REMEDY FOR YOUR ILLS AND AILMENTS
I’m no expert, but I do love a glass of good wine. And, wine is deemed worthy not only for its complexity and balance, or the price it commands, or for its terroir and heritage, but also for its benefits to the drinker.

Landais enthuses, “We chose the name Dr. Wine when we were in China because the Chinese are very into traditional medicine, which is always about eating and drinking something that is good for your body and for your health. So, we picked up on this, and the name was born. Because we all know that really good wine has so many health benefits for you!” Historically, no less than famed French microbiologist and chemist, Louis Pasteur hailed wine as “the healthiest and most health-giving of drinks.”

Dr. Wine’s medicine chest, then, is stockpiled with remedies: the bar showcases over 200 carefully curated bottles, from wine regions across the globe – Old and New World, alike – with a slight leaning towards French wines. “After all, I am still French,” Landais jovially exclaims. Bottles range from just under a thousand pesos, to well-into the thousands, with one of the oldest vintages being the 1996 Chateaux Margaux, alongside surprising newer discoveries from South Africa, New Zealand and Portugal, to name a few countries of origin. The costliest wine on the roster, perhaps is the Château Lafite Rothschild, a 1998 vintage from Pauillac, Bordeaux in France, which can be had at an eye-popping P99,000 a bottle.

While you are free to order as you please, should you need a helping hand, in-house sommelier Charles Seguin would be more than happy to “prescribe” a bottle for whatever ails you. Aside from the almost astounding array of wines, the bar boasts of an equally impressive selection of spirits. And, for a breath of fresh air and a panoramic view of the surrounding neighborhood, you can always head on up to Kartel Rooftop Bar. Landais points out that Kartel’s annual New Year’s Eve party is nothing short of legendary, with a 360-degree vantage point of the city’s fireworks, to boot.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE CLINIC - IT’S YOUR WELLNESS RETREAT
A visit to this particular doctor’s “clinic” is, indeed, a highly pleasant experience. As a matter of fact, the enjoyment of your experience is something that Landais cites among his top three priorities for Dr. Wine, Third Floor, and Kartel with overall quality and service being the other two aspects. Every inch of the venue has been meticulously designed by Landais to exude a warm, welcoming, and soothing ambiance. The Third Floor private dining room, meanwhile, affords a more intimate feel, with its own kitchen and living area flanking a large, 16-seater wooden table. Up on the rooftop, Kartel gives off that same rustic, industrial feel, in a more easygoing atmosphere, under starlit skies and city skylines.

No prescription at Dr. Wine is ever truly “filled” without a sampling of its scrumptious European culinary offerings. With talented and hospitable Belgian-French chef Julien Lecomte at the helm, the menu brims with French gastronomy at its finest.

“We are very much focused on platters for sharing. At first, we started with a lot of cold cuts and cheeses, but last year we came out with a much more complete menu, but still on the bistro side. We now offer more main and hot dishes, typical in the spirit of the Parisian bistro and the Parisian wine bar,” Lecomte points out.

Chef Julien starts off our “treatment” with an appetite-opening Tuna & Shrimp Delicacy Salad, a marvelous medley of succulent tuna chunks, “mi cuit” or half cooked, with a gorgeous pan-sear on the outside, but juicy and fresh on the inside, grilled shrimps, sundried tomatoes, ripe mango slices, and roasted pine nuts over a bed of salad greens. On its heels comes the Traditional Steak Tartare, raw tenderloin beef “a la minute,” prepared the customary way with egg yolk, seasoning and assorted condiments, served with fries. The dish that follows proves my favorite – Lapu-Lapu “A La Bruxelloise” which is not only a nod to Lecomte’s culture, but also a truly delightful flavor adventure of plump lapu-lapu fish fillets and shrimps, swathed in a savory thick sauce of carrots and leeks, topped with fried fennel. To satiate the more carnivorous hankerings, the bestselling Braised Australian Lamb Shank, marinated for 24 hours in red wine and herbs, then slowly cooked for another four hours, is indeed a must-try. The almost decadent flavors of this dish become even more indulgent with a side order of Stir Fry French Beans with Shallots and Bacon Bites. The final step to this incredible food fix is, of course, dessert – a divine concoction of chocolate custard, topped with whipped cream, a Belgian wafer, and a sprinkling of pink peppercorns known as the Doctor’s Stairway to Heaven.

Aside from their exciting new menu, Dr. Wine highlights the finest in local and imported seafood (think: lobster from Maine and oysters from France, among others!) at its Sunday Brunch. And, soon to open, Dr. Bread! Be still, my carbohydrate-loving heart. This new venture, right next door to Dr. Wine, will serve a range of artisanal, freshly baked breads very soon.

It began with a vision to make good wines accessible to the market, in the interests of health and of wine education. It has morphed into a sanctuary that helps heal not only the body, but also the soul.