I think the French language is just as exquisite as its cuisine - sophisticated, refined, and lavish. Even if I do not understand French, I'm sure some if not most of you also consider it to sound beautiful as every syllable rolls off the tongue. And as for French food, I rarely get a chance to savor it because there are but a few around the metro that serve French cuisine, and most of their items go far above my budget.

A restaurant located at the posh strip of Serendra caught my interest when I first tasted their food at a relative's birthday party. Impressed with their food and service, I brought along my fellow foodie friend Marian to the restaurant to have our fix of French dining for the day.

A Spoonful

Named after the French word for spoon, Cuillère (pronounced ku`yer) promises its clientèle authentic French food...without pretentions. Cuillère is owned and run by Arlene Arce and Chef Katrina Arce Kuhn, their family best known for the Arce Dairy Ice Cream. Chef Katrina lived in France for several years and studied French Gastronomy; the brasserie lifestyle was something she fell in love with and adapted to easily, and now she offers the same French quality and comfort food in our city.





Cuillère's interiors are in shades of red and hung on its walls are framed vintage French illustrations. On one wall, a mural is painted, and gives diners the feel of dining al fresco, on cobblestone ground. The mural is rather fetching, and that's probably why customers request for their photos be taken beside it. The restaurant was also warmly lit with a stream of afternoon sunshine the time we had our lunch, and it set the mood for a wonderful lunch experience.



After ordering our food for lunch, we were served complimentary bread and butter right off our table. Chef Katrina happened to be there during our visit, and explains bread and butter are served that way in France.





Next up was a very warm and hearty serving of Soupe à l’Oignon (French Onion Soup, P225). The sweet, caramelized onions are slow-cooked in beef broth. Croutons are added and then the ensemble is topped with a very chewy Gruyère Cheese Gratin. Very yum!





We also had the Salade de Roquette au Chèvre Chaud (Arugula with Warm Goat Cheese, P385) . The salad is a mix of rich and peppery Arugula with basil Vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts. What makes this salad work wonderfully to my taste is its topping of warm goat cheese, and a drizzling of honey. Both Marian and I simply love the salad.

Bon Appétit





The last time I had a serving of duck was months ago, as I have written before that I'm not really a big fan of duck since I find the taste very rich (maybe because I keep in mind it is high in cholesterol). But Cuillère's Confit de Canard (Duck Confit, P895) does not disappoint me.

The duck confit is served with garlic mashed potatoes, and the best caramelized onions I've ever tried. The sweetness of the onions and its soft texture is a perfect match for the crisp, well-browned duck meat. If you want to spoil yourself every now and then with a rich dish, try this one from Cuillère.

Oh, and there is another exquisite, and equally-rich item on their menu that we tried for lunch that day... steak!



When one thinks of comfort food, I can easily generalize that one will think of home-cooked dishes that are usually rich. I don't think anyone has considered a veggie dish or a salad bowl as comfort food, unless during your childhood you were very familiar and fell in love with greens easily. French comfort food is abundant in Cuillère, and you can sample what Chef Katrina used to savor every day at the heart of France, now served right in the metro.



Filet de Bœuf, Sauce Fromage Bleu (Tenderloin Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce, P545) is another comfort food from France. We had the serving of beef tenderloin steak cooked medium-well, and it was presented on a bed of spinach and artichokes. The beef was utterly tender and lean, and the serving of blue cheese sauce is exquisite with a forkful of sliced meat.



We ended our lunch of French comfort food on a sweet note: a tall glass of milkshake, and a serving of chocolat.

The milkshakes at Cuillère are made with fresh carabao milk from the Arce Carabao farm. When we were given our Cheese Carabao Milkshake P195, first thing I noticed is how it resembles an ensaymada... see for yourself!



The milkshakes are also available in other flavors like Chocolate, Café, Jackfruit, Avocado, Dark Caramel and Green Tea.



The Gâteau Moelleux au Chocolat (Flourless Chocolate Cake, P245) is served fresh from the oven and presented on a white plate, alongside a dollop French Vanilla ice cream and rich cream. Warm, gooey, and chocolatey cake eaten together with cold ice cream makes for a great dual-temperature dessert experience.

While French food seems intimidating to look at and especially to pronounce, Cuillère will offer you the best of French comfort food minus the pretentions and uppity feel. After all, isn't comfort food best served with a family-like and casual atmosphere? Never mind if I can't even say the French words for the food right, because Cuillère still gave me a spoonful - and much more - to savor and enjoy.