Quezon City is a very colorful locale, populated by politicians, activists, writers, artists, etc. While poverty remains rampant in some areas, intellectual discourse and artistic expression likewise thrive in various sections of the city. There’s an appreciation for art and culture – and that includes cuisine – that is sincere and without the pretentions that other places (sometimes) display. Some restaurants hit the note of excellence and welcome guests without tearing their wallets apart.
Katre, for example, has withstood the test of time for consistently offering creative dishes at reasonable prices, which leaves guests satisfied and smiling when they leave. Uva is a similar restaurant (long gone, though) that is dearly missed.
Cuisinier Brasserie, a French-Mediterranean restaurant on Timog, upon first glance displayed a promise of achieving such stature. The restaurant has a subdued elegance about it. The interiors are tasteful without being opulent. The main wall’s subdued hues highlight the golden tile art on the left side of the wall. The space is conducive to conversation.
The waiters are not only accommodating but honest. Aside from returning the P500 bill that fell from my pocket, they were honest and told me when exactly a bottle of the “wine by the glass” had been opened. (I have experienced other restaurants being inclined to hide the information that bottles had been opened one or two days previously.) Although sometimes too honest. “Can I have mashed potatoes?” “Wala po sa side order pero yung croquettes, mashed potato po yun sa loob, pinrito lang yung labas [Sorry, it’s not included in the side order but the croquettes are also made of mashed potatoes, but fried].” Ayos!
The wine list is limited but with cute touches. Most notable on the list is the brand The Fat Bastard, whose name’s wit is not lost in its flavor.
The menu is extensive and interesting. It offers classic French dishes that are not even available in other well-known French restaurants in the country. Beef bourgignon, for example, is also available at La Regalade on Pasay Road (but not in Aubergine, Tivoli nor Champetre, the resurrected version of Je Suis Gourmand), and over there what is offered is no longer the classic version but an expression of it by new executive chef Luis de Terry. Here it is presented in the traditional manner and is very satisfying. The beef is tender with its flavors pounding on you through its rich undertones. The sauce is thick and full bodied.
The bouillabaisse, aside from owning a fascinating presentation of seafood reminiscent of the performers of “Varekai,” is both fragrant and flavorful. The French onion soup or Soupe a L’Oignon as it says on the menu may draw the same review.
Other items, however, have beauty that is only skin deep. The duck l’orange or Canard A’la Orange on the menu, a “roast magret of duck valette served with orange and grand marnier sauce and pomme croquettes” achieves the tangy sweet against savory effect desired for the sauce but the duck is tough and gummy. The same may be said of the scallops or the Coquilles Saint-Jacques Mornay, described on the menu as “[b]aked half shell of scallops, piped potato and gruyere cheese sauce.” The presentation is beautiful, the cheese topping is excellent but the scallops somehow fall short in texture. They’re like those beauty contestants who astound you during the swimsuit and evening gown competitions—and you are rooting for them–but then they fail to deliver during the Q&A portion. Major major sayang.
Then there’s the piece that is too much of a good thing. The Cassolet de Tripe, a “[s]auted ox tripe with cream sauce covered with puff pastry,” entices you with its smell. First, the heady bready scent of the puff pastry as the dish is placed before you. Then when you break the shell, another happy, heady hello from the savory smell of the ox tripe swimming in stock. And you enjoy the first three bites. But then there is just sooo much tripe. It’s too much stomach to stomach.
Other items on the menu are “okay.” (I’ve observed that in our culture the three descriptive words/phrases for food are: “hindi masarap” which means the dish tastes terrible; “masarap” which means the dish is delicious; and “okay lang” which means the dish is not delicious but not terrible either.) The Paella Valenciana (a Spanish visitor at this French restaurant), for instance, has an overpowering tomato flavor but if you desire something that will continuously tease your tongue, this is it. Interestingly, the waiters ask you if you prefer it “al dente” before they place the order. (By the way, the resto also offers other imports: pizzas and sandwiches, probably for the lunch crowd.)
The desserts, on the other hand, are “masarap.” The brandy cream cake is beautifully moist with the brandy definitely making its presence felt. The Gateaux le Cuisinier is a unique chocolate cake that is not too creamy but instead offers a rather sticky texture and with very refined, almost muted chocolate flavors. It is interesting at the very least.
Cuisinier is also a “culinary studio” and offers cooking classes. A celebrity student who had reportedly enrolled is a beauty queen whose beauty is definitely not just skin deep, Precious Lara Quigaman. They also offer catering services.
The restaurant has a long way to go before it becomes the Aubergine of Quezon City or before it owns the lasting power of Katre. But it has a culinary school so if it’s in the business of learning and not just earning from learning, it may just last. If handled well, it may even become the staple dinner place for the culturally and intellectually inclined crowd of Quezon City. If. •
The Cuisinier Brasserie, Richwell Bldg., 102 Timog Ave., Quezon City. Tel. 426-5872. No reservations required. Major credit cards accepted. Wheelchair accessible. Open daily for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; for dinner Sunday to Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.
photographs by Margaux Salcedo