Great things are happening in BGC’s restaurant scene all the time—that includes Bistrot Le Coucou’s arrival and Steak & Frice’s new slabs of steak
This March, keep your options (and mouths) open as always for BGC.
While the recent openings of Mamacita and Los Tacos MNL seemingly signify a Mexican takeover and innovative Italian institution La Spezia from Quezon City finally opening this side of town and Japanese restaurant Kodawari launching a third location, a formidable new restaurant pioneering a pitch-perfect ode to Paris bistros and a beloved steakhouse expanding its menu are galvanizing appetites with triumphant bids to fill Filipinos up with finer things.
The addition of Bistrot Le Coucou from The Nikkei Group and Amado Forés’ Steak & Frice premium menu update has made BGC even more of a euphoric epicenter of sumptuous experiences
Not that the aforementioned restaurants don’t, as they all offer exquisite flavors and quality experiences for every possible type of customer. But the addition of Bistrot Le Coucou from The Nikkei Group and Amado Forés’ Steak & Frice premium menu update has made BGC even more of a euphoric epicenter of sumptuous experiences.
Bistrot Le Coucou is a perfect ode to the Paris bistro experience
What happens when you open a Parisian wine bistro in Bonifacio Global City helmed by a Spanish chef? You get Bistrot Le Coucou, the latest breathtaking addition to The Nikkei Group’s portfolio.
Sure, the place’s provenance may arouse peculiarity but there’s no identity crisis here. Bistrot Le Coucou deftly navigates the confluence of its various characters.
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In other words, it’s the real deal, thanks largely to Carlo Lorenzana’s vision of transporting his immersive experiences in Paris to Manila, sommelier Jorge Joseph’s fascinating beverage program, and Luis Martinez’s exuberant menu that straddles the coast of his hometown in Valencia up towards France.
The food is simple, really, and reared on high-quality ingredients (some flown in from France) and French techniques to effortlessly capture such distinct bistro flavors
The food is simple, really, and reared on high-quality ingredients (some flown in from France) and French techniques to effortlessly capture such distinct bistro flavors. There’s a rillette with a twist (using Spanish mackerel), fresh Fine de Claire oysters, an onion tartine and beef tartare as well as escargot (oven-roasted and stuff with garlic, butter, and parsley) to start off the French affair.
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Martinez’s ratatouille toys with tradition and innovation as he presents eggplant and zucchini in mille-feuille form, while the entrêcote and frites slathered in a Café de Paris sauce locks down the Manileño cravings for heavy-hitting meats. Then, consider a sampling of fowls—duck confit, braised pigeon, truffle-stuffed chicken—while you sip your choice of wine from Joseph’s curated selection of 36 classic and unique labels from various terroirs.
And just like the cutesy name’s origin (a sweet slang to say hello in French), a visit to Bistrot Le Coucou depicts a dining experience that is French through and through.
At Steak & Frice, a “world of wagyu” tour around the table
Steak & Frice has been impossible to stop since opening in December 2023. But this year, the steakhouse is reveling in its menu expansion dubbed the “World of Wagyu.”
Led by AF Hospitality owner and founder Amado Forés, Steak & Frice’s new prime steaks bolster the kind of experience the young restaurateur has fostered here.
Led by AF Hospitality owner and founder Amado Forés, Steak & Frice’s new prime steaks bolster the kind of experience the young restaurateur has fostered here
Headlining the premium selection is a melt-in-your-mouth Japanese Ōmi A5 wagyu striploin (P9,500 for 12oz); an American wagyu ribeye (P8,550 for 14oz) from Snake River Farms whose beef is actually a cross between Japanese Wagyu and American breeds for a distinct buttery taste and a marbling that “exceeds USDA grading scales”; and lastly, a grain- and chocolate-fed Australian Mayura wagyu tenderloin (P9,200 for 9oz) for an exceptional flavor profile.
As is usual at Steak & Frice, these premium steaks are served with the brand’s signature rice and never-seem-to-get-soggy French fries (and impeccable service from the waitstaff, too), which includes a one-time complimentary refill for both. But we suggest gracing your tables with swanky steak add-ons of either a pan-seared foie gras or a butter-poached lobster tail. Or, just linger for bold red wines at the comfortable booths or pair the main meats even more with a winning aglio olio scampi and typhoon shelter style salt and pepper calamari.
Whatever choice you make, expect it to be good anyway.
