I LOVE Brasserie Cicou. 🙂 Whenever I eat here, I am always assured of great food, quality ingredients, attentive service, and value for money. 🙂 Even their complimentary bread have cult following. People tend to shy away from eating French restaurants, ’cause they have this notion that French food is really expensive, servers would be snobbish, and above all… there’s no rice! ;P Yes, I agree… Many French restaurants are like that. I did too, but Brasserie Cicou changed my mind completely. Let me not forget, the owner, Chef Cyrille Soenen was just inducted as a “Maître Cuisinier de France”, or Master Chef of France. That is one title chefs around the world aspires for.

My recent visit to Brasserie Cicou was because of their new degustation menu in line with “Goût de France” or Good France. Not all chefs can join this prestigious event, only seven establishments in the Philippines passed the screening and were selected. The actual date was on March 19, 2015, with the good intention of promoting French cuisine, culture, and also advocating the use of local ingredients. For Brasserie Cicou, the degustation will run until April 30, 2015, and part of the proceeds will benefit http://achildsdream.ph/home/.

Gougère are basically cream puffs minus the cream plus cheese, Cheese Puffs. This may be a very simple “amuse-bouche”, but this definitely painted a scene on my mind and on my palette of what to expect. Very classical French, using Filipino ingredients.

I am not a fan of fish, and I have the option not to order this dish. I still insisted of ordering the entire degustation menu, because then I would be able to appreciate what the chef wants to communicate through his menu.

The sweetness and different textures of the Beetroot, compliments really well with the fish terrine. The goat cheese is a little “kicker” to provide salinity to the dish. Those little mexican cucumber provided crunch, and freshness. If all fish dishes would only be this good, I’ll be happily eating my fish. 🙂

This is a clear winner! Chicken oysters are the best part of the chicken. It has the best texture, and flavor in a chicken. There are only two oysters per chicken. Located usually with the thigh part, it is a small round piece of meat near the backbone. Pair that with offal, and cheese sauce. Flavors are so pronounce yet not overpowering, textures are really playing all over my mouth. I love this dish!!!

Another fish dish, but I am so glad I did not skip this. Pampano fish and squid is perfectly cooked, and well-seasoned. But what made me like this dish is the parsley sauce. I thought it would be grassy, but I was wrong. It was clean, creamy, light, airy.

Yet another winner! Lamb loin is butter knife soft, and do not have that “gamey” lamb flavor, although the lamb confit is a tad gamey and sweet which compliments the first texture of lamb. What I really liked about this dish, is the bell pepper purée… Just liven up the entire dish. It tasted similar to “sriracha”, made the dish cohesive. Lovely!!! 🙂

I was kinda sad when this was served to me, not because it was not good but rather because I know the meal is about to end. I was really having so much fun with all the dishes, the menu is inspiring me a lot, and I am learning a lot from this experience. This cheese dish with their very very well-made bread is simply divine! 🙂

Although I personally prefer the classic Kouign Amman with Salted Caramel Ice Cream more, this in itself is equally good. Brasserie Cicou is well-known for their really good Kouign Amman creations, a meal will not be complete without this as dessert. 🙂

Disclaimer: I fully paid for my meal. Everything written here is entirely based on my own opinion, my own biases, and my own insights.

Brasserie Cicou

57 Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan, Philippines

Contact Number: +63 2 661 9200

Mobile: +63 917 885 8841

Website: http://restaurantcicou.com/

Budget: P2,100 (food only) or P3,700 (with wine pairing), plus 10% service charge

Payment: Cash and Card

Operating Hours:

Tuesday to Sunday – 07:00 AM to 11:00 PM (closed on Monday)

I’ve dined, I’ve dreamed, and I’ve donated… 🙂

Stay hungry,

thehungrychef

Nathaniel Uy