Shangri-La at the Fort opened its doors to the public last March 1, 2016. Currently, it has two outlets, which are High Street Lounge and High Street Cafe. But in a few weeks, Canton Road, their Chinese restaurant will be opening as well. Following that is their steakhouse, the Raging Bull, and finally, Samba, which will be offering South American/Peruvian dishes.
The High Street Lounge is a chic yet relaxing space where one can enjoy a variety of drinks, from afternoon tea to alcoholic beverages, accompanied by the sound of smooth jazz music. During the day, natural light brightens the entire room through its floor-to-ceiling windows. At night, it exudes a cozier, more romantic atmosphere perfect for nights when you just want to lay back and chill.
The night began with some drinks created personally by the head mixologist, Ulysse Jouanneaud. He even gave us the background on each gin, like how Monkey 47 uses 47 botanicals, and Brooklyn is made in small batches - about 200 to 300 liters per batch - compared to others which are made 8,000 liters at a time.
He also educated us on which garnishes go well with the drinks. For Portobello Road No. 171, it's star anise and galangal. For Botanist, it's basil and strawberry. I personally got to try the latter, and it was really good. I had asked Ulysse pick for me because, to be honest, I wasn't familiar with any of them. The Botanist tasted very light and mellow, and since I'm not a big drinker, it was perfect! It's actually the type of drink I would order when I'm out with friends.
I appreciate how Ulysse took the time to talk about each gin. Most if not all of the gins that High Street Lounge offers aren't readily available in the market. They get it from places like Scotland, London, and Germany, so if you want to get a taste of these, better drop by Shangri-La at the Fort soon!
The High Street Lounge is not just about the drinks though. They actually offer delectable dishes that can go well with their assortment of beverages, and we got to try some of them!
Croquettas (P425) - This really set the bar for me. Made from fontina cheese, mushrooms, and foie gras, these Croquettas are easily my favorite dish of the night! I honestly love mushrooms in anything, but the fact that it was actually creamy on the inside made all the difference. Other croquettes come out dry and need to be paired with some kind of dipping sauce, but this one is perfect the way it is. It's also interesting how they decided to add some mangoes in there because it gives the dish a more vibrant look - not to mention mangoes are one of my favorite fruits!
Crispy Duck Spring Rolls (P475) - These spring rolls reminded me so much of the two-way Peking duck in Chinese restaurants. But here, it's already wrapped and prepared for you, so all you got to do is bite into it. For this, they made use of a rice-based wrapper and stuffed it with generous amounts of crispy roasted duck, plum sauce, cucumber, and spring onions. I'n glad they put in a good balance of each of the ingredients and just the right amount of sauce, so it wasn't too overwhelming.
Prawns Manila Escabeche (P525) - This combination of roasted prawns, garlic, chili, turmeric, and pickled vegetables on flour tortilla disk was one of the dishes that really stood out for me because of its slightly sour flavor. If you didn't know, escabeche (Spanish word for pickle) is a style of cooking where fish, meat, prawns, or vegetables are marinated in a vinegary/acidic mixture. It can get a bit messy though, so be careful when eating it, and try not to let it get on your clothes!
The Board (P980) - Now for the most talked about dish of the night! The Board is a mix of Salami Milano, Spanish Iberico ham, smoked duck breast, manchego, St. Nectaire Camembert, and toasted farmer’s bread. Honestly, I don't eat platters like this often, but wow, what a way to start, right?
So, I, being the naturally curious person that I am, went online to find out what's so special about the items included in The Board. I found out that the Iberico Ham is the finest ham in the world. Just the process of curing the meat takes three years! Imagine that! The Salami Milano, on the other hand, is one of the most well-known Italian salami and is usually seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic. Shangri-La's High Street Lounge serves only the most exquisite items, and The Board is the perfect dish to show that.
Tataki of Yellow Fin Tuna Loin (P650) - Tataki is the method of cooking meat or fish briefly over a hot flame or pan. Here, the yellowfin is seared on the outside and left raw in the middle. It is then served with sesame seeds crust, beansprouts, cucumber salad, ginger soy vinaigrette, and grissini. This yellowfin is honestly one of, if not, the freshest tuna I have ever eaten. It doesn't have that overwhelming fishy taste either. Everything was on point, up to the grissini (breadsticks).
Teriyaki Glazed Glacier 51 (P575) Glacier 51, also known as Patagonian toothfish, is one of the world's most sought after fish. Apparently, it can only be found in the Australian sub-Antarctic territory around Heard Island (4,109km from mainland Australia). On the southern tip of this spectacular geographical feature, Glacier 51 (Fiftyone Glacier), which pours into the surrounding treacherous icy waters creating the ideal environment for the highly prized toothfish found patrolling the underwater volcanic crevices 2,000 meters below sea level. (source)
I know, I know, I could've just said that it's really difficult to acquire, but then you wouldn't have understood just how difficult.
The Teriyaki-Glazed Glacier 51 is served with grilled Patagonian toothfish topped with green soybeans and orange segments, then glazed in teriyaki sauce. The fish is soft and tender, almost melts in your mouth. The dish itself is a mix of sweet, salty, and sour, so make sure to get everything all in one bite!
Bruschetta (P450) - I didn't expect to like this so much since it's just bread. Bruschetta isn't as unique as the other dishes that we were served, but even this was exemplary. I'd have to admit though, I only ate the toppings since I was already feeling full, but that small first bite I took packed a whole lot of flavor! If you're wondering what's in it, it's buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, crispy prosciutto, and basil oil.
The entire time we were eating, we were drinking as well. We were served various alcoholic beverages - some even off the menu - which we extremely enjoyed with the appetizers.
We capped the night with the Singapore Sling. This classic cocktail consists of eight items namely Hendrick's Gin, Peter Heering cherry liqueur, Dom Benedictine, Cointreau, Fresh Lime, Pineapple, Grenadine, and Angostura Bitters.
Thank you so much to everyone at Shangri-La at the Fort for the warm welcome! I'll see you soon! :)
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