The Macarons of Paul Boulangerie Patisserie Restaurant Salon de The

these beauties (vanilla, chocolate, raspberry) are flown in from paris

I have a confession to make: my ultimate travel dream is a trip to Paris. Yes, I'm romantic that way. I've been plotting for years to Instagram my way through the City of Lights, and until that day comes I'll settle for  locally available French cuisine.

I've tasted my fair share of locally made macarons, but Paul's macarons are in a league of their own. Truly, the hype is well-deserved. Creamy, moist, and just the right sweetness--I died when I tasted the almond paste. I'll be sleeping with dreams of vanilla and the best-selling pistachio macarons

Paul Boulangerie Patisserie Restaurant Salon de The
SM Aura Premier
McKinley Parkway
McKinley Hill, Makati

Craving for Something French? Try Brasserie Le Girolle

The nippy weather we've been having lately calls for a warm, filling dish, such as the two I'm featuring today from French restaurant Brasserie Le Girolle. Oh, relax. Since this is a brasserie, one need not be stiff. The focus should be one's company, aided by the meal in a casual setting.

The first dish is the Saint Jacques Poele--pan-fried US scallops in mushroom sauce. I love this, primarily because I have a soft spot for scallops, which, in this case, were fresh and buttery soft. The different elements melded well together: the delicate flavor  of the scallops came through amid a bed of creamy potatoes and mushrooms.

Jarrets D'agneau--another filling cool weather winner from Brasserie Girolle. This is described as slow braised lamb shank with white beans in rich lamb jus. The lamb was soft and delicately flavored, and makes one wonder if this finds it way regularly on the tables in the French countryside. This dish disappeared in seconds. 

Brasserie Girolle
GF Fort Pointe Bldg, 28th Street
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig (+63) 02 856 6639

Makati’s Bizu for French Bistro Fare

I won’t hesitate to pay for quality. Some establishments deserve the price tags they foist on their clients, and I’m just too happy to fork over the cash (I won’t do it often, though—my budget remains, on the whole, proletarian).

I’ve heard about Bizu Patisserie, before, and I thought it served mainly macarons, a sweet meringue-based French confection that comes in a variety of fillings. While waiting for a dinner date I agreed to meet up with a friend at the Greenbelt 2 Makati branch of Bizu, and discovered they serve full-on bistro meals. Wiki defines bistro as a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. When planning another get-together, I suggested that we have lunch at Bizu.

Among the items we ordered—most of them quite good—were the chorizo aglio olio (subtle and flavorful), the Waldorf salad (refreshing) made from organic ingredients, and the poached salmon with pommery (balanced, clean). I regret not taking a photo of the ten hour roast beef (flavorful, with meat oh-so-soft), which was likewise a winner. Most dishes come in family sizes, good for sharing for 2-4 diners.

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