Our Early Valentine’s Day Dinner Date at Restaurant Tapenade

When it comes to dinner dates, the Cupcake and I have our staple places already. It all depends on the occasion, our mood, or flow of traffic in Makati. Haha! When it’s extra traffic, we usually end up in Greenbelt where Bulgogi Brothers or Torch are our usual options. On Fridays, we usually head to Powerplant Mall and choose from Sunrise Buckets, Press Cafe, or Ippudo. And on days when traffic isn’t so bad, we drive all the way to Greenhills for Omakase. When it’s a more special occasion like a birthday or anniversary, there’s Smith Butcher and Grill Room or Stockton Place. Our restaurant choices have become very predictable, to be honest. And we actually don’t mind—because these are tried and tested restaurants that we know will never fail us.

This year, however, we decided to explore a little. We were both saying how there are so many other good options in Makati that we have yet to try—so maybe it’s about time we try something new! Two nights before our monthsary (February 13), I checked Zomato and looked through different fine dining restaurants near our offices. We then agreed on Restaurant Tapenade, located inside Discovery Primea. The Cupcake made reservations, and the night before Valentine’s Day, we decided to have our date!

When we got to the restaurant, we were actually expecting it to have more guests since it was the day before Valentine’s Day. But to our luck, it wasn’t full! We both really liked the warm ambiance of the place, too. It wasn’t as intimidating as other darker restaurants where the lights tend to be dim, and instead of classical music, there was a live jazz band playing! It definitely set the mood for a fun and relaxed evening.

We ordered and shared their Cebu Bay Scallops Al Ajillo and Toast (P390) for our appetizer, Greek Shrimp Rissoni (P620) and Porcini Rib Eye (P4,200) for our main course, and a glass of Merlot each. You can view their full menu here.

Everything was delicious, but what I can’t forget is the Porcini Rib Eye. It was a melt-in-your-mouth kind of goodness, and I love that it was topped with arugula to balance the salt and pepper flavor. It was also a good thing that we ordered a tomato-based dish (Greek Shrimp Rissoni) to complement it, and to break the taste of the steak every once in a while.

I think we ordered just right for us two—we had no leftovers even though the servings were quite generous. And we definitely don’t regret not going for our staple restaurants, because we enjoyed dining in Restaurant Tapenade!

Slightly off topic but today, Valentine’s Day, the Cupcake and I didn’t make plans of going out anymore. He did, however, surprise me in the office during lunch break. I was busy eating with my colleagues when a bouquet of red roses was delivered for me—but it didn’t come with a note. My office mates were teasing that maybe it wasn’t even the Cupcake that sent it, but after a few minutes, he arrived with a huge smile on his face! So yeah, that’s how we spent Valentine’s Day this year. What about you guys? Do share your Valentine’s Day stories in the comments!

During his surprise visit, my office mates were jokingly asking Cayo to buy them chicharon bulaklak, and since there was none in our area, he got them chicharon instead. Hahaha! And yes, the Cupcake really needs to cut his hair already. I keep telling him!

Flowers from Petals and Peonies

Our Early Valentine’s Day Dinner Date at Restaurant Tapenade