This dessert, Treviso, is one sure way to "Pick Me Up!"

Tiramisu, a lovely, comforting dessert made of mascarpone cheese, zabaligone cream and Marsala wine, layered with lady fingers dipped in espresso and liquer.  I’ve been a big fan of this dessert since the 90′s, and according to Wikipedia, this dessert is pretty young.  Some say this was created in the 70′s, another in 1969, and another in the early 1980′s.  This particular dish from Felix is known as Treviso, supposedly the birthplace of Tiramisu.

Whoever and whenever it was created it doesn’t matter.  The phrase tirami su is said to be Italian for “pick me up.”  As far as I’m concerned, this is a dessert that always “picks me up” when I’m feeling a little down.

Envelop yourself in sweet, frozen mangoes with a crunchy, nutty base.

It’s summertime and what best way to celebrate the season than with a dessert like this.  Frozen mangoes top a whipped cream mousse set on a crunchy macadamia nut base.  The sweet, frozen mangoes are refreshing and the whipped cream adds a comforting touch that counters the sweetness and nuttiness of the macadamia nut base.

This was my sister’s Easter dessert of choice.  I tell you, this was wiped out way before it can even start to melt.

Note: My family are big fans of mangoes and any dessert made of mango so I will be posting a couple of other frozen mango desserts we’ve tried, so stay tuned.

Foie gras, anyone?

Braising is a cooking method wherein meat or vegetable is seared then slowly simmered in liquid  until the meat is very tender.  So what can better than braised ribs?  Braised ribs with foie gras.

Felix’ Gaithersburg is a rich tasty dish of braised short ribs with foie gras, served with brown rice. I think it’s kind of funny how such a meat savory dish topped with foie gras is then paired with brown rice.  To counter the fats, perhaps?

Dream of meaty, savory tender short ribs.  Dream of creamy, tasty foie gras.

Scallops and prawns fricassee, served with mashed potatoes and vegetables.

Prawn and scallop make me gallop! Okay, that’s a bad rhyme.  Anyway…

The prawns and scallops are cooked just right — tender but still juicy.  The mashed potatoes are a bit under salted and the French beans are not much fun to eat either but the seafood saves the dish.  The sauce drizzled all over complements the seafood well, doesn’t overpower the tasty prawns or scallops.  I would have wanted an additional 1 or 2 pieces of the scallops though.

I’m not sure if this dish would be better if paired with a simple risotto but I would have preferred the risotto over mashed potatoes. I feel the mashed potatoes don’t really complement the “softness” of the seafood.  It reminds me of a salmon dish I had way back in the 90′s at Prospero’s. The salmon was on a bed of mashed potatoes and caramelized onions. Beautiful meal. It was so memorable I can almost taste the caramelized onions’ sweetness adding depth and personality to the simple mashed potato. The mashed potatoes and caramelized onion combination, served with the grilled salmon, was like opening a beautifully wrapped present and finding something even better inside.

Anyway, going back to this dish, the prawns and scallops were like wonderful presents wrapped in a bland package. Sorry.  Maybe a little something (like the caramelized onions on the mashed potatoes of Prospero’s) would have added more character to the dish. Hmm, maybe the mushrooms could’ve been sauteed or grilled to add some flavor to the mashed potato? I’m thinking, maybe the mushrooms could’ve been sauteed in butter and some wine?

Overall, this dish is pretty but a little bland. It doesn’t make me feel like “[I'm On The] Top Of The World” and it’s definitely not the “Superstar” of Felix. But seafood lovers will love this entree for the generously-sized prawns and scallops.  The Carpenters were a great duo of songwriter and singer, and indeed, this duo of prawns and scallops will make any seafood lover want to be “Close To You.”

Not just another salmon dish! Moist salmon, lightly grilled veggies, and rice pilaf make for a light but satisfying meal.

Salmono: Baked salmon with onion and dill, served with vegetable orzo tossed in basil pesto.  Lovely dish, beautifully plated.  Okay, will not blog too much about this, I’m getting too hungry.

Creamy and self-indulgent comfort food!

Again, I’ve no idea why this dish is called such, but pasta Ala Jay is defined as truffle cream with crispy Parma ham.

Forgive me, but this dish reminds me of a more elegant, more luxurious carbonara. I’m not a big pasta eater, you see, as I’ve a somewhat strict diet that I have to follow. Aside from that, after reading once, somewhere, that cream-based pasta sauces are waaay more fattening than tomato- or oil-based ones, I’ve actually developed a distaste for cream-based pastas.

Nevertheless, after taking a teeny bite of this pasta dish, I decided that cream-based pastas must be given a chance once more. Even for just a fourth of a serving.

Unlike ordinary carbonara sauces which tastes either milky or leaves an uncooked flour taste in the mouth, this pasta is rich but heavy. I’m not sure what the other items mixed in were but the crispy Parma ham really cuts through the rich cream sauce.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, I can’t really eat pasta, but this Ala Jay makes me want to try the other pasta dishes in Felix.

Healthy option! Omega-3 from fresh fish, nutrient-rich greens, and just enough carbs to fill you up.

Another family favorite from Felix! Martha is a plate of “Slow roasted salmon with skin crackling, spinach and mushrooms in leek sauce, served with potato puree.”

I’m a bit puzzled about the names of the dishes at Felix, though. It’d be nice if they can put a short story behind the names of the dishes, aside from the actually descriptions. Martha, makes me think of the Biblical Martha, the sister of Lazarus and Mary. Of course, no relation to the food, right?

Then again, this dish could’ve been named after Martha Stewart–think fresh, clean, erm, nutritious dishes. Or you can also visualize Martha Stewart in her kitchen in her demure yellow cardigan, deep green silk A-line skirt, and her honey blond hair. Hahahahaha!

The fish is perfectly cooked; I think the slow roasting keeps it moist, versus ordinary grilling which can leave the fish a bit dry. Of course, I’m not sure; I’m just guessing. Hahahaha!  However, the spinach was not overcooked and mushy. The potato puree needed a little bit more salt.  The crispy salmon skin is an interesting complement to the softer fish, spinach and potato puree.

Overall, I would recommend this dish to fish lovers and those looking for a lighter, non-meat entree.

Mactan

I was choosing between this and another seafood dish but I opted for the other dish because of the rice. My dish wasn’t bad but next time, I promise to try this one because these prawns look too good to pass on.

Menu describes Mactan as a dish of grilled prawns with dried scallops, chili, cucumber, radish and XO sauce served with brown rice risotto and green asparagus.

Baked oyster in 3 terrific flavors!

The menu describes this dish named “Ostrea” as “Baked oyster in 3 terrific flavors: Spinach and Bacon, Cream cheese and Basil, and Tomatoes and Anchovy. I’m a big fan of the one with tomatoes and anchovies. YUM!

Sweet and tangy salmon beautifully plated with fresh, crisp greens and parmigiano-reggiano shavings.