Discovery Primea’s Flame restaurant brings all the indulgences of brunch into private dining.
There is an unspoken rule about brunch that without cocktails, it’s just a sad breakfast. Which is why a mimosa, Chardonnay or a bubbly is a must. I’d like to add eggs benedict to the list. If I don’t have it for brunch—even when there’s striploin, waffles and omelets—it’s still just a breakfast I didn’t wake up for.
Because brunch is intentional: you do not set the alarm clock that early, but you do expect to be a little tipsy by the end of it. It’s an unhurried unfolding of food and cocktails, and light conversations that begin with: “So, what did you think of the Netflix adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude?”
The question isn’t out of the blue. I’m seated across from Discovery Primea’s General Manager, David Pardo de Ayala—a Colombian I first met more than 20 years ago, back when he was the chef at Le Soleil, his first restaurant in Manila. Since 2013, David has been at the helm of Primea, after two decades with the Discovery Group that saw him rise from executive chef at Discovery Suites in Ortigas to corporate chef for the entire group.
Between David in front of me, a former colleague to my left, and two food influencers to my right, the conversation is bouncing from Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude and book-to-movie adaptations to Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin in New York, and the proper use of the em dash.
All this while we’re enjoying a delicious brunch of eggs benedict (hurray!), Canadian striploin, green salad, and chocolate desserts by Executive Chef Luis Chikiamco. As for the drinks, we started with a healthy glass of mixed fruit juice before proceeding to the two long tables in Flame’s dining room where we switched to wines.
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A conversation in three courses
First course: Chef Luis offers a burrata salad with grape jam, baby greens, croutons and cherry tomatoes. It eases you into the meal, and pairs well with the crisp notes of white wine. Where Filipino breakfast tends to be heavy and comforting, brunch has the freedom to be playful, mixing indulgence with balance.
Growing up in Bogota where he learned to cook from his grandmother, David says that Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s epic novel was a required reading in high school. He loved the Netflix series, which he thinks did a good job at unpacking the sweeping novel with its confusing, multi-generation, magic realism storyline.
I couldn’t get past the third of eight episodes. I know, it shocked me too, because it seemed so faithful to Gabo’s novel, even starting with the opening line, “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.”
But maybe it was because I was on my long winter trip in Europe when Netflix dropped the series, and I wasn’t exactly patient or excited to be watching TV. But the book, I loved! It was a required reading in Humanities 2 at UP Diliman at the time, and it divided the class into two types: the ones that loved it and would reread it later; and the ones who would rather have a root canal than read it again. Fortunately, I belonged to the former.
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Second course: We have a choice between a Josper-grilled Canadian striploin or Flame’s egg benedict with jamon serrano. I actually prefer a salmon benedict, but nevertheless, I choose it,of course. There’s something about poking the yolk of a poached egg with your fork that’s so satisfying. The way it spills golden over the plate is as indulgent as cracking the caramelized sugar top of a crème brulée with the back of your spoon.
My former colleague from Star, food editor Lai Reyes whom I haven’t seen since the pandemic, orders the striploin and we share each other’s dishes. Her striploin is so tender and smoky, pairing well with the truffle potatoes.
When he came to Manila in 1997, David’s journey as a chef had already been remarkable. Starting in the early 1990s, he became the youngest winner of Colombia’s Nestlé Toca de Oro competition. He went on to refine his skills at top New York restaurants, including David Bouley’s Bouley restaurant and Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin. Long before it became a trend, Bouley highlighted fresh, locally sourced, organic ingredients, often working directly with farmers. I had experienced the three Michelin-starred Le Bernardin in the early 2000s, when chef Eric Ripert was one of the most celebrated chefs in New York. He took the French seafood restaurant even further with his almost raw, lightly cooked dishes. His branzino, however, had such a crisp skin and tender, melting flesh.
Third course: Gianduja chocolate bar, a dark chocolate with hazelnuts. Gianduja is softer and creamier than regular chocolate and was created in the early 1800s in Piedmont, Italy. It’s said that “when cocoa was scarce due to Napoleonic blockades, chocolatiers extended their chocolate supply by mixing in local hazelnuts from the Langhe region, creating a distinctive, nutty-sweet flavor.”
There are food films and series, and then there are those that turn their lens on wine. Among the ones David follows, he says The Bear comes closest to faithfully capturing the chaos of a working kitchen. Both of us being Gen X, talk inevitably turns to one of my favorite food movies of all time: Alfonso Arau’s Like Water for Chocolate, adapted from Laura Esquivel’s novel. Like One Hundred Years of Solitude, this book’s magic realism style portrays family with an extraordinary stroke, weaving love and food into a story where emotions literally seep into the dishes being prepared.
As for wine movies, he loves Alexander Payne’s Sideways, which is about two middle-aged men taking a road trip through California’s wine country. To me, this is one of the rare films that’s miles better than the book source.
“After the movie came out, sales of Merlot plunged worldwide,” David says with a laugh.
That’s because the main character, a wine connoisseur and writer played by Paul Giamatti, has a meltdown over the possibility of having to drink Merlot during a double date. He famously declares: “I’m not drinking any f*cking Merlot!” On the other hand, it made Pinot Noir more popular with casual wine drinkers.
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Skyline views, chef-driven menus
“Our vision for Flame’s private dining is to offer guests an experience that feels both effortless and extraordinary,” David says. “Every detail—from the skyline views to the cuisine and service—is designed to create moments worth celebrating.”
Guests can choose from several rooms within Flame for their private events—not just for brunch for lunch and dinner as well. There’s Urdaneta Dining Room & Wing with lush green views of Urdaneta Village framed by the city skyline. Ayala Dining Room, which overlooks Ayala Avenue, perfect for social gatherings and professional events. And Flame Al Fresco, an open-air venue ideal for cocktails and evening receptions with views of Makati, Rockwell, and BGC. Guests can also transform the entire restaurant into a private venue for their events.
While the brunch highlighted Flame’s private dining possibilities, the restaurant remains open to regular diners daily. The private dining program simply adds another layer of exclusivity for those seeking to celebrate more intimately.
For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 7955 8888, +63 927 624 7494; visit discoveryprimea.com
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