What defines Australian cuisine? It's a daunting question and people who have never been to the Land Down Under may immediately think of Vegemite and Tim Tams. And while those are not exactly wrong answers, it doesn't encapsulate what the country is known for which is really all about fresh, high-quality produce.
Renowned Filipino pastry chef Miko Aspiras is pushing Australian cuisine forward as he partners with Crown Street Kitchen. The Molito restaurant's brand-spanking new menu is a curation of Chef Miko's experience in living and working in Australia as the Executive Pastry Chef at Hilton Sydney.
TRY: Crown Street Kitchen's New Australian Cuisine-Focused Menu by Chef Miko Aspiras
As Aspiras is known for his great baked goods, you will not be disappointed starting off your meal with the Garlic Foccacia (P150). It looks simple and unassuming, but the fireworks start when you take a bite of the Italian bread. Its golden crust drizzled with local honey and dotted with sesame seeds reveals the softest bread with a slight sweetness that goes well with a slather of the whipped ricotta it comes with.
Australian cuisine is all about fresh ingredients, including those from under the sea, so save space for Crown Street Kitchen's new seafood dishes. There's the Aklan Oysters (P360) that's served with mignonette; and the Grilled King Prawns (P750) which are served with salsa rosa, and, interestingly, hummus too. Chef Miko says serving prawns with this creamy umami dip is a common, ordinary thing in Australia.
But the best seafood dish off the menu is their take on the Aussie classic, the Signature Fish & Chips (P680). The batter coating the red snapper was perfectly seasoned and it stayed crisp despite it being on the table for an hour—but of course, it's 1000x better when eaten warm. Just not as soon as it's served on the table, unless you can handle that kind of literal heat.
The fish is served with tartar and cider vinegar, which one wouldn't really need for each forkful. The fish is that fresh that it does not need the added tang anymore, but it can be used sporadically if only to refresh the palate. The chips are hand-cut potato fries that are perfectly seasoned the same way the deep-fried fish is.
For meatier options, Australian cuisine is known for its meat pies. The restaurant's Meat Pie (P480) has juicy ground beef encased in a soft and flaky golden pie crust and is served with peppery gravy, the softest mashed potatoes, and green peas. The Steak Frites (P3,250) is also a great meaty option that puts the spotlight on tender, juicy Australian rib-eye steak that comes with fries, a Bordelaise (wine) sauce, and roasted mushrooms.
The most exciting thing about the new Crown Street Kitchen menu has got to be the desserts, where Chef Miko's talent truly shines the brightest. There are only four: Pavlova (P310), Fairy Bread (P210), Lamington (P290), and the Caramel Slice Mille Feuille (P270). Let's dissect each dessert. Ready?
Start off with the Caramel Slice Mille Feuille—or what we would rather call it, the EGOP: Everything Good in One Plate. This dessert has mille-feuille, caramel flan, crumble (it reminds us of otap), and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce. There's not much flavor layering to this dessert, but the textures are topnotch. It was a medley of silky, creamy, saucy, and crunchy in one bite.
The Fairy Bread spoke to the inner child in us, specifically the ones that loved (and still love) drizzling condensed milk on bread. This dessert is a classier version of it, with soft brioche buns sliced horizontally and stuffed with custard, cream, and colorful sprinkles.
Of course, Lamingtons are part of the Australian dessert menu. Chef Miko upgraded the Australian cake and used layers of moist coconut sponge and then coated it with a dark chocolate ganache. And just when you think it's not coconutty enough, they went nuts with it and topped it with coconut mousse and coconut jam.
On the fruitier side of the dessert menu is the Pavlova—and the scent of its passion fruit is the dead giveaway. The petite cake-sized meringue is topped with chantilly cream and custard that both meld with the dry, stiff meringue. It gets a fruity, tangy punch from the passion fruit, so we do recommend adding just a bit of it in each bite.
Crown Street Kitchen by Chef Miko is a great introduction to Australian cuisine, from appetizers to desserts, and even coffee (recommendation: latte). And what's surprising is that it's reasonably priced for the quality it has. If you find yourself at Molito in Alabang, make sure to drop by and try it for yourself.
Crown Street Kitchen by Chef Miko is located at Molito Lifestyle Center, Madrigal Avenue corner Commerce Avenue, Muntinlupa City. They're open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. Thursday to Saturday.
*This story originally appeared on Spot.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors
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