Goût de France: Experience French cuisine at its finest!
“France’s heritage is its cuisine, its wines,” French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Laurent Fabius claims. “But it is a heritage that should not simply be contemplated, glorified and savoured; it is a heritage that should be built upon and showcased.”
And showcased it will be. On March 19, 2015, Goût de France (or Good France) will feature “the gastronomic meal of the French [which] has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2010.”
Inspired by Auguste Escoffier, who launched the “Dîners d’Épicure” (Epicurean Dinners) – the same menu, the same day, in several world cities and aimed at as many diners as possible – in 1912, Goût de France/Good France reproduces that beautiful idea with the desire to involve restaurants all around the world. 1,300 chefs have been selected to participate in this campaign worldwide to offer a French dinner that would pay tribute to the culinary tradition of France, which values high-quality, innovative, and environmentally responsible cuisine.
“French cuisine is the interpreter of a cuisine that has evolved towards lightness in harmony with its environment,” said world-renown chef Alain Ducasse, whose initiative made this event possible. “The common point of this event is generosity, sharing and the love of what is beautiful and tastes good. It will be a delightful interlude and an opportunity to celebrate French cuisine worldwide.”
Here in the Philippines, Goût de France will be celebrated in seven different restaurants across the metro with eight carefully-selected premium chefs from the country cooking up a storm. They are Chef Michel Herbert of Le Bistro d’Agathe, Chef Ronnie Reyes of Bizu Patisserie, Chef Cyrille Soenen of Brasserie Ciçou, Chef Marc Aubry of Champêtre, Chef Kevin Endaya of Lemuria, Chef Thomas Wenger of Restaurant 101 and Chefs Bettina Arguelles and Denis Vecchiato of Spiral.
Menus include a traditional French aperitif, a cold starter, a hot starter, fish or shellfish, meat or poultry, a French cheese (or cheeseboard), a chocolate dessert, French wines and digestifs, served with these chefs personal touch and style that highlights their own culinary traditions and cultures. Their menus are as follows:
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Champêtre Boutique and Restaurant
Ground floor, Net One Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Menu by Chef Marc Aubry
PHP 2,200 per person
Cold starter: Fine Chicken Liver Terrine with Cognac Glaze
Hot starter: Veal Sweetbread & Mushroom Fricassee in Pastry
Fish / Crustacean: Grilled Scallops with Lyonnaise Potato & Red Wine Tarragon Butter Sauce
Meat / Poultry: Roasted French Duck Magret with Green Madagascar Peppercorn Sauce
Cheese: Maroille Cheese Puff with Salad
Dessert: Fresh Strawberry Charlotte Cake with Sauce
Coffee or Tea
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1154 Gen. J. Lacuna St. cor. Rodriguez Ave., Bangkal, Makati
Menu by Chef Michel Herbert
PHP 1,450 per person
Sparkling Wine Appetizer with Canapés
Cold starter: Crab Meat Cake with Mango Salsa
Hot starter: Toast Smoked Salmon
Fish / Crustacean: Creamy Garlic Prawns
Meat / Poultry: Beef Tenderloin Medallions Provençale
Cheese: French Cheese Plate
Dessert: Chocolate Profiterolles
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Ground floor, One Rockwell Bldg, Rockwell Drive, Makati City
Menu by Chef Ronnie Reyes
PHP 1,800++ per person
Cold starter: Foie Gras Macaron with Black Cherry Jam and Light Sprout Salad
Hot starter: Trio of Escargot in Puff Pastry with Garlic Parsley Butter Sauce
Fish / Crustacean: Crab Ravioli in Saffron Bisque Sauce
Meat / Poultry: Prime Rib-eye with Celeriac Potato Mash, Zucchini and Carrot Ribbons with Black Peppercorn Cream Sauce
Cheese: Caramelized Brie Flambée with Truffles
Dessert: Valrhona Chocolate Trio, Alpaco Chocolate Macaron, Salted Milk Chocolate JavaraLactee and Orange Chocolate Soufflé
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57 Annapolis St., San Juan
Menu by Chef Cyrille Soenen
PHP 2,100++ per person / PHP 3,700++ per person (inclusive of 1 glass of champagne, 2 glasses of wine, and 1 calvados)
Cold starter: Tawilis Gravlax Terrine, Fresh Malagos Goat Cheese, Declination of Beet root
Hot starter: Squash Flower Stuffed with Pamora Cockscomb and Soja Bean Sprouts, Confit of Pamora Chicken Oysters, Squash Risotto, Parmesan Foam Sauce
Fish / Crustacean: Pampano and Squid Fricassée, Snail and Parsley Flan, Sauté of Assorted Mushrooms and Cauliflower, Parsley Sauce
Meat / Poultry: Roasted Lamb Loin Wrapped with Nori Bonbon of Lamb Shoulder Confit with Mangoes and Pili Nut, Bellpepper and Ube Purée, Lamb Jus with Coriander
Cheese: Brie de Meaux Stuffed with Assorted Nuts and Fruits from the Philippines
Dessert: Chocolate Kouign Amann with Muscovado Ice Cream, Vanilla Madeleine with Don Papa Rum
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5 Julieta Circle, Horseshoe Village, Quezon City
Menu by Chef Kevin Endaya
PHP 3,500 per person
Lemuria Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Paté
Grand Marnier
Cold starter: Seared Veal and Tuna Tartare
Hot starter: Chilean Black Mussels in White Wine Sauce
Fish / Crustacean: Halibut Baked in Vine Leaves
Meat / Poultry: Quail Two Ways
Cheese: Cheese Plate
Dessert: Neufchatel Cheesecake, Pernot Ricard
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1100 Campus Avenue, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
Menu by Chef Thomas Wenger
PHP 2,480 per person
Cold starter: Steamed Angel Clam, Champagne Gratin
Hot starter: Salad of Salt Cured Blue Marlin, Warm Blinis
Fish / Crustacean: Roast Lapu-Lapu Fillet and King Prawn, “Bouillabaisse” Style
Meat / Poultry: Black Olive-Stuffed Wagyu Beef Tenderloin, Royal of Pumpkin, Malagos Goat Cheese-Filled Eggplant, Green Herb Emulsion
Cheese: Assorted French Cheeses from the Trolley, Dried Fruit Bread
Dessert: Coconut Macaron, Chocolate Sorbet, Mango Preserve
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Sofitel Philippine Plaza, CCP Complex Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City
Menu by Chefs Bettina Arguelles and Denis Vecchiato
PHP 2,500 per person / PHP 3,500 per person with wine pairing
Cold starter: Homemade Duck Prosciutto Corn Crème Brulée
Hot starter: French Pea Velouté Venison Loin, Pistachio Dust
Fish / Crustacean: Slow-Cooked Salmon in a Broth of Mussels, Calamari and Candy Lemon
Meat / Poultry: Pan Fried Beef Rossini with Goose Liver and Truffles in a Bed of Parmesan and Chives, Mashed Potatoes
Cheese: Truffled Brie En Croute Port Wine Honey, Macadamia Brittle
Dessert: Deconstructed Strawberry Shortcake Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
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For reservations, please contact the participating restaurants. Celebrate French cuisine and gastronomy with the rest of the world through Goût de France! Learn more about the event through www.facebook.com/FrenchEmbassyPH.
Goût de France / Good France in the Philippines is made possible through the support of the local restaurant partners Le Bistro d’Agathe, Bizu Patisserie, Brasserie Ciçou, Champêtre Boutique and Restaurant, Lemuria, Restaurant 101 of Enderun Colleges, and Spiral and sponsors Elle & Vire, Staub, and Don Papa rum.
