From bite-sized treats to humongous burgers, take a peek at Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar’s new creations
Since opening in February 2023, Café Aurora has become one of my personal favorites for the quality of their food and superb service. So when Chef Quenee Vilar invited me to come and try new items on their menu, I immediately said yes!
The meal started strong with Crudo, which features delicate slices of aged Japanese White Snapper and shredded Shallots in a coconut cream laced with Yuzu for a pungent yet delightful sourness. It’s then topped with Christmas Kale and drops of Tomato oil for added umami. We thoroughly enjoyed this dish and I even sopped up the remaining sauce with their house-baked bread.
Next was the Oyster, a large Japanese Shin Honda oyster with citrus condiment and topped with coconut foam. And by large, I really mean large — at least three spoonfuls. The tart condiment at the bottom of the oyster meat cuts through the brininess, giving each bite a fresh taste.
Next was the Tomato, a somewhat Asian take on Italian Caprese. Café Aurora’s version has chopped cherry tomatoes tossed in whipped burrata (a revelation!) and laksa leaf pesto for that unmistakable Pan-Asian touch. It’s served in two-bite tart shells and topped with shaved walnuts. It was satisfying and refreshing to the palate, thanks to the freshness of the tomatoes and the lightness of the whipped burrata.
The Pani Puri was introduced at the Sambar x The Coconut Club dinner, a one-night-only affair that begs to be repeated every month. They filled the crisp puri with stir-fried native chicken and topped it with herb gremolata and potato foam instead of chutney. The result is a light and texture-filled bite.
Up next is another chicken dish, Tsukune, and perhaps one of my favorites from the new selection. It’s basically a bite-size version of their Meatball from the Mains side of the menu. It’s grilled chicken meatballs glazed with their house-made rare sauce. The meatball was tender yet it wasn’t crumbly; a delightful texture, especially when dipped in the soy and cured egg yolk condiment. So good.
Now, this Fried Egg is not the fried egg that immediately comes to mind. It’s strands of flashed fried egg (making it slightly crisp) tossed with local herbs, fried cabbage, and lap cheong in nuoc cham, an intoxicating Thai-inspired dressing that’s altogether pungent, salty, and sweet. I loved this dish so much for its boldness and I appreciate the unapologetic use of patis.
The BBQ Beef has no business being under the Snacks part of the menu because oh boy it’s huge (in flavor and in portion). The slices of beef short ribs (slow-grilled until it melts like butter in your mouth) were mixed with various herbs and topped Thai chili to break the richness of the dish, garlic chips for more flavor, and ginger flower to give it more punch without the overpowering tendencies of the ginger root. Everything in this dish just works so beautifully and I needed rice so bad to enjoy with it. If I wasn’t pacing myself for night of eating, I would’ve asked for rice.
And last but certainly not the least from the Snacks menu is the Tamago-Don, a deliciously bold take on the Japanese rice bowl. Served in a wooden sake container, they packed it multigrain fried rice with marinated salmon roe (which bursts in your mouth, releasing a pleasant briny flavor to go with the savoriness of the other ingredients), mentaiko mayonnaise, and spring onions. It’s then crowned with organic egg yolk, which turns into a gomden creamy sauce that coats the rice as you mix it. It was already delicious on its own, but a little togarashi definitely made it better.
For the mains, Chef Quenee and Chef Nicco Santos presented the Burger, a 180-gram patty made of Wagyu beef and lamb for a good ratio of flavor, texture, and fat.
The patty is topped with burnt jalapeno relish, sharp cheddar (charred to a crisp for added texture and flavor), and miso gremolata and Christmas kale for freshness. At only ₱545, I really think it’s a good deal for its amazing flavor and quality of ingredients. And by the way, that brioche bun is sooo pillowy, it’s almost like eating air.
Lastly, dinner won’t be complete without dessert. They revamped their Mousse and combined milk chocolate mousse with dark chocolate fudge. The mousse is then topped with earl gray cream — fragrant and flavorful at the same time.
That night we tasted almost all the new offers at Café Aurora and we honestly enjoyed all of it. I think I'd enjoy dinner here with just the Snacks and some cocktails (is that what they call "girl dinner"?). And speaking of cocktails: their signature cocktail Nikita and their take on French 75 are really good. And now French 75 is my go-to poison.
Chef Quenee also mentioned they’re redoing the lunch menu soon, too — giving me more reasons to come back to one of the best restaurants in Makati City.
Café Aurora
Address: G/F Pacific Star Building, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue corner Makati Avenue, Makati City
Phone: 0917 104 3672
Email: hello@cafeaurora.ph
Facebook/Instagram: @CafeAuroraPH