Whether expensive or at a bargain price, food is still food.

As a person, I treat food as a blessing with an expensive price. The fact that it gives me strength, energy, nutrients and treat my senses to an exquisite experience, food is a treasure I cannot bury. Instead, bury in my stomach. Hehe. Speaking of expensive, we will talk about expensive in this post. An early warning for those who are thinking of their budget. I might let you splurge and shell out some cash for your date.

Madison’s Bistro Moderne, the new dining spot opened by the same group of Bugsy’s Bar & Bistro outside Edsa Shangri-la Hotel, makes an impression with its scheme of gray fine dining set-up. By the way it looks, I could say I am splurging here.

But what about the food? No matter how elegant the interiors look, you cannot make a mistake with the food. Am I right?

I totally forgot about the complimentary bread when Speck & Goat Cheese Mousse was presented to me. Fantastic starter! Rolled speck sandwiching an enough amount of goat cheese mousse gave me a delight I couldn’t let go of. With the scent of truffle, apple mustard chutney and nuts on top was a boost of refreshment for my first bite of my Madison’s Bistro Moderne experience. I had high expectations with the coming dishes after a taste of Speck & Goat Cheese Mousse.

With its black truffle, creamy cheese sauce and prosciutto, Potato Gnocchi gives justification to its price. The amount of serving may appear small at first. But as you take yourself to this treat, you’ll understand why this bowl is enough to fill in your hunger gaps.

Blame foie gras for its price. We can’t do anything about this, foie gras cannot be served at a discount. 🙁

This is my least favorite because of the very small amount of serving. Undeniably foie gras takes this plate to a more special level, plus the duck ham and caramelized orange, but I can’t take that the serving is too small.

I think Pistachio-crusted Black Cod Fish is a crowd favorite. Servers weren’t surprised when I ordered this and even agreed that I made an excellent choice. Black cod fish is served with carrot pudding and chocolate marmalade in saffron sauce. I must say you won’t go wrong with this order. It’s the safest and daintiest plate of fish to get at Madison’s.

For its price, I have to scrap this off my list. It sleeps on the ordinary side without making a reason why I should order this again. I love lamb, but this one didn’t create a good mark to my taste-buds. An order of a plain-vanilla lamb shank.

Taking fine dining cannot last without steak. Medium-steak lover in me loved the blend of bacon bits to add more saltiness and sharpen its flavor.

The steak is served with Duck Fat Fries and Mushroom & Seared Foie Gras.

Oh the fries had to be part of the experience. Its duck fat is a terrible part of anyone’s diet. Hard to resist a piece of Duck Fat Fries. I didn’t indulge in Seared Foie Gras anymore. It wasn’t necessary to enjoy my steak.

Served with toasted bread and salsa verde, this heart-attack plate is not for all. Sorry to disappoint you but I have to say it is deadly. Before heading to dessert, I just had to attack on this Roasted Bone Marrow, even just for a taste. Pace yourself ok? This is really deadly!

The right kind of panna cotta you’d want to cleanse your palate after a bliss of fine dining food. Not on a stunning level of satisfaction for desserts but I’d choose this if I simply want to end my meal with the soft jelly texture of panna cotta.

Heavenly chocolate plate! The hint of salted caramel enchants the dessert even more.

Who can say NO to this moist chocolate cake? You’re probably a vegetarian if this plate does not interest you.

If you can’t last a day without cheese and don’t want to overdose yourself with sweetness, better choose this dessert. Mascarpone, the Italian cheese made from cream, blends well with Pistachio Mousse Tart that remains delightful even if it isn’t that sweet.

I entered the main entrance of Edsa Shangri-la Hotel thinking that the restaurant is also inside the hotel. After walking a short distance to the restaurant from the main entrance, I realized it wasn’t actually part of the hotel restaurants anymore. Madison’s Bistro Moderne is situated outside the hotel, right across Shangri-la Mall. It used to be the old Fully Booked that closed down.

I think the timing was not the best when I visited Madison’s Bistro Moderne. Unfortunately, the service was terribly slow. 🙁 I understand that it was a night jam-packed with VIPs and invited media and the servers were undermanned. But because of my experience, I cannot give them a high remark for their service. 🙁

Going back to how my eyes view the place, Madison’s Bistro Moderne generally looks expensive, classy yet still stays to the smart casual side. Don’t be intimidated by how it looks. Come as you are but still dress up appropriately as if you didn’t just come out of bed. 🙂

Overall, Madison’s Bistro Moderne chose a spot accessible to expats who work at the Ortigas area and those who are checked-in at the hotel. Aside from in-house hotel restaurants, there is also an option to spend a night of wine and delicate food at the restaurant outside the 5-star hotel.

Guys, if you plan to take your lady on a date, don’t even think of giving her a budget. Let her indulge! You have to come prepared! 😉

Cheers to a wonderful evening of gourmet food from Madison’s Bistro Moderne!

Cheers,

Location: G/F Edsa Shangri-la Hotel, Garden Way, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Operating Hours: 11:00am-2:00am

Contact: (+632) 631-4675 / (+63) 915-198-6182

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MADISONSBISTRO

Budget: PHP800++

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