La Cuisine Francaise , G/F Paseo Parkview Condominium, Sedeno corner San Agustin, Salcedo Village, Makati. 501 52 02 or 752 03 35, paseo@lacuisine.ph or info@lacuisine.ph ¿¿¿She¿¿¿s the Chef, I¿¿¿m the French¿¿¿ They started at the Salcedo Saturday Market 4 1/2 years ago, then ventured into Home Delivery, Catering and Wholesale of French Charcuterie to the 5-Star Hotels. In August 2009, they opened their first Restaurant in Salcedo Village. Michele (Filipina & Chef) and Jean (French & Banker) are at the ¿¿¿baguette¿¿¿. The food : High-end French Regional Cuisine with a heavy touch of Provence-the lightest french cuisine- : Fish Soup Marseillaise, Crespeou (Provencal Omelette), Roast Chicken with 40 Cloves (39 or 41 ??) of Garlic, Lamb Shank with Herbs & Couscous, Bouillabaisse, Ratatouille; but also other Regions delicacies : Onion Soup (Bloggers vote it the best in Manila!), Cassoulet, Veau Marengo, Veal Kidneys with Xeres Vinegar (I believe it¿¿¿s the only place in Manila where you can find the Kidneys-really worth trying-). Their trademark are the Pates & Sausages, all homemade, mostly made of Pork, Chicken, Duck & Fish (the Salmon Rillette with Green Peppercorn is a scream). The ¿¿¿Carte¿¿¿ offers 10 different ones. Starting January 17, they will have a Sunday Pate Buffet with loads of Starters & Desserts to complete the Buffet. They call themselves anti-Nouvelle Cuisine and would not take the ¿¿¿Fine Dining¿¿¿ label as they are not at all into ¿¿¿fusion¿¿¿. Though their portions are (too ?)big, I found the food very subtle & sophisticated. In the dessert list, the Iced Nougat with Figues & Ginger and the Chocolate Souffle are not to be missed (even if you are already full..!!). And eventhough the Pecan Pie is an american invention, theirs is everywhere on the blogs..)The average prices : 250 for a soup, 300 for a Starter, 600 for a main course, 230 for a Dessert. A 3-course meal will cost you between 1,100 & 1,200p VAT inclusive. Wines are very reasonably priced compared to the humongous margins that others take, and their house red wine , a Cabernet from Pays d¿¿¿Oc, priced at 850p is very decent. Of course, if you prefer the Saint Julien Ducru Beaucaillou 2001 at 9,900p a bottle, they also have it ! Only French Wines of course ! Layout & Ambiance : The Restaurant is split in two : One Take-Out area where you can find many of the dishes that made them famous at the Salcedo Market , and one full-fledged Restaurant (50 seats). The High ceilings and the ever-present wood give the restaurant a nice rustic,homy and intimate feeling. The numerous early-20th century prints on the walls are worth reading and everywhere. I¿¿¿ve never spent that much time in a C.R !. The Service : Very friendly, not invasive, with knowledgeable waiters but sometimes a bit slow. As a whole, a really enjoyable experience in an area (Salcedo Village) that is suddenly opening up to the world with 2 new hip bars (Bugsy¿¿¿s and Bowlers) surrounding La Cuisine. Why on earth go to the Malls !!? Btw : La Cuisine Francaise is opened 7 days a week (even on public holidays) from 10am til Midnight.

Nougat Glace aux Pistaches is the best dessert ever.... a must try