 |
| table setting |
Ah, Valentines! Its that time of the year when romance filled the air. When you can hear sappy love songs being played from the radio. Romantic flicks being shown in the cinemas. Roses. Chocolates. Love letters. Perfumes. Kisses. Wines. Heart-shaped cakes and sweets. More importantly, couples: Men wearing their sleekest outfits; the women dressed to the nines; sharing the most exquisite dinner in a fancy restaurant. All symbolize the romanticism brought about by this particular date in February. Even single people like me can get intoxicated by it sometimes. Some say its overrated, I'd say its magical. And who said Valentines are only meant for couples? That is so yesterday! I'd say stop sulking, get your buns going, go out and enjoy the night! You'd never know, you might get the attention of the hottest bachelor or bachelorette in town.
For that special Valentine date with your significant other, it doesn't have to be expensive but it doesn't have to be run-of-the-mill either. If you still haven't found that perfect place to celebrate Heart's Day with your partner, please allow me to help you by recommending this trendy-looking but very casual French restaurant at the heart of Greenhills, Brasserie Ciçou.
 |
| brasserie cicou; w/ a couple holding hands *wink* |
 |
| cicou interior |
 |
| love the chandelier |
Even though this restaurant is being tagged as a casual-type brasserie, please don't dress too casually, especially if you're wooing someone on a date. I spied some guy wearing just board shorts and flip-flops. Even if he's wearing Quicksilver and Havaianas, its still too dress down for a date. A good-quality jeans and nice-pressed shirt would suffice. Anyway, enough of my bickering. The restaurant has that laid-back feel to it with a touch of class. Oak hued tables and linen upholstered chairs which were quite comfy. But if you wanted a more intimate space, you could chose the wood paneled alcove part on the side with high-rise tables and chairs. And for your viewing pleasure, a glassed in kitchen where you see all the action. Most of the kitchen people are French, too. I felt I was transported (or astro-projected: Sorry, my Charmed moment) to France momentarily.
 |
| cosmopolitan |
 |
| complimentary bread |
The wait staff would recommend that you order any cocktail drink while you wait for your ordered food to be served. I initially didn't intend to order any alcoholic beverages, but the total ambiance and French vibe of the place just caught up on me. I had a glass of Cosmopolitan (P215.00). As I sip my drink, I imagined how my High School classmate and friend, Row E., would react if she learned that I ordered this feminine drink. "How very Sex & The City-ish", she might quip. A better cocktail drink than the one I've tried at Tourné, Ciçou's version of this red velvety mixture of Vodka and Cointreau was very fruity and sweet. I liked it a lot. Complimentary breads was also served, I believe its mini-baguettes, with a thin slice of butter on the side. The bread was so good and crusty that I didn't feel any shame to ask for a re-fill.
 |
| egg en cocote |
 |
| never taught baked eggs could be this good |
 |
| paillard de beouf |
 |
| chilled fruit juice |
To start off, I had the Three Cheeses Egg En Cocotte (P200.00). Traditionally called Oeufs En Cocote, its basically just egg baked with cream and butter till it becomes foamy. But basic flavors this is not. I'm not really that big of a fan of runny egg yolks (too runny, at least), but this one is really good. With the cheeses added into the mix, I could stamped this Les Oeufs as a sure fire roll-your-eyes-goodness.
The next dish that graced my table would be the Paillard de Beouf (P450.00). The serving was really huge, I got scared I wouldn't be able to finish it (in truth, I was able to finish most of it). A quick research informed me that 'paillard' means pounded or flattened meat. The meat was very tender and succulent, cooked medium-well with a very smoky and salty flavor from the peppercorn sauce marinade. Traditionally served with salad greens, large cut fries and Bernaise sauce, this dish is definitely for the ravenous meat-eater.
My Chilled Apple Juice (P80.00) drink was very refreshing and served as my palate cleanser as well.
 |
| kouign amann |
 |
| cappuccino |
 |
| cappuccino (up-close) |
Finally, its time to try the much-heralded Kouign Amann (P280.00). Its one shamelessly rich, flaky dessert heaven. Don't hesitate to mix the salted caramel ice cream to temper down the sweetness of the pastry. A cup of coffee would seem appropriate to pair up to the richness of this dessert. Their Cappuccino (P120.00) is straight up creamy with the kick of espresso at the end.
 |
| brasserie cicou; greenhills |
I told you, setting up a memorable date this Valentine need not to be that pricey. But wait, something is amiss. Oh, yes! I went here just by my lonesome self. Bummer! Hope the next time I visit Brasserie Ciçou, it would now be with mon cheri. *sigh deeply*
57 Annapolis St.,
Greenhills, San Juan
661-9200
No comments:
Post a Comment