Based in Manila, Philippines, Dessert Comes First is a chronicle of the food-obsessed food writer, Lori Baltazar. This website is all about desserts, restaurants, coffee, and the pleasures of homebaking. Read more about me Oinker at the Old Swiss Inn
Thu, June 2nd of 2005
3:55 pm
Old Swiss Inn has been around since 1946 and was actually started by a Swiss national. The original is still in Paco, Manila, and now there’s also a branch in Makati. It’s a reliable 24-hour restaurant with wooden interiors, cozy nooks, and plenty of miniature Swiss flags. The place is naturally known for its fondues: cheese, beef, and chocolate. Other favorites especially among the expats are the corned beef, the aforementioned pig’s knuckles, and the peppersteak.
Our party of six and a half (six adults and my 2-year old daughter) ordered three pig’s knuckles (2 baked and 1 boiled), two Caesar’s salads, corned beef, lamb chops, barley soup, and a side of RÅ‘sti.
As you can see from the pictures, the boiled pig’s knuckles are paler than their baked counterpart. Aside from the aesthetics, there’s not much difference between them. They have the same taste and texture, much like the ham hock I use to flavor my fabada (Spanish pork stew) or a split pea soup. I enjoyed my pig’s knuckles, and the accompanying potatoes and sauerkraut were good sides too. I just didn’t remember this dish to be so salty, though. My mom echoed my comment further adding, “And they’ve gotten so small, too!”
Bin’s corned beef, pale as it appears, was quite good, although the two thin slices that make up a serving made me snort inwardly. The RÅ‘sti was quite the star – grated parboiled potatoes and onions formed into a pancake and fried. I once knew a Swiss woman who made me some RÅ‘sti and then topped it with a fried egg cooked just ‘til the yolk had set. Divine. This RÅ‘sti didn’t have an egg, but it was soft and moist and my sister was quite enamored with it. Since I was the one who had ordered it, I came thisclose to not sharing it with her.
Of course with me at the table, there was no way we weren’t going to have dessert. Toblerone is a chocolate that they display proudly and prominently at Old Swiss Inn, both in their display cases and in their desserts. I’ve never been able to pay much attention to the cakes because everybody else always wants chocolate fondue.
It came to the table steaming with little bubbles occasionally dimpling the lush chocolaty surface. It seems that what you’re given to dip is what the kitchen has in stock that night, so we had a small plate of banana slices, pound cake, mango chunks, and what I counted to be four apple slices. Hmm. Anyway, I did away with the silly dipping actions and plunged my teaspoon into the chocolate mass. I then proceeded to eat the fondue that way. Minutes later when everyone else had stopped eating, I was still there using my teaspoon to scrape the last remnants of chocolate from the bottom of the bowl. Can you say “oink?”
Old Swiss Inn
G/F Olympia Bldg, Makati Ave. cor Sto Tomas St., Makati
818-8251 / 812-8751. Open 24 hours, Mondays to Sundays.
Branch: G/F Garden Plaza and Suites, 1030 Belen St., Paco, Manila
521-3002 and 522-4835.
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What I absolutely love is their all-you-can eat Fondue Fest (cheese, meat, chocolate!). Timing is irregular though so one just has to watch out for it.
[Reply]
Comment by wysgal — June 3, 2005 @ 6:51 am
As someone who has lived in Geneva, I can vouch for the power of chocolate fondue.
there are other fondues, of course—meat, chinois—but my favorite would have to be the mushroom and cheese fondue where every piece of bread you spear in the dip becomes a pizza in its own right.
~Mahar
[Reply]
Comment by Anonymous — June 3, 2005 @ 10:01 am
Hi wysgal,
I didn’t even know that Old Swiss Inn had such a Fondue Fest. Sounds like something I don’t want to miss. Please let me know when it comes around again.
lori
[Reply]
Comment by Lori — June 3, 2005 @ 12:04 pm
Hi Mahar,
I don’t doubt the power of chocolate fondue. I’ve also been to Switzerland, but as someone who’s actually lived there, how does Old Swiss Inn fondue compare to the one you had in Geneva?
lori
[Reply]
Comment by Lori — June 3, 2005 @ 12:06 pm
Chocolate fondue in the Old Swiss Inn is okay, but I think it suffers from “sweating” here in the tropics.
While I know chocolate is iffy in high altitude, for some reason in Geneva the chocolate is more tart yet milkier at the same time—it really feels like a light coat. Here, chocolate fondue runs the risk of getting the consistency of thick chocolate icing, or failing that, watered down chocolate creme.
~Mahar
[Reply]
Comment by Anonymous — June 4, 2005 @ 1:00 pm
Chocolate…mmm…
At least you used a spoon. I’d save the last piece of pound cake to mop everything else up : ) -K
[Reply]
Comment by Anonymous — June 6, 2005 @ 3:32 pm
hi lori!
i’m loving your blog 
i’m a foodie from the philippines as well.
can’t wait to return to the philippines to try out that bibingcrepe! *drool*
and wow! you’ve taught bread making! i love to bake, but i’m afraid of baking bread, hehe. it’s more challenging compared to cakes and cookies.
anyway, keep up the great posts!
~ April
[Reply]
Comment by Anonymous — June 8, 2005 @ 1:37 am
Hi April,
Do you live in the Philippines? You say you’re from here but “can’t wait to return to the philippines…”
Thanks for visiting my blog. You’re welcome anytime.
lori
[Reply]
Comment by Lori — June 8, 2005 @ 1:03 pm
haha yeah that sounded awkward XD
i do live in the philippines. it’s just that currently i’m out of the country for vacation. Be back in Manila soon!
~April
[Reply]
Comment by Anonymous — June 8, 2005 @ 7:03 pm
I have been a fan of the Old Swiss Inn since I can remember. My meals there tend to always start with 2 plates of raclette which is to die-for! Barley Soup and mini soft rolls come next, then I skip the main course and go straight to the Toblerone Chocolate Fondue – you’re right, sometimes, I’m tempted to bring my own tupperware of strawberries, apples, mangoes, kiwi… yum!
[Reply]
Comment by Gigi — January 11, 2006 @ 11:49 pm
hi lori!
i know this is a pretty old post but have you been to the swiss restaurant Vieux Chalet in antipolo? i went there for the first time today and everything was exquisite!
its been around for 20 years, you should check it out, and absolutely do not leave without trying their parfait au chocolat. you’ll forget your name!
haha sorry, i loved it so much i could not not recommend it
[Reply]
Comment by Shar — March 30, 2009 @ 2:45 am