Explore every part of the plant with Ninyo’s Valentine special, ‘Anatomie’

When I first saw Ninyo Fusion Cuisine’s poster for their Valentine menu, I immediately fell in love! Botany is so close to my heart (I majored in horticulture in UP Los Baños) and I was intrigued by their ‘Anatomie’ menu celebrating the various parts of plants from roots to fruits.

We celebrated Valentine’s early so we had our first Ninyo experience on Sunday night.

Here’s what you can expect from their 8-course Valentine’s offer.

The meal started with a complimentary slice of miso sourdough bread (made using their 5-year-old starter), a dollop of house-made butter with crushed olives and powdered spinach to give it a moss-like effect, and two cheese puffs beneath a mound of edible sand. I had to ask the chef which parts of the dish were edible, just to make sure I don’t eat a twig.

The Valentine’s dinner officially began with the Roots course with a trio of bites highlighting root crops (and foie gras): carrot meringue with miso-braised lamb shoulder and foie gras torchon; crisp sweet potato scales topped with pan-seared foie gras with unagi aburi, apple, and pears; and beetroot tart filled with foie gras mousse and fennel bulb confit then covered with a balsamic veil. All three were vibrant in texture and flavor. I especially loved the carrot meringue.

The Rhizome + Stalk course came in the form of soft poached French oysters topped with rhubarb jelly and wasabi yogurt pearls. The rhizome (modified/underground stem) is represented by the wasabi and the stalk came from the rhubarb. I’m not a huge fan of fresh oysters, so I’m glad this was poached in its own liquid, so you’ll still get the subtle briny flavor without all the slime. The wasabi was a nice touch, giving it a hit of freshness.

The Flower course is a delicate chawanmushi made of artichoke flower and Maine lobster with a hint of white truffle. As a flan fan, I fell in love with this lighter savory version of the dish I know and love. The flavors were subtle, not overpowering each other — combining beautifully into one cohesive and delicious bite.

The Leaf course came as a surprise. It was a hefty piece of shiso-covered US black cod marinated in umeboshi and miso, giving it a surprisingly sweet flavor. The fish was incredibly juicy and tender, perfectly cooked. It was served with daikon noodles tossed in a tangy dressing, which goes perfectly with the earthy flavors of the sea purslane puree. Without a doubt, this is our favorite from the entire menu. And that’s saying a lot because we don’t like fish.

The Trunk course looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Underneath the thin veil of coconut jelly is hickory-smoked quail (slow cooked until medium doneness) with soy-marinated egg yolk over a bed of salsa made of barley and heart of palm with maple-coconut dressing. The flavors were nice, but I am not a fan of any poultry cooked medium. This is my personal preference.

Before the last savory course, they served a small scoop of passion fruit and jasmine tea sorbet to cleanse the palate.

The Seed course is a picture-perfect sesame- and flax-crusted US short rib that was braised for 48 hours. It’s served with asparagus (bundled together to look like a cross section of bundled bamboo), picked mustard seeds, and their very own black garlic au jus. The meat was tender and flavorful and the seeds gave it a unique texture. The au jus was savory and slightly tangy, while the creamy puree gave the dish a thoughtful contrast.

The meal ended with the Fruit course. They served chocolate mousse enrobed in a raspberry mirror glaze and their house-made cacao ice cream over crisp chocolate crumbs and raspberry compote. They sprinkled chocolate-covered pop rocks over the ice cream, which was an unnecessary but fun touch. I loved the deep chocolate flavors of each element and enjoyed the play on textures.

Pro-tip: Ask them to serve the wine (which comes with the menu) during the Leaf or Trunk course so it’s still nice and chilled while you eat the mains.

Ninyo Fusion Cuisine’s “Anatomie” Valentine’s menu is available until February 15th. For reservations, contact 0939 921 5881.