Gilles Garachon, France’s new ambassador to the Philippines, made an official visit to Cebu with his wife Isabelle and their two sons, Valentin and Arthur. They stayed at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa.
Ambassador Garachon paid courtesy calls on Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia. He also took the opportunity to meet the French community in Cebu during a reception held at the premises of Alliance Française de Cebu.
On hand to welcome him were France’s Honorary Consul in the Visayas Michel Lhuillier with his wife Amparito Llamas Lhuillier, as well as Alliance Française de Cebu’s director Louis Thevenin, deputy director Juliette Blouin, and project manager Mary Ann Farrugia.
Consul Lhuillier expressed his gratitude for the support the French Embassy has given Alliance Française de Cebu. In turn, Ambassador Garachon congratulated the cultural agency for its intense activity not only imparting lessons in the French language but also undertaking multifarious cultural activities.
Recently held at Ayala Center Cebu were three events that generated large appreciative audiences. There was the French Hip-Hop performance by athletic young men who danced like acrobats. On June 16 was Fête de la Musique with over 30 participating groups and individuals. From June 21-23 a French film festival drew crowds of young people.
Among those present at the reception was a group of young French teachers like Valerie Cui who runs her own school, and the Alliance faculty: Thomas Le Grand, Marine Gorree, Karen Patlingrao, Elise Robillart, Vince Lampert and Quentin Secleppe.
Alliance Française de Cebu will soon transfer from its current location to the Pink House, erstwhile residence of the prominent Velez family along Gorordo Avenue. It has been redecorated with impeccable good taste by French lady Delphine de Lorme who has given it an Indochinese look.
Aside from the regular activities of Alliance Française the place will also have a gourmet French restaurant aptly called La Maison Rose. That’s where Ambassador and madame Garachon went for dinner after the reception.
It was an opportunity for them to meet the owners of the house—Asuncion Velez; Sr. Marietta Velez of the Religious of the Good Shepherd convent; and Polly Velez Garilao, with her husband Ernie Garilao and their two pretty daughters, Karina and Lizzie.
“We are so happy with how the house looks,” they said, adding that it has kept its original features, and that these have even been enhanced. It was their parents, Jose and Juanita Velez, who designed its moon doors and arches, in the 1930s.
Honeylet Samia Thevenin, who manages La Maison Rose, had trained the service brigade to greet guests with “Bon soir,” and taught them to fill those champagne flutes with chilled Moët & Chandon. The Blinis canapes were simply delicious.
It was a seated dinner prepared by chef Jean-Pierre Dujay. Dishes were announced with French flair by Henri de Lorme, TV producer of international fame who with his wife Delphine has based himself in Cebu. Everything was pronounced exquisite.
The Salade Nordique was followed by a Bouillabaisse highlighted by creamy mayonnaise. The Boef Bourgignone was the juiciest ever, and the cheese platter that followed was most tempting. The evening’s crowning glory was a Floating Island dessert.
Next day Ambassador Garachon was received with great honor—trumpets blaring, the whole works—at the University of San Jose Recoletos. Dr. Mila Espina had arranged for him to meet the university’s president Fr. Enrico Silab, OAR, vice president for academics Fr. Manuel Bolilla, OAR, and dean Edgar Detoya.
Epicurean
Lunch was another epicurean experience at La Maison Rose, this time for the Cebu media to meet Ambassador Garachon. There was green salad with condiments, slabs of grouper fish and scrumptious strawberry Bavarois for dessert. Then, the ambassador was off to see the heritage sites of southern Cebu in Carcar and Boljoon.
Dinner that evening was at the scenic hilltop home of Michel and Ampartio Lhuillier. There were white orchids in bloom all over the place. Cocktails and canapes were served at the gazebo. A steady drizzle refreshed the evening and made every blade of grass sparkle.
The dinner table drew ohhs and ahhs from the guests. Aside from Ambassador and madame Garachon, present were Louis and Honeylet Thevenin, Henri and Delphine de Lorme, Virginie Senftle and Christoph Calligaro.
The dinner table was abloom with orchids, and decorated with Lalique crystal swans. The service was by Royal Doulton with the signature of Monique Lhuillier, which was also etched on the fine cut glass stemware.
Michel and Amparito had asked chef Raki Urbina to prepare a Filipino fusion menu which rated raves for its Cebuano accent. The binakol soup had morsels of chicken and young coconut plus chili leaves. The timbale of pitik-pitik (rock lobster) was laced with ripe mango. The grouper fillet was tinged with mild laing and drizzled with cashew bits.
The calamansi sorbet had rose petals, and with it came crystal jiggers of ice-cold Polish Zubrowka vodka. The angus beef was with a Cebuano templa, and an assortment of Filipino delicacies did the delights of all at dessert time. Top wines from Michel’s cellar were poured, like Chateau Talbot, white Pouilly Fune and Chateau Haut Brim.