Latitutde at the Heritage Hotel

Standing along Roxas Boulevard near Manila Bay is the Heritage Hotel, which houses the often overlooked Latitude, the hotel’s restaurant.

Latitude’s menu may be filled with restaurant staples, but they are well-made, and in the case of its steak and a certain soup, quite exceptional.

The Asian Smoked Salmon (Php480) is served with horseradish cream and mango salsa. The cream is more mayonnaise than horseradish and the salsa is overpowered by sweetness, the fish nondescript.

Asian Smoked Salmon

A much better way to start the meal is with Pia’s Green Salad (Php220), a mesclun bouquet with blackened chicken breast fillet served with raspberry dressing served on the side. The vegetables are crisp, the dressing light, a subtle mix of sweet and tangy.

Pia's Green Salad

A pleasant surprise and a must try is the Carrot Ginger with Cilantro soup (Php150), a puree of carrot and ginger with a hint of cilantro. The soup is thick and creamy, its smooth carrot taste enhanced by the heat of the ginger, ending with a kick of cilantro. The soup is made without milk, bit you wouldn’t know it, given how creamy it is. Bang for your buck at a hundred and fifty bucks.

Carrot Ginger with Cilantro soup

We tried two kinds of steaks, the U.S. Ribeye Steak (Php1,100 for 250g and Php1,400 for 350g) and the U.S. Sirloin Steak (Php980 for 250g and Php1300 for 350g). The former is beautifully marbled, while the latter is beefy and juicy, even when cooked well done. It’s important to tell the staff how you want your steak when they take your order, because if you don’t, they’re automatically going to make it well done. It comes with your choice of starch, and grilled vegetables. The mashed potato is smooth and spicy, the grilled vegetables firm and sweet. I was almost tempted to order the vegetables on their own. The steak comes with your choice of sauce: peppercorn, mushroom, pan gravy or red wine, but it still tastes best on its own.

U.S. Sirloin Steak

The cakes (mostly Php140) are mediocre, the cheesecake nice and dense, but lacking tanginess, the tiramisu lacking coffee and tasting a tad too much of cream.

Latitude is a nice place to have a casual lunch in. Stick to the soup and the steak, then take a walk by the bay. It’ll make your day.