A LE BOUCHON LYONNAIS EXPERIENCE AT BRASSERIE CICOU

My husband and I have been already going out for 15 years and have gained tons of pounds from all our food trips... 

Wait a minute, has it been 15 years already?? It seems just like yesterday we had our blind date at Chili's! Hi hi hi! Eww kidding. I'm just being nice since we just had Father's Day yesterday... Tee hee!

Anyhoo, we always pig out on Chinese, American, Filipino, Japanese, Italian, Korean, etc etc, but it just dawned on me that we never set foot at a French restaurant or even a bistro at that! (Does Delifrance count? He he he he) We always get this notion that French restaurants are snooty and they might not let the likes of US in since we could get too "comical" for comfort. But then we received an invite to BRASSERIE CICOU to experience a meal like what they served in Le Bouchon Lyonnais, and suddenly, we were "sacre bleu-ing" at what we have been missing all these years.

Yes, French food is nothing to be feared by your palate, wallet, and personality. It's actually something that could really be enjoyed by everyone who just LOVES to eat. And we were able to enjoy just that very thing plus MORE last Saturday!

BRASSERIE CICOU!

My thoughts exactly!

BRASSERIE CICOU is the creation of Chef Cyrille Soenen who has worked in various Michelin starred restaurants in Paris. 

When you enter BRASSERIE CICOU what greets you is a lovely dining area that (for me) had that slight hint of romance where lights are hushed down giving a very warm feel. You have these simple, countrified tables and chairs that makes it all "un-snobby".

But then you'll notice BRASSERIE CICOU's recognitions...  

... and awards.

All served with a bottle of Moet! He he he he!

In BRASSERIE CICOU, you won't find the stereotype French snobby waiter who will be impatient to get your meals finished pronto. I guess they actually encourage you to while the time and just enjoy your stay no matter how short or long. 

I even know people who enjoyed the food at BRASSERIE CICOU so much that they stayed from 12:00pm to 9:00pm (ahem... Spanky and Gerry... ahem)! 

Mamma mia! 

Wait a minute... That's not french. 

And believe me, overstaying at BRASSERIE CICOU is not difficult especially with the pretty wall paintings.

Wohoo! I'm suddenly in Paris!

A calming mural of St. Francis and his animals.  

Yes in BRASSERIE CICOU just pick the area that you would like to enjoy your Le Bouch Lyonnais meal with and bask into its gastronomic glory with all your might. 

If you wish your meal to be more hush hush, then request for a seat in their private area. 

I spy a Chinese Adonis.... Hmmmm... 

And this is where my favorite foodie group, the KTG settled ourselves in. 

We were at BRASSERIE CICOU to sample their Le Bouchon Lyonnais meal, the first here in the Philippines, that was basically an eat all you can menu of their salad, charcuterie et pate, and dessert for only P1,700.00++. That also includes a serving of one main course of your choice.

According to the very lovely Ms. Anna Soenen, wife of Chef Cyrille, they have come across dining ala Le Bouchon Lyonnais in Lyon, France where food was served ala buffet style on simple tables, counters, or even bars for guests to enjoy and eat all they want. 

The Le Bouchon Lyonnais deal banishes that perception that French food could only be enjoyed with nose up and pinkies out. Everything is actually very casual, spontaneous, and nothing to be intimidated about. It was really more like just gathering a group of people who want to have a fun time with really delicious French food. 

And the best part is? If you know how they always do it in France, there was nothing casual and spontaneous about their food -- everything was intricately prepared and served with utmost divine and care.

And so let's start!

BRASSERIE CICOU served us a chilled glass of Kir Aperitif to get things going. 

Every meal at BRASSERIE CICOU starts off with a complimentary basket of their freshly baked baguettes which were all served warm. 

I reached out for one loaf and ripped it apart. Oh what crunch it gave! He he he he!

Cheers! He he he he!

The BRASSERIE CICOU Les Saladiers! Like I said, these were all refillable up to your heart's content. 

And, do you want to know something really cool? If you want to have an eat all you can feat of JUST the appetizers OR salads, you could do so for only P650.00++! VERY worth your money right?

If you still cannot comprehend all the appetizing probabilities, then just check these all out... 

Salad of Potatoes and Smoked Fish in Olive Oil!

A KTG favorite, BRASSERIE CICOU's Beetroot with Sour Cream!

For a bit of meat, take on the BRASSERIE CICOU's salad of pork sausage, onions, and vinaigrette. 

I loved munching on these BRASSERIE CICOU's French Green Beans ALSO with vinaigrette.

Red Cabbage Confit, Mustard Vinaigrette, and Egg Mimosa!

I never expected this to be soooo good but yes, I had more than one servings of BRASSERIE CICOU's Salad of Lentils with Shallots and Parsley Vinaigrette!

My plate! My beautiful BRASSERIE CICOU salad plate!

Hmmm... Who is that enjoying these BRASSERIE CICOU salads with me?

BRASSERIE CICOU then served their Charcuterie Et Pate. 

You may request for another serving of BRASSERIE CICOU breads to enjoy these assortment of cured meats!

BRASSERIE CICOU's Pork Head Pate which was my favorite along with a dollop of mustard. 

Pate En Croute!

Chicken Aspic with Tarragon! Similar to our Filipino embutido but with herbs and special flavorings. 

My husband is really a finicky eater but he was curious with the BRASSERIE CICOU meats served on a platter. 

By this time Chef Jill Osias, sous chef of BRASSERIE CICOU, dropped by to check on us. I saw also that she went around chatting with other diners to ask how they were finding their dishes. That's nice. I really appreciate extra efforts from chefs like that!

My plate!!!

By this time, we were already full with all the salads and pate's which were all too delicious to pass up. But then, we remembered that we have ONE main course for your Le Bouchon Lyonnais meal!  

Since there were 6 of us in the table, we ordered one of each of the BRASSERIE CICOU main course!

BRASSERIE CICOU's Tablier de Sapeur -- Ox Tripes coated in herb crumbs and carrots done ala "Vichy".

The tripe was still very tender when sliced and was very enjoyable with the tasty carrots. 

My favorite was the BRASSERIE CICOU's Fish Quennel with Crab Bisque and Gruyere cheese simply because I love everything that's creamy...

Time to reach for that bread basket again to mop up all the cheese!

BRASSERIE CICOU's Home Made Pork Sausage with Braised Lentils in Red wine sauce!

BRASSERIE CICOU's Blanquette de Poulet, Chicken with White Cream Sauce, Carrots, Mushrooms, Potatoes, and Shallots! 

This was so hearty and rich! I doubt if one person alone could finish this dish!

BRASSERIE CICOU's Le Coq Au Vin, Braised Chicken in Red wine with carrots, mushrooms and a delicious serving of pasta in cream and parsley!

The chicken was tender fall off the bone on this one with its juices going over to the pasta. Now judge me all you want but I enjoyed this BRASSERIE CICOU dish because it somewhat tasted like adobo. I could just imagine having a plate of this with an extra order of garlic rice.

Tee hee!

And last, BRASSERIE CICOU's Home made Boudouille which is a combination of blood sausage and Andouillette, crushed potatoes with parsley, sauteed apple and beef jus with thyme and shallots!

The Boudouille had a strong meaty taste with bountiful flavors that could be tempered with the delicate mashed potatoes. 

What's taking so long? Bring those dishes over here! 

And it's time to dig in!

My plate! My beautiful BRASSERIE CICOU sampling plate!

Do enjoy your BRASSERIE CICOU's main course with red wine. Roxanne really took care of us that night and kept refilling our goblets! She speaks fluent french too!

"Respondez Sil Vous Plait!"

Wait... Did I just quote something that is from a wedding invite?

Burp! Man that was good! Merci Beaucoup! (NOT the ball pen...)

For an extra P500.00, you could get BRASSERIE CICOU's Le Fromage that is not your ordinary cheese platter. What you get are tubs of St. Marcellin and Cervelle de Canut cheeses that could be quite addicting when you slather a generous amount of it on your chunk of crusty bread. 

Yes. Do save room for THAT also! 

My favorite was the BRASSERIE CICOU St. Marcellin because the sharp flavors complemented my bitefuls of bread just BEEE-YOOOTIFULLY!

For dessert, as if we were not groaning in foodie ecstasy already, BRASSERIE CICOU served Les Bugnes de Lyon with Strawberry Coulis. 

At first I dismissed this as our ordinary biscocho or filipino donut after a teensy weeny bite... 

But give it a generous dip in their apple compote... 

... and my favorite strawberry coulis, and WOW. I think I reached out for 2 or 3 pieces more. 

A lovely BRASSERIE CICOU dessert would be Creme Caramel which is very similar to our leche flan and quite delicious!

Tarte ala Praline and, another favorite for me for the night, Choux Chantilly (the one puff with whipped cream). 

There were also plates of BRASSERIE CICOU's Floating Island. 

Again, if you want just desserts for the night, you could get servings upon servings of these for only P650.00++!

Brace yourselves...

My calories are coming... He he he he he!

Everything was finished oh so perfectly with mugfuls of BRASSERIE CICOU's coffee!

Since I work in the countrys NUMBER ONE NOONTIME SHOW (yep I'm proud), I kinda got jaded with the presence of celebrities. These days nothing gets me more excited than meeting my favorite bloggers and chefs! So it was sooo cool to meet the very cute and adorable Chef Sharwin! He was very nice and humble too! 

Such a delicious night with my favorite KTG peeps plus Chef Sharwin, Chef Cyrille, and Ms. Anna!

Thank you so much Chef Cyrille and Ms. Anna for having ERICJAZ FOODIES!

And SUPERKADUPER ULTRAMAGNETIC thank you to dear Spanky Enriquez for inviting us. Like my over the top enthusiasm huh??

LET'S EAT!

BRASSERIE CICOU

57 Annapolis Street, Greenhills

San Juan, Rizal, Philippines

(02) 661 9200

Check this out!

BRASSERIE CICOU WEBSITE