Trying-Out the New Draft Specials at Draft Gastropub Rockwell



The Draft Gastropub menu just became more exciting with the addition of six new dishes early January of this year. Together with these six new items, six other dishes were selected from the menu to form part of the Draft Specials menu for the first quarter of 2015. It is the intention of Draft Gastropub to offer a variety of new options every quarter to excite the taste buds of its guests.



Draft Gastropub is a watering hole famous for its wide assortment of European beer brands. But more than just a watering hole, Draft Gastropub is also a favorite dining place for foodies who wish to indulge in beer-infused European inspired dishes expertly created by celebrity chef Carlo Miguel. During a visit at Draft Gastropub Rockwell in Makati, we were able to sample five seafood dishes from the Draft Specials menu. Here's what we had for lunch:

Shrimp, Corn and Ale Bisque


The Shrimp, Corn and Ale Bisque (P295.00) has a thick, creamy and immensely flavorful shrimp broth that all seafood lover will surely adore. Draft Gastropub's version of this French soup dish includes ale which adds a slight hint of roasted malt into the flavor. You wouldn't want to waste a single drop of this soup. This is one of the six new dishes added to Draft's menu.

Shrimp Linguine


The Shrimp Linguine (P345.00) has a delicate creamy, slightly sweet and salty taste. The shrimps were perfectly cooked in white wine, keeping them plump and juicy, with a mild sweet taste infused into the meat. Feta cheese adds a distinct Mediterranean flavor to the pasta dish. Make sure to eat this while it is warm so you can savor the goodness of all the flavors.

White Fish Spaghetti


The White Fish Spaghetti (P295.00) is another pasta dish served to us. Grilled cod fillet is served on top of spaghetti in bagna cauda sauce. The sauce, which originated from Piedmont, Italy, is made of olive oil, butter, garlic and anchovies. The spaghetti absorbs the flavors of the sauce, making it milder to the taste. The pasta dish is then seasoned with lime to balance all the flavors of the sauce and the fish.

Fisherman's Pot


Another addition to the menu is the Fisherman's Pot (P690.00) which includes Beck's beer battered cod and mussels, breaded calamari and shrimps, and French fries, served with tomato salsa, tartar sauce and sweet chili sauce. The cod and the mussels tasted really fresh with a sweet aftertaste. The calamari were perfectly cooked, not too tough to the bite. The shrimps were plump and juicy despite being fried. The batter and the breading were not oily at all. This is a huge serving that can be enjoyed by two to three persons.

Seafood Risotto


The Seafood Risotto (P445.00) is yet another dish added to the menu. Salmon, squid, shrimps and mussels are sauteed and are then served on a bed of creamy saffron risotto. This appears to be a fusion between Risotto Milanese of Italy and Paella de Marisco of Spain. This is best enjoyed by combining a small piece of meat with a spoonful of the risotto in one big bite. The combination of the savory flavor of the seafood and the creamy taste of the risotto is purely divine. Make sure that you eat this immediately after being served as the seafood will immediately loose its moisture and the risotto will also quickly dry up.

Draft Banana Split


To end our banquet of European inspired seafood dishes, we were served with their new dessert, the Draft Banana Split (P340.00). The usual banana split is made extra special by Draft by adding home made chocolate chip cookies, chocolate fudge brownie, and walnuts drizzled with Leffe beer salted caramel. This is best enjoyed while the vanilla ice cream is still frozen cold. Make sure that this is served last as it easily gets melted


Complete the Draft Gastropub experience by ordering one of their European beer brands. For the ladies, there's the Floris fruit-flavored beers from Belgium.



Do check out their menu and see what other interesting dishes they have. New items are the ones marked with a star, while dishes marked with a chef's hat are the chef's recommendations.

click the image for larger version




RATING
4.1/5.0
Food
9/10
Value
7/10
Service
9/10
Place
8/10
Experience
8/10

Here's what we liked about Draft Gastropub Rockwell:
  • There's a wide selection of dishes that cater to different taste profiles and diet preference. We like the creative infusion of beer into the dishes. We could taste the freshness and the high quality of the seafood used in the dishes. Flavors are well balanced. The creativity of chef Carlo Miguel in highly commendable.
  • Considering the high quality of the ingredients, the amount of work involved in the preparation of the dish, and the serving size, we find the prices quite reasonable. This is as far as the ala carte menu is concerned.
  • We were amazed by how knowledgeable the staff is on their menu. They know how the dishes are prepared, what ingredients are used, what is the effect of a certain ingredient to the overall taste of the dish. And we are impressed that they can actually give personal recommendations. Draft certainly did a great job in orienting and training their guys.  
  • The restaurant is clean and spacious. Tables are wide and seats are very comfortable. Natural light keeps the area bright, while the air conditioning keeps the area comfortably cool. 
  • Overall, we enjoyed dining here at Draft Gastropub Rockwell. They serve some of the best tasting and most creative seafood dishes. 
Here are some points of improvement:
  • The staff got too excited to serve all dishes at the same time, including the dessert. Dessert should be served last after diners are done with the mains. This is to keep the freshness and high quality of the dessert. 


Draft Gastropub Rockwell
151B, R2 Level, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Store Hours: Monday to Saturday 11:00am to 2:00am; Sundays 11:00am to 1:00am
Contact Number: 09177240514
Facebook: Facebook.com/DraftRockwell
IG: @DraftGastropub

Disclaimer: Dishes featured on this article are provided by the restaurant for photoshoot and food sampling purposes only. Opinion on the food, service and restaurant as a whole is ours and is in no way influenced by the restaurant through incentives, payment or any other monetary and non-monetary compensation.

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