Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge

Yats Restaurant and Wine Lounge is really luxurious. Prices are high if you compared to regular restaurants but not if you compare them to restaurants in Makati and the Fort for example. p650 for an entree is more than reasonable for a place like this.

The wine selection is indeed out of this world. I couldn't get the Dutch manager - name Bas I think - to give me a tour of the main cellar. I wanted to see if not touch some of those million-peso bottles, kinda been-there-done-that sort of things, you understand.

I ordered the crocodile and it was very delicious, nothing scary about it, something between fish and chicken, best of both worlds.

Wine. Well, to dine at Yats Restaurant and not drink wine would be like going to MacD and not have burgers and fries. You may not leave hungry but you won't feel really satisfied.

My table of 5 had a budget of p8,000 for wine. I did the ordering. This is what we opened:
1982 Ch. Bellevigne, Medoc
1981 Ch. Ducluzeau, Cru Bourgeois, Listrac-Medoc
2000 Chablis Lamblins et Fils
1973 Châteauneuf du Pape, Thorin-Chambert

Yes, you read it right, it's not a typo. It is 1973 alright. At first I was apprehensive but the sommelier closed the deal by offering me a money-back guarantee if the bottle was too old to drink. not only was the wine drinkable, we all wished we had brought more money with us. You see, where the heck are we going to get a bottle of 73 Chateauneuf-du-Pape in Manila?

If you love your food and your wine, I don't think you can forgive yourself for not making a trip to Clark to wine and dine at Yats Restaurant. This is the genuine article.

I just remember the name of the chef - Philip Golding, from London.

Cut to chase - if we are looking for a p1,000 meal, let's go to the Holiday Inn for some coffee shop food and a couple of beers.

But since I went all the way to Clark, I can't allow myself to indulge in this classy restaurant even if it means I will be down p3,000 before the night is done. But so what? Remind me again, how many times do we live?

Yats Restaurant and Wine Lounge located in Clark Philippines, near Angeles City is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Yats Restaurant serves French and Italian Mediterranean cuisine. Compared to many fine-dining restaurants in Manila and hotel-based fine-dining outlets, prices at Yats Restaurant are very reasonable.

Quality of food is second to none and the menu contains both familiar fares done to perfection and exquisite gourmet dishes involving imported ingredients, stuff like Venison, Wagyu, French Pheasant, Veal Osso buco from Holland, Crocodile meat from S Africa, tender juicy duck breast from China... amazing.

The wine list of this fine-dining restaurant is out of this world, over 3000 lines! In the cellars of I found aged vintages from all regions, some 50 or 70 years old in great condition. There are also new- and old-world wines at remarkably low prices.

Wine Cellars
I saw with my own eyes, a rare 1900 Ch. Margaux, 1974 Heitz Martha Vineyards, 1947 Cheval Blanc, 1961 Latour, a fine collection of DRC Burgundies such as 1985 La Tache, old Dom Perignon dating back to 1964 and am impressive collection of Brunello, Barolo, Vintage Port and great wines from Spain, Germany, South Africa and Australia.

After dinner, I retired to the Magnum Room wine lounge for a night cap after dinner. Aside from port and dessert wine, Magnum Room offers a wide range of Single malt, Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados, Sherry, Banyuls, Vin Santo and other liquor. I spent a G on a Monte Cristo #4.

I was told by dutch restaurant manager Bastiaan that they have regular wine-paired dinners pairing specially prepared food with specific wines of a specific age. they also hold public wine tastings each time with a different theme. Popular themes include a tasting of 15 different Cabernet-Sauvignon-dominant red wines, old-world compared against new-world wines and a tasting of 50 years of aged vintage wines.

I don't know if there is another restaurant like it even in Manila, Hong Kong, Shanghai or Singapore! this is a must for anyone who loves food or wine.