Indeed, this is far from the usual fare that I feature in this website. Yours truly has decided to experience a little cultured dining and try the very food I like the least; cheese. In this case, it was raclette.

The name “raclette” refers to both the meal and the kind of cheese that’s featured as the “main event”. A raclette meal originated in Switzerland and is considered to be comfort food at it’s best. In a get-together, the Swiss would gather around a large raclette grill and wait for the raclette cheese to sizzle signifying that it’s time to scrape it and watch it flow into a plate of potatoes, biscotti, small onions or whatever it is that you want to have raclette cheese on. Of course, it is always accompanied by good wine, something that I could not enjoy because I am unable to consume any alcoholic drinks (allergic).

True enough, melted cheese is different from it’s room temperature version. It is softer to the bite and just tastes better. Admittedly, it’s a little salty but the taste is quickly countered by the bread or the potatoes, which I happen to love eating it with.

At Astralis, which is a Diamond Hotel restaurant located outside the Power Plant Mall along Lopez Drive, you can sample great wines and their raclette buffet for only P990.00 plus tax (US$19.80). If you prefer the raclette buffet alone, which is what I will come back for, you can enjoy all the raclette you can for only P390.00 plus tax (US$7.80). Not bad, right? Your P500.00 (US$10.00) can still buy you a great meal at this classy restaurant.

Service is also wonderful at this place. You get five-star, hotel-grade service for casual dining prices. I will definitely come back to Astralis.