Admittedly, the restaurant’s name, Purple Feet, gives me pause, but once I’m made to see that the restaurant is an extension of the wine store, it all starts to make sense. The wine making process of old included the time-honored tradition of stomping the grapes into what is commonly referred to as “must”, the freshly-pressed juice of grapes. Today, mechanical crushers have replaced the “purple feet,” thus “stomping out,” (some say) the romance and ritual of wine making, but one cannot argue the tremendous sanitary gain that the mechanical presses bring.
Purple Feet is decidedly unfussy in its ambiance, almost utilitarian in its décor. Guests are surrounded by crates of wine and sit on wooden tables and chairs. Wine choices are listed on pillars, and as I can expect from a restaurant that claims its “wine list is our wine shop,” wine is a huge aspect of the dishes served here. This restaurant is what I imagine a wine lover’s paradise looks like.
The chef, Marco Legasto, invites diners to let their culinary imaginations fly. The menu is written out on a big blackboard for all to see, raw materials that the chefs can work wonders on: prime cuts of beef, pork, poultry, rabbit and ostrich, and seafood. The menu abounds in big pleasures supported by a constellation of flavors. I’m told to choose a protein and then tell the chef my preferred preparation and flavor. I’m told that the chefs can handle a variety of cuisines from Indian to Spanish.
In pursuit of the restaurant’s vision of freestyle cooking ”“ basically giving the diner what he/she wants to eat ”“ Chef Marco and his crew place a unique challenge on their guests: choose your food and tell them how to cook it. As a zealous food lover who occasionally putters in the kitchen, I relish the idea; my friend however, an avowed “canned-food eater,” is terrified. The chef that comes out to talk to us, who obviously is used to such fearful indecisiveness, is successful at getting my friend to choose a meat: “Lamb chops, yes.” How shall I cook it? Again, that bug-eyed look. “Perhaps with some rosemary and olive oil,” I interject. The chef nods knowingly. “The classical way,” he announces.
I, on the other hand, am about ready to bolt from my seat in excitement, like the annoying classroom know-it-all. “I’m feeling adventurous today,” I tell the chef confidently. I peruse the blackboard. “How does rabbit taste?” “Like chicken,” is the reply. After some discussion, chef decides on braising the rabbit in a deep red wine sauce reminiscent of Mediterranean cooking. With the main dish dilemmas out of the way, the chef disappears into the kitchen while the waiter ambles up to us and asks which sides we prefer: risotto or pasta?
The saving grace ”“ the prize, if you will ”“ for being made to “choose your own meal adventure” at Purple Feet is the masterful handling of top-tier ingredients. Every bite sparkles, every flavor flows seamlessly into the next one. Today, the braised rabbit remains beguiling fare, its tender meat bathed in a sauce heavy on red wine with murmurs of the Mediterranean ”“ olives, rosemary, garlic, and the purest olive oil. On another day, my dining companion and I have our own personal epiphanies with our respective dishes ”“ him with his chicken (not spicy, please!) curry (see cover photo), and I with perhaps the best pork tenderloin I’ve had. Ever.
On this evening, I’m all set to once again dine at Purple Feet. I have steak on my mind, perhaps one of those mammoth 800 gram US Prime Rib Eye (P3,000) slabs of meat that they serve. But upon seeing Chef Marco, I ask, “What do you feel like cooking tonight?” After some thought, he replies, “I’ll make you some laing stuffed in pork tenderloin, roll it up, and then top it with uni butter.” Yes, not too impressive sounding I have to admit then and there, but I take the food lover’s leap of faith and let the chef’s creativity be.
And how I’m rewarded for it! The dish comes to me awash in that ethereal aroma of truffle oil (from where? from where? I ask myself). The smokiness of the laing creates a depth that’s deepened by the uni butter ”“ an amalgamation of whipped butter, uni, foie gras for silkiness, and truffle oil. Melting in its divine state, it renders every bite of pork tenderloin juicy and an absolute food from the gods. Good lord, take me now. The meat is complemented with spoonfuls of mushroom risotto that is perfection in itself. I still smile at the blissful memory of this dish.
Desserts are a simpler, more straightforward matter, though I wouldn’t mind having to construct my dessert from scratch. The bread pudding is so good that all spoons zero in on it and finish it off in seconds. With some irritation, I have to prod my self-proclaimed “non-dessert eater” friend to leave some for me. The panna cotta is a darling little thing with a beautiful mango flower atop its soft, velvet body. Another time, the baked cheesecake is like a study in the architecture of flavor. Four cheeses ”“ cream cheese, Gouda, Havarti, and aged cheddar ”“ mix and meld. The result: a very dense, very rich cake where the Gouda flavor reigns over all. The dessert’s subtle chewiness and mouth-cloaking texture is fascinating, and it’s a dessert that I finish while deciding whether I like it or not.
The only loser on the dessert list is the apple pie, certainly an easy dessert in terms of conceptualization and execution. Butter-enriched bread (think: brioche, challah, etc.) is left to stale for a few days before being formed into “cups” by toasting them in muffin cup pans. Apple chunks sautéed in butter and mixed with raisins and cinnamon are then placed in the “cups,” and covered with a top “crust” of some more toasted bread. Sounds easy enough to eat and enjoy, but the apples are dry, almost crying out for some sort of basting liquid, and the bread is so crusty I can snap it in two. I’m also appalled at the use of processed cheese product that garnishes the dessert. I’m very frank with Chef Marco when I tell him that this dessert needs to be re-thought, and to avoid using “supermarket cheese” in the future. He must be thinking I’m “schizo” ”“ a far cry from the fawning, all-adoring fan of his savory food, only to turn into a savage when it comes to dessert. But he says he understands. I hope.
When at Purple Feet, I highly suggest talking directly to a chef when mulling over what to eat and not to the servers. I find that the chefs can (obviously) give me more enlightened, exciting food choices instead of a server who recites things by rote. Their service is efficient but if you’re as demanding with your food as I am, then go directly to the people wearing white. Even when it comes to wines, I find that the restaurant’s so-called sommeliers aren’t exactly spot-on. Though I know next to nothing about wines, I find that the sommelier’s suggestions to my yearning for a “sweet, slightly fruity wine,” are met with a blank look. On another visit, another sommelier tells me that I can’t have my Moscato Di Asti (an exquisite dessert wine) with my main course. I march up to Chef Marco to ask if this is true and he waves away my apprehensiveness. “You can do what you like,” he says.
And that’s what Purple Feet is all about ”“ a way of eating that is intelligent and inspired, dishes that are direct and true to their flavors with original and unexpected seasonings that evoke intense, immense emotions in me, cooked by chefs that are inspired and willful. I’ve had some of my best meals in recent memory at Purple Feet. With some imagination and a sense of adventure, you will too.
Purple Feet
217 Nicanor Garcia St. (formerly Reposo St.),
Bel-Air, Makati City.
897. 3220 / 897. 8167
Open from Mondays ”“ Saturdays,
10:30am ”“ 2pm; 5:30-10pm.
I’ll be sure to try this on the rare occasions I’m in the Makati area. 😀
Thanks, Lori, for a wonderful article.
Hi Lori!
This sounds really interesting. How much is the damage to the wallet, though?
hi lori
I think he is a little inconsistent. 1st it was good that u were ask , how u like ur lamb chops done, we werent, so our lamb chop came out very well done
secondly, ur mushroon risotto looked creamy, mine was a bit dry… sad..
but anyhow, i still would go back and give it another try, i love the ostrich dish he served.
Hiro
Hmmmm…
This is the perfect date place. Very cozy and unassuming. My husband loved the fact that each of our dishes were specially customized to our taste preferences. For appetizers we ordered buffalo wings – spicy and sour please. When the buffalo wings arrived they just looked like they were fried in barbeque sauce. However, the flavor and spices combination really delivered the taste he wanted. Especially when combined with this boursin cheese sauce. You must try the Callos! I think it is one of their specialties and it really is the best I have ever eaten. Order it with the garlic rice and again you will be amazed at the flavor combination. This is one restaurant that I surely will visit again. Thanks Lori!
I’ve been wanting to try Purple Feet ever since a friend went there for Valentine’s Day. And now that I learn the dishes are customized for each diner, I cannot wait to go! Could this finally be the restaurant where I will not hear the words “out of stock?” ;-D
I’ve only tried rabbit once and enjoyed it, so that’s definitely one of the things I will want to taste at Purple Feet. But it’s your pork tenderloin that made me want to run out right now! (And I’m not even a pork fan.) I’m always attracted to the most unusual and complicated dishes, so seeing the words laing, uni, truffle oil and foie gras all together excites me no end! I do hope the chef will come out to chat, as well, when we go there, because it’s precisely adventurous food like that that I crave for. And how wonderful that they have good desserts. Too few restaurants have both delicious savory AND dessert dishes. I’m a bread pudding fiend, and that cheesecake interests me too. I imagine it might be similar to Pia y Damaso’s Quezo de Bola Cheesecake.
Well…it certainly sounds like I’ll be heading over there verrrry soon, doesn’t it? With a name like PURPLE Feet, how could I not?! 😉
Wasn’t your risotto undercooked Lori? I have visited Purple Feet twice and it always came out undercooked. I could still bite into the middle part of the rice grain. Talked to the chef about it and one of the white uniformed guys said it’s actually al dente. I should be able to tell al dente from undercooked!
Aside from that, I truly enjoyed a very memorable Valentine’s lunch in Purple Feet.
Hi Lori,
Thanks for the post. Ever since I heard the name of the place ( plus, some excellent word of mouth), I have been looking forward to dining at Purple Feet.
Reminds me of Craft in New York. Same idea ” Choose Your Own Culinary Adventure”.
Daunting for some I’m sure but for me, I love the idea of interacting with the chef to create something just for me. Very cool. Must be hell for the cooking line though.
Love the pork loin dish. It looks and sounds amazing. Hoping that I will be eating there soon.
hhhm sooo near my place. am excited to check it out.
great site – thanks for the overview of Purple Feet. Interesting concept in dining. Sounds like most of the dishes are done pretty quickly, so no long braises or stews. I like how you could go with your partner, and if one of you was interested in Italian and the other wanted Thai, the chef could accommodate both palettes.
I found your site when looking for information on Kappabashi Dori – I visited that street a long time ago and wanted to give information to a friend planning a trip. Thanks for the great pictures, brought back fun memories!
PURPLE FEET sounds very interesting! Apart from the name, the idea of actually having to order what food you want makes me feel adventurous.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us!
hey Lori! It’s your cheap blog reader, Gus Hansen! May I know how much the pork tenderloin and Rabbit meal cost? So I know how much money to bring.
Hello!
Totally different topic but thought I’d update you on what I’ve been having here. Wish you could share all the wonderful food with us!
Tried Wolfgang’s Steakhouse on Park Ave – shared a 40 oz porterhouse with four friends
Cafe Mono (Catalan-style by Batali) – awesome sweetbread plate, razor clams and pork feet
and in Toronto, a great array of fresh vegetables, and fruits. Lots of homecooking and great Chinese food!
Oh, by the way, comment on the rissoto. I’ve had authentic risotto at Italian places. The waiters always ‘inform’ me ahead of time that “the Chef is Italian and it will be al dente”. They usually get many customers who are non-Italian who take a bite of the risotto and complain that it’s undercooked and send them to the kitchen.
Yes, it’s supposed to be creamy outside and crunchy – as if the inner part of the arborio rice is undercooked.
apologies. i spelled RISOTTO wrong. 🙂
Hey Lori! Due to your post, will try this tomorrow. It was just a headache making the reservation because there was such resistance! Made a reservation for 8 (“Ma’am, Puwede po 7 or 730 because masyadong late na ang 8? 10 pm nagcloclose ang kitchen.”). They asked for my contact number. Gave them my mobile number since I’ll be on the road (“Ma’am, Puwede po landline?”). After reasoning out (which I did not have to do!), the girl who answered finally relented. Bad start for a restaurant that’s supposed to know its customers. I hope eating there tomorrow will be a better experience. Just wanted to share this so others will be warned.