In preparation for the Cupcake’s birthday last October 1, I wanted to make sure he had the best birthday ever! This required smooth planning of a surprise party to be held at his house a couple of days after (which involved coordination with his brothers and parents, who went all out to help—and who actually made the planning much smoother and easier), a cute birthday gift (care of Jay C.
Designs), and a surprise dinner from yours truly!Now the Cupcake is used to having dinner every year with his family, no matter what day of the week his birthday falls on. This year, it fell on a Wednesday, and Baby Cheng had class—which was the perfect excuse to postpone their family dinner, and surprise him two days later at home. To divert his attention as far away from a surprise party (aside from making up an elaborate story with his Kuya that he would be getting me as a panel for his students’ mock defense, and needed to brief me that Friday evening), I scheduled a surprise birthday dinner that Wednesday for us two instead.
Being familiar with all the restaurants in Bonifacio Global City, I researched thoroughly on a restaurant that we both haven’t tried yet—and one he wouldn’t be able to guess. Some of my favorite restaurants in the city include The Goose Station, 2nd’s, Larry’s, and Stacy’s—which meant I had to cross these off, otherwise I would be too predictable. Then as I was reading through food blogs, I came across a review by Spot.ph on Vyne: a tapas bar and restaurant at the Fort! Though I’m not a big fan of Spot.ph (mainly because every time they review a restaurant and I try it, I get disappointed) I was willing to make an exception this time—but only because I discovered one of Vyne’s chefs is Rob Pengson, the chef-owner of The Goose Station!
Vyne is located in W Global Building, right beside known club, Hyve. I was looking for a quiet yet casual restaurant that still set a romantic mood—and Vyne was able to offer this ambiance. Promising a wide variety of delicious tapas and world fusion cuisine, it took us a good ten minutes to read through their menu and wine selections.
Chef Rob Pengson describes the concept of the restaurant as a freestyle tapas bar combined with creative food, to go with drinking wine. The distinctive interiors truly encapsulate their style. We ordered four dishes: Thai Scallops (Php 300), Mini Crab Cakes (Php 380), Chicken Roulade (Php 420), and Pork Confit (Php 490).
Though Vyne’s dishes aren’t at par with The Goose Station’s in terms of price and quality (they’re two completely different restaurants after all), I quite enjoyed the Pork Confit—it was tender and flavorful enough even without the roasted carrot puree. The Thai Scallops, though slightly spicy, complemented my red wine well.
My first few bites of the Chicken Roulade was pleasant but the more I ate the dish, the more it tasted bland—perhaps because I finished the mushroom ragout right away.
It was an endearing experience having dined at Vyne, which the Cupcake and I can add to our list of wine places to visit again. If you’re not a party person and prefer a more chill vibe when it comes to drinking, I would suggest trying out Vyne with your friends. The prices and alcohol selections will cater to anyone in your group.
For table reservations and other inquiries, you can contact 09175530197.