Valentine’s Day is on a Tuesday this year. Ho-hum.

For most of us who have 9-to-5 jobs, it’s a great challenge to squeeze in a romantic Valentine’s day right in the middle of a busy week. Luckily, Bluewater Maribago gives us a romantic 3-course special available at The Cove Restaurant for the whole month of February.*

They call it, Everyday I Love You.

Fully aware of how reservations can blow up every February 14, my husband and I decided to celebrate Valentine’s day a week early to elude the crowd. Our evening started with a long island iced tea at the Oyster Bar, a few steps away from The Cove. Pre-dinner drinks and gorgeous seaside views are always a great way to start a romantic dinner.

Now that we’ve established a wowing view, it’s time to discuss an equally important part of this experience: the food.

Bread appetizers came in a variety of shapes, sizes and taste which was perfectly complemented by balsamic vinegar and The Cove’s signature organic butter.

My taste buds were further intrigued by the first course served soon after. We knew were getting the freshest scallops and oysters in town since The Cove’s seafood tanks were literally just a few steps away from our table. My husband picked the Crisp Oysters in panko breadcrumbs, mesclun greens, pickled vegetable salad and classic citrus mayonnaise while I chose Pan Fried Scallops with fresh apple salad, fresh coriander and virgin olive oil.

Before we dove in to our seafood starters, our server gracefully asked us to pick our wine for the evening. My husband chose a sparkling wine which perfectly paired the wild salmon that he will have later while I, on the other hand, may have raised some eye brows for ordering a Chardonnay with beef for my main. In my defense, I’ve had a lot of seafood this day and seemed only fitting to pick white wine for better digestion.

We have quickly devoured the beautifully garnished oysters and scallops which may have signaled our server to hurry up the main course.

I was like a kid in a candy store upon seeing my Beef Pesto on the serving tray. It looked like a beautiful mess of spinach, courgette, beetroot salad, olives and pesto sauce girdling the pan seared US Beef Tenderloin steak marinated in soy vinegar.

Beef was perfectly cooked to medium done which was just right up my alley. The spinach are to die for! They’re not just there to brighten up the plate. The earthy sweet beetroot salad was perfect with it together with sharp olives to contrast.

My husband may have noticed my joy while chewing every juicy piece of steak so he asked for a small piece to satisfy his curiosity. He’s always been so critical about beef and how it’s cook because well, he’s French and apparently, there are some standards to follow when preparing a perfect steak. Judging by the numerous nods he made, The Cove’s beef pesto passed with flying colors! Compliments to the chef are in order.

I gazed upon my husband for having an even classier spin on Wild Salmon nestled in a swirling mizo glaze, exotic mushrooms and gingered baby carrots.

He is a salmon kind of man which is why whenever there is salmon on the menu, he’d go for it. And, with The Cove’s seared wild salmon, he was absolutely delighted for making the right choice. He was raving about it so I didn’t miss my chance to have a bite myself. He recommended to pair it with exotic mushroom which enhanced the salmon’s flavor in every chew. It was divine! My heart broke a little for not choosing the salmon but hey, I was absolutely over the moon with my Beef Pesto. Besides, one of the perks of dining together is sharing our meals so it is a win-win situation.

As for the sides, we had options of fries, mashed potato or garlic rice. And if beef and salmon are not your preferences, other options for the main course include (1) slowly Braised pork belly with apple, garlic puree and port jus and (2) Snapper with clams and chorizo.

After we cleaned up our plates, our ever eager server brought us the desserts with a bright smile. There’s just something magical about this Red Velvet Cheesecake with amaretto chocolate truffles that enveloped my tongue like nothing else can. My husband thought his Almond Chocolate Mousse could use a little bit more sweetness but I was pleased to find that it was well balanced and not at all heavy or overly sweet.

Service was as charming as it got. We were treated like royalty and the tables were laid out impeccably. The Cove didn’t fail to create an intimate dining ambiance which we absolutely adored. ❤

Want to impress someone special? Here’s the place to do it.

The Cove Restaurant
Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort
Buyong Maribago, Lapu-lapu City
Cebu, Philippines 6015
032 402 4100

*Offer is not available on the evening of February 14 because of a Valentine’s special dinner at The Cove.

*We received a complimentary Everyday I Love You dinner at The Cove in return for our honest and open review. The views and opinions expressed on this post are purely ours and not influenced by the hotel and its affiliates in any way.