Little getaway from Manila: Vieux Chalet, Antipolo

February 11, 2012 - Vieux Chalet, Antipolo

Looking for a romantic date place outside of Manila? This blog post is for you.

It was a weekend before Valentine's day when LJ and I decided to have an early V-day celebration instead of joining everyone on the 14th. Valentine's day fell on a Tuesday, so traffic was inevitable and all the restaurants would be fully booked as well. I suggested that LJ and I drive up to Antipolo to try out a restaurant that I've been hearing about for years. It's called Vieux Chalet, a swiss themed restaurant tucked in a small village in Antipolo, Rizal. LJ was hesitant at first because of the drive up, plus we weren't even sure where exactly this place was. After much research on the internet about this place, we decided to go on a mini adventure up Antipolo!

It wasn't all perfect going to the restaurant because of the heavy traffic. Marcos highway is the usual area where traffic builds up going up to Antipolo. It also didn't help that LJ and I just had the landmarks on where to turn. Our eyes were glued to the streets looking for the small gated subdivision where we will enter. After what seemed to be like a long drive from Pasig, we made it! Travel time from Shaw Blvd was an hour and a half.

We made it!

Vieux Chalet is a small restaurant with an open air dining area. It has a homey "shabby sheek" feel to it.

The ambiance was so perfect for a night quiet romantic dinner for two. The Manila skyline was a perfect backdrop!

Here's what we ordered:

To start off, we each had a glass of their house red wine. Too bad we didn't get to ask what kind of wine it was.

GARDEN SALAD WITH FETA CHEESE AND BALSAMIC VINIGARETTE - This is a simple and fresh salad. Only the freshest ingredients used.

POTATO PUMPKIN AND BASIL SOUP - I was expecting this soup to be thick since the usual pumpkin soups are this way. Though the soup may be thin, it was full of flavor and I liked the potatoes rather than croutons to add a little crunch.

BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH SAUCE CAFE DE PARIS - LJ had this main course and being the meat lover that he is, he enjoyed this so much. The cafe de paris sauce is made out of butter with different herbs which made the meat even more delicious. Soft, tender and cooked medium well!

LAMB SHOULDER WITH RED WINE SAUCE AND ROSTI - The lamb was tender but some parts were a bit tough. I ate all of it still because the red wine sauce was rich and sweet. Under the meat was a potato pancake called a rosti, perfect side dish and a nice change from the usual mashed potatoes.

QUARK CAKE WITH MANGO SAUCE - We didn't know what Quark was until this day. Quark is a type of swiss cheese that they made into cheesecake! It isn't as rich as a New York Cheesecake but equally good. It's a lighter version of the American favorite cake. Since it's not too sweet, the mango sauce and caramel sauce was a great combination to this cake. (Side note: I love the table cloth!! Vintage florals!)

Cool weather, good food and amazing view!

It was a very lovely evening! We took our time eating the food, talked and took in the wonderful view and fresh cool air. Definitely a place where you should bring your loved one for a special date. :)

For more information visit:

http://www.vieuxchaletswissrestaurant.com