La Maison

Having a reason to go out, my friends and I went to the faraway land of Greenbelt (haha) to eat at Cyma. But no... It was closed for renovation. For as long as our growling stomachs could allow us, we trooped to nearby Greenbelt 5 to check out alternative chow places. Eventually, we decided to stop at La Maison, a ribs/steaks/seafood joint on the 3rd floor.

La Maison isn't as easy to locate as Fely J's or John and Yoko, but the facade is inviting once you see it. Full-glass panels with wooden cupboards (for wine displays) greet you as you go in. The dining area is divided into 2: the main dining hall and a smaller, more intimate enclave. Dozens of large, cone-shaped light fixtures jazz up the ceiling. Cute denim placemats are lined on the tables. All-in-all, i'd give them 4 stars out of 5 for decor.

These were the stuff we got (along with a... relatively disappointing bottle of a 2006 Great Trail Merlot):

Wild Mushroom Soup (Php 170)
Pureed shiitake mushrooms with cream. Great with lots of freshly crushed pepper.

Seafood Cioppino Soup (Php 180)
Ahhh... The highlight of the meal. Flavors of the sea are complemented well by a tomato-based soup, with hints of basil here and there.

Salmon and Mango Salad (Php 325)

Iceberg lettuce with a few slices of salted salmon (not smoked) and mango. Reminiscent of the Tessie Tomas Salad from Chef's Quarter (but not nearly quite as delish).

Pesto pasta (Php 335)

PATIBONG!!
It's kind of... bland. Chef d'Angelo's is better.

Ribeye steak (Php 350 per 100g)

Their steaks range from 200-350 grams. I got the largest one available that night. Haha. Their plating was weird, but the steak was okay.

Bleu cheese steak (Php 625)
Another highlight of the meal... I don't like bleu cheese during normal days, but the way they made it more... palatable to the general public earned them plus points. :)

Seafood bounty (Php 795) - serves 4 to 5 people
Calamari, shrimp, baked mussels, and fish fillet, all cooked in an American/Creole way.

Meat bounty (Php 845) - serves 4 to 5 people
Roast pork and beef, Rosemary chicken, and baby back ribs served with honey glaze on the side.

The bottom line:
1. I'd have chosen Mang Jimmy's (in Balara... not sure if it's still there) or Rito's (in Baguio) if given a chance. But if you just want to try out a different steaks/ribs/seafood place, that's fine. Just don't expect the piso you pay to be justified.

2. Their wine list was... saddening. They'll give you a one-page list of choices, but in the end they'd tell you everything in that list is gone.

3. If ever you do decide to go here, get the Seafood Cioppino, Bleu Cheese Steak, and Lunch specials.

4. You can split the soup servings into 2 so that you won't feel full.

La Maison
3rd Floor, Greenbelt 5, Makati
(02) 729-9079

JP (the neat eater)'s plate.