Old Vine: From the Ground Up

Old Vine is one of the new restaurants that line the Eastwood Mall Veranda.

A dishwasher and a bus boy – these were the humble origins of Mau Arjona and Larry Cortez, the two people behind the widely successful restaurant chain, Chef’s Quarters. Now, they’ve put up shop in the new Eastwood Mall where their pride and joy, the Old Vine is now enchanting diners from all corners of the metro with their cozy interiors and inexpensive but killer menu.

Up from Under

To a lot of foodies out there, Old Vine may seem to have come up from nowhere. According to Chef Mau and Larry, it took them only a month to build the restaurant from the ground up. But it isn’t because they’re used to doing anything haphazardly. “With more than 20 years in the business, we think we have the process down pat”, said Larry. “The bulk of our time is actually spent planning. Something we picked up from the Japanese.”

Chef Mau got into the restaurant industry in 1986 when he was hired as a dishwasher in Mongolian Court in Greenhills. After three years, he got his career break and became Chef Ed Quimson’s assistant in his restaurant in Makati, La Crème. This is where he met his soon to be partner, Larry Cortez. They both went to the Truffles restaurant of Chef Billy King then to Le Souffle in 1991. It is in Le Souffle that they were able to learn all the tricks of the trade from one of the best in the business. In 2006 they separated with Chef King and put up their restaurant, Duo. Three more restaurants followed (Chefs’ Quarter in Megamall and Robinsons Place Ermita and Old Vine) and so far, they have no plans of slowing down.

Food from the Roots

Admittedly, the pair says that they don’t serve 100% local food in their restaurants. This is because they do not claim to operate Filipino restaurants. When asked to describe the cuisine served in their restaurants, Chef Mau wholeheartedly answered that they definitely serve Continental fare. But according to the duo, what sets them apart is their drive to find ways to incorporate local produce in high-end items found on their menu. A prime example of this would be their Escargot & Mushroom (P295). In essence, caviar is a French dish that is made up of escargot. Our local version would be kuhol, usually served with coconut milk. At Old Vine, they replaced the ordinary snail with our native kuhol, cooked in parsley garlic butter with herb croutons. It tastes just as good, no need to fly in ingredients that aren’t available in local stores.

Aside from their rendition of escargot, their Fresh Salmon Carpaccio is also equally surprising. Chef Mau has managed to rid the dish of any fishy aftertaste. This is definitely an indication that they’ve got the curing technique down pat.

But meat is probably one of the reasons why so many people patronize the Chefs’ Quarters restaurants. A variety of steaks can be found on their menu which are surprisingly priced way below average. A usual steak place can charge up to P1,000 for a decent hunk of meat. At Old Vine, steaks that go under P500 are not a rarity. Take for example, the Chefs’ Quarter Steak (P395), a six-ounce U.S. beef top blade marinated in a secret sauce with potato vegetable compote and garlic-parsley butter. The texture of the meat is just right – not too soft but not too tough. The garlic-parsley butter also gives it a savory finish.

The Uncle Cheffy Steak which is good for three to four people, is also a heavy contender. At P2,000, you get a 20- ounce roasted U.S. rib-eye steak, drizzled with bearnaise and wild mushroom sauce and served with grilled garden vegetables and potatoes on the side. The sauce has a touch of sourness that helps balance the heaviness of the steak. If you’re more of a rib person, their Braised and Grilled US Short Plate (P295) will have you licking your lips (and fingers, of course) at the fall-off-the-bone meat covered in savory sauce.

A noteworthy dish, although not belonging under the meat category, is the Baked Cream Dory (P295). The soft cream dory crumbles at the slightest poke of the fork. Marinated button mushrooms also go well with the whole pasta dish, drenched in heavy tomato cream sauce.

Completing the experience is Old Vine’s lineup of delectable desserts. A new arrival on the menu is their Ube Cheesecake Brulee (P130). A block of purple goodness, this dessert is a bit tart but mostly sweet with a pinch of bitterness. A caramelized upper crust adds a great dimension to an already unique dessert. Unlike other ordinary cheesecake flavors that usually have layers, Chef Mau decided to mix in the ube with the cream cheese layer. Another heavyweight in the dessert lineup of Old Vine is their classic Gooey Fudge Cake (P120). Topped heavily with chocolate and ganache, the dessert has all the qualities anyone would want in their moist chocolate cake – not too sweet and packed with much of the brown good stuff as possible. Both desserts are exquisitely garnished with a dash of mango and strawberry sauce making for dishes that are delicious as well as pretty to look at.

True to its name, Old Vine is churning out the sweetest fruit from their experienced roots. “We really think we named this restaurant aptly”, quipped Larry. Starting from the bottom and working their way to the top of the restaurant industry, Chef Mau and Larry are certainly moving up.

Old Vine is located at G/F Eastwood Mall, Eastwood City Cyberpark, Libis, Quezon City. For reservations and inquiries, please contact 706-5573.

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