ONE OF THE BEST PARTIES EVER held by the Cebu chapter of La Chaine des Rotisseurs was at the Hilton Hotel in Mactan. It had a roaring twenties theme and best exponents in costume were La Chaine’s head for the Philippines Michel Lhuillier and his wife Amparito Llamas-Lhuillier who heads the Cebu chapter.

Welcoming all were the Hilton’s Manny Osmeña in a white linen suit, the hotel’s general manager and Mrs. Harald Fuertsein, executive chef Peter Wicki, and Ma. Luisa “Bojic” Balaclatos, food and beverage manager.

Pre-dinner cocktails were served at the lobby. Almost everyone stayed near the driveway to watch the arrivals and join the chorus of oohs and aahs. Amparito, ever the stunner, was in white, ablaze with diamonds, an aigrette on her coiffed hair.

Tesselated flapper gowns for the ladies were the order of the night, some showing well-turned-out kneecaps, others dripping down to jewelled ankles. There were feather boas galore, head bands glittering like diadems, and ropes of pearls which flew in every direction as those ladies did the Charleston.

There were high kicks as well as knocked knees.

A Chaine event is primarily a gastronomic experience with fine wines to match a well-planned menu. This one rated superlatives, as in the juiciest roast beef ever, dispensed by slabs from a carving station. And the most succulent oysters piled high at another area of the buffet.

I forgot all about dessert what with a series of entertainment numbers staged by the talented Richie Mendoza. The Great Ideas Quartet played 1920’s hits, while a bevy of the most beautiful girls danced to “Puttin’ at the Ritz” and more. “This is roarin’ at the Hiltz,” someone quipped.

Enter the lovely Natasha Kang, in a slinky gown shimmering with beads, crooning “Someone to Watch Over Me.” She glided to the piano where tinkled Rudy Climaco, and gave a full repertoire. There was a collective swoon when she sang “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”

And so the evening progressed with more songs, more wine poured, and more laughter, specially at the gaming tables of a simulacrum of Le Casino de Paree. “If this were for real I’d have made a fortune by now,” giggled Carmen Campbell, amassing winning chips.

Congratulations were heaped on the members of the board. Aside from Michel and Amparito, present were Teresin Mendezona, Dr. Nestor Alonso, Dr. Vivina Yrastorza, Al Evangelio, and Dave Sharpe who heads L’Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Degustatuers in Cebu.

They are all gearing up for the next two events of La Chaine. One is a fellowship at the Marriott Hotel with a Harry Potter theme, says GM Roy Abraham. Another is the Dec. 10 anniversary gala at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel. GM Hans Hauri says it will have a “Belle Epoque” theme.

The epoch evoked is that of the years between 1890 and 1910, which means art noveau, and if the ladies want to pattern their gowns after the fashion of the era they’ll have to dig out some DVDs. These could have Audrey Hepburn in “My Fair Lady,” Leslie Caron in “Gigi” or Grace Kelly in “The Swan.”

Exquisite dinner

A dinner that had the elegance of a Chaine event and an exquisite menu was that hosted by Michel and Amparito at their home in honor of M. Christian Merer, the French Embassy’s new counselor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs. He came with his wife Mme. Thu who is from Vietnam, and speaks French beautifully.

Since Michel’s installation as the honorary consul of France in the Visayas, the French cultural scene in Cebu has more than perked up. Present at this event were the director of Cebu’s Alliance Francaise Louis Thevenin, his pretty wife Honeylet, and Joel del Prado of Pino restaurant.

Cocktails were served at the petit gloriette at one end of the lawn, with homemade appetizers. Dinner was at the formal dining room, masterfully prepared by Chef Dietmar Dietrich of the Gustavian. On the menu: Duck liver pate with cranberry sauce followed by French onion soap. After the lemon sorbet came the entree.

On a large plate was a medallion of Angus beef, accompanied by Prawns a la Beransie, Protobello mushroom sauce, and organic vegetables grown at the Lhuillier farm in northern Cebu. Better than one dessert is a double take-cream brulee and chocolate cheese cake.

“Where had all the fine wines served come from?” Monsieur Merer wanted to know. Michel smiled broadly as he said, “Come, I’ll show you.” He led the group down to his wine cellar. Everyone who has visited it finds it astounding.

Shortly after M. Mere was back in Cebu, this time escorting a most beautiful French lady-Evelyn de Corps. She has the rank of ambassador and is based in Paris at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our chance to meet her was at the Gustavian over luncheon meeting arranged by M. Thevenin. Mme. De Corps is not just beautiful, but chic and extremely refined. Her English is impeccable, and so is her Spanish.

There was a visit to the Alliance Francaise facilities, and another to Casa Gorordo, the 19th century house in “old Cebu” kept as a museum of the era by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi). On hand to welcome Evelyn, Christian and Louis was Dr. Jocelyn Gerra, Rafi director of its Cultural Heritage Program.

On exhibit at the art gallery was a retrospective of the late Martino Abellana, eminent Cebuano painter who is a gifted student of Fernando Amorsolo. Martino passed on what he learned from the “maestro” to his students in Cebu. They recently banded themselves for a group show aptly titled Martino Abellana’s Harvest.