C’est Magnifique! Joel’s The French Bistro

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Escargot

Joel Rama del Prado and Carla Larrazabal del Prado are our hosts as the Sake Society of Manila descended upon The French Bistro PH at the Active Fun Building on 9th Avenue, BGC. Located on the second floor, on regular nights, The French Bistro is a dining experience that Joel has carefully curated so that no stone is left unturned in elevating what guests can enjoy—Chef Loïc Brum handling the kitchen, while ambiance, attentive service and libations are handled by the front-of-house staff.

Joel and Carla

For this special Sake Society of Manila dinner, the Philippine Wine Merchants (PWM) was out to prove a point—that the renowned Dassai sake makes for a great pairing with European cuisine. Far from being the haven of purists, The French Bistro was “going Japanese” via the high-quality sake supplied by PWM, and the assembled diners were enthusiastic about the proposed blending of cultures. Blending was going a step further, as Nomad Caviar, a sustainable variant of caviar from China, was getting in on the act and would be a surprise ingredient in one of the courses.

The French Bistro and Philippine Wine Merchants introduce the meal, Chef Loïc in the center

Chef Loïc’s opener was the very classic escargots de Bourgogne; in this case, served in the shell. I’ve often said that the key to this dish is the sauce one finds in the shell, and it should be good enough to “drink” or dunk bread in. Accompanied by the Dassai 45 Sparkling Nigori, this was a nice way to kick off the meal.

Irish oysters with spinach and foie

Huitres cuit au four was Irish oysters with creamed spinach and seared foie gras. Without a doubt, this is one of the best oysters Rockefeller you’ll find in Manila. Super generous with the spinach and foie gras, the oyster became the little “treasure” one found at the end of digging into the shell. A Dassai 39 Junmai Daiginjo complemented this superb second course—my absolute favorite among the courses.

Tartare de boeuf

The tartare de boeuf was Mulwarra Wagyu tenderloin served with Sevruga caviar. As you can see from the photo, if I have to make a comment about the dinner, it would be how big this portion was. I know others will be happy on this point, but I felt the combination of the beef plus the caviar, and the size of the serving, was a tad over the top—given there was still another beef main course to follow. But that may just be me. A Dassai 23 Junmai Daiginjo was a note-perfect pairing for this dish.

Beef Wellington

The beef Wellington with pomme purée, spinach and morel jus would have been a throwback to Chef Loïc’s stint at the Gordon Ramsay restaurant here and was a special dish prepared for the evening. It’s not particularly French—unless we refer to it as filet de boeuf en croûte—but it should be a welcome addition to The French Bistro’s regular menu. I would have preferred the pastry more baked and crisp but was happy with the fillet steak and duxelles. The Dassai 45 was served with this main course.

Crêpes Suzette

Back on traditional French soil, dessert was crêpes Suzette, flambéed in Grand Marnier with orange jus. I loved this shot of nostalgia, and while I’m betraying my age, I first tried this dish at the Au Bon Vivant of Nora Daza in Ermita. The crazy thing is that I remember this dessert but can’t even recall who my date was! A Dassai Umeshu was paired as a dessert wine/sake.

Looking back at the night, it’s great to report that Joel has something exciting going with The French Bistro. The ambiance sets the right tone—it is a bistro and not a stuffy fine-dining place—but it’s not taking a back seat with the quality of the food and the menu selection. I took a look at their regular menu, and I can say I’m excited to head back with Issa and try some of the other dishes.

Sake Society in the house

Chalk it up to the camaraderie and joking around of the Sake Society—it helped that I knew Johnny and Bito from my “past life”—but this was a truly enjoyable night of food, drink and company. Thanks to Carla and Joel for the invitation and for allowing me to experience firsthand what The French Bistro brings to the table and to our culinary landscape.