quite sweet with a peculiar leafy flavor due to the mix of leaves.
As a form of intermission, we had another variant of white wine. This one had a lighter taste compared to the Riesling,
Some of their sides included garlic rice and mashed potato. The latter was thick and rich with flavor. It definitely was an excellent complement to the meat dishes.
The Grilled Porkchop Php 390, was the first in the main course meals to come. It was a helping of grilled pork grilled then garnished with vegetables. It was made medium well. This one was a perfect accompaniment to the red wines. Its rich, smoky flavor balanced out the fine bitterness of the drink.
The Spaghetini with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce (Php 365) was one of their two pasta selections. It was a helping of spaghetti topped with Cheese sauce. The sauce itself was composed of multiple variants of cheeses. Every bite was truly cheesy and creamy as I preferred.
The Roast Chicken Dinner (Php 575), was the largest chicken dish in their main courses. The chicken was oven baked in a special marinade. The process usually takes overnight. One can truly see the meticulous preparation done for this dish because of the tenderness of the meat and the flavorful marinade.
The BBQ Spareribs (Php 690) was comprised of fall-off-the-bone pork ribs baked in a sweet barbecue sauce. I must say that I enjoyed this the most. The meat can easily be separated from the bone without any hassle. Plus, the meat itself was tender.
For dessert, we had the Sapin-Sapin in Salted Egg Sauce (Php 215). This dish is one of the more unique iterations of salted egg as a dessert. I enjoyed the salted egg sauce here for its unique taste.
The Turon Trilogy, at Php 165, was a slab of Turon on Langka sauce. It had an overload of sweetness. The Langka sauce had this creamy texture. The Turon was freshly baked and was aromatic too.
For an exciting foray, visit Planet Grapes. It is located in Ground Level, High Street Park, Shangri-La at the Fort, 30th Street Corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
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