Table Farewell: Je Suis Gourmand

Sometimes, we take things for granted until it is in danger of being taken away. This was exactly what I felt when I found out that one of my all time favorite restaurants, Je Suis Gourmand was going to close its doors come December 31, 2010. According to head chef and resident culinary genius Marc Aubry, the restaurant was not doing as well as it should in different areas. The partners thus decided to shut down completely.

When I heard this news my first thought was that I need to go back a couple of more times to enjoy my favorite dishes while I still can. Apparently, as word spread around town, many others also shared my same sentiment and started to flock back to Je Suis Gourmand creating a sort of renaissance if you will, with the restaurant enjoying brisk business in the past weeks.

For my last meal at Je Suis Gourmand, my original plan was to go on a date with my daughter N. However, my good buddy T after hearing of my plans, asked to tag along. I could not refuse him specially after he promised to bring a bottle of wine from the Margaux region for us to have with our meal. Chef Marc graciously prepared a simple Carbonara for my daughter while I decided to have some of my old favorites. I decided on having two starters and one main course. A little bit too much food even for me, but what the heck, I consider this meal a special occasion anyway.

Steak Tartare

First off, I asked Chef Marc to make me a Steak Tartare(P520). This dish is not on the menu, but you may order it a day in advance. Steak Tartare is one of my favorite dishes. There is nothing like having a perfectly seasoned portion of chilled minced raw meat mixed with egg yolks, onions, and capers. Je Suis Gourmand's version does not disappoint as the meat was of great quality and had the perfect lean/fat ratio. I highly recommend this to all Steak Tartare lovers out there. Very, very sarap!

Sauteed Veal Sweetbread

A Sauteed Veal Sweetbread in Herby Tomato and Garlic Sauce with Puff Pastry (P450) came next. Sweetbread is another name for the pancreas or sometimes other glands as well. From what I have read, it is usually soaked in milk for a couple of days and then fried or sauteed. Its consistency is similar to ox or goat's brain. Again, this was very tasty and definitely worth trying.

Roasted Duck Breast

If there is one thing that I most admire about Chef Marc is that he is a master at making the most delicious sauces. This was evident when I was served my Roasted Duck Breast with Dauphine Potatoes in a Fresh Mushroom Sauce. Apart from some fresh mushrooms, the sauce also had lots of finely grated fresh herbs in it. It was spot on and complemented the slices of duck breast to a point where I could only sigh in contentment.

After all that food, dessert seemed out of the question. So I decided to cap off the evening with a double espresso and some good conversation with my lovely daughter and T of course.

Chef Marc has kept mum about his future plans but word on the grapevine is that he will venture out on his own very soon. I heard that he is working on opening his own place in hopefully, the same location as where Je Suis Gourmand is now. Target opening date is March or April 2011. I hope this plan pushes through as I already miss his cooking.

I would like to greet all our readers a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year! Your continuous support has been the best gift. Please keep reading!

Je Suis Gourmand
G/F Net 1 Building
Fort Bonifacio Global City
Taguig, Metro Manila

Tel. 815.8801

Table Suggestions: Caviar Pie

Upon getting home yesterday I was told we were given some sort of cake as a Christmas gift. I checked the refrigerator and saw a nondescript cake box which seemed like it was too big for what it contained inside. I peered through the cover and saw about 5 inches in diameter of glistening black sunshine. On the corner of the lid I saw a tiny golden sticker which just simply read " Caviar Pie" and a telephone number. My goodness, I didn't know somebody loved me this much to send me probably one of my most favorite holiday foods.


A caviar pie is not exactly a pie but a layered spread made up of cream cheese, chopped onions, hard boiled eggs and sliced lemon rinds. Slathered on top is a copious amount of lumpfish caviar. (Using sturgeon roe is also possible but would definitely be too expensive). This particular pie came along with a bag of toasted pita, but it also goes well with melba toast, crackers and even apple slices. Hell, something like this would taste good with "tasty bread". I love how the rich and creamy base interacts with the slight bitterness of the lemon rind and the tiny briny explosions of the black roe. It's one of those dishes you bring to a potluck to upstage everyone else's dish. The good thing is that it's meant to be shared. But honestly, when nobody's looking, this caviar pie can be good for one.



Caviar Pie
Tel. (632) 722 22 34

For pickup in the Greenhills area.
P1000 for a 5 inch pie.
Available year-round.

Table Recipes: Suman at Mangga

Having visited the newly relocated Sidcor Market at the Eton Centris, I was able to score some huge Guimaras mangoes. A stall there solely sells this variety; pretty hard to miss the huge yellow pile in the fruit section. Going around and buying this and that we then stumbled upon a lady selling different kinds of suman and gravitated towards the Antipolo style rice treat. It usually comes in its signature packaging of palm leaf strips and has a very mildly sweet, almost bland, taste; the soft white rice inside has always been classically paired with ripe yellow carabao mangoes. It's been a while since I had these together and so I did a super basic twist to the suman at mangga duo by frying the suman in salted butter. It doesn't really absorb a lot of oil so a tablespoon or two is lots for like four pieces. I wait for it to brown and crisp up on the outsides and then add a few tablespoons of brown sugar. When the sugar has melted I then toss the suman around to coat it. Then I take them out of the fry pan and let it rest for at least five minutes. You wouldn't want to dig in right away as the sugar coating will literally burn your tongue. When the caramel coating has set, I slice the mangoes and....inhale everything in seconds. The mangoes were sweet and had a smooth jelly-like consistency. (In hindsight I could've waited a few days for the mangoes to fully ripen as it had a slight hint of tartness. The acidity worked well with everything though.) The suman's buttery candy coating crackled and gave way to the soft, warm insides. A lot of things happening at the same time. Mangoes, suman, butter and sugar. A four ingredient marvel I know a lot wouldn't mind trying at home.

The Travelling Table: Tim Ho Wan: The Dim Sum Specialists

Worth the wait.

If you go through the Internet, there is a plethora of blog posts and articles about the world's cheapest Michelin starred restaurant, Tim Ho Wan. So much so, that I felt that it would be quite predictable for me to join the fray. However, the thought of having cheap but exquisite Dim Sum proved quite irresistible. I just could not stay away.

Aside from serving excellent Dim Sum, Tim Ho Wan is also known for having notoriously long lines due to its popularity. The restaurant is tiny. It only seats about 20 diners at one time. From what I gathered the best time to go is either first thing in the morning or later on the evening, after the dinner rush.

Haa chee cheong fun

C and I decided to have brunch at Tim Ho Wan the day after we arrived in Hong Kong. This plan would entail us being ready at about 9 AM, take the MTR and arrive at the restaurant 30 minutes later. This would get us there just in time to hopefully catch the tail end of the queue for the first seating when the restaurant opens at 10 AM. After a night of dinner and drinks and more drinks with A and S, our Hong Kong based friends, We arrived at our hotel room way past 2 AM, thus jeopardizing our plans to wake up on time. Surprisingly, we were up and about early enough to get to the restaurant at around 9:50. There were about 30 people ahead of us. We were given a numbered order sheet (available in English) to check what items we would like to order and told to come back after an hour. We spent some time looking around the surrounding markets for about 30 minutes then headed back. Our number was called after around 40 minutes. Not too bad a wait. I would think that we did not have to wait too long since it was easier to seat two people. For bigger groups I would suggest you get to the restaurant at about 9 AM or risk waiting around 2 hours for a table. It is also assumed that diners are willing to share tables.

Meaty machang

Once we were seated, we gave our server our order sheet and we were immediately given a printed receipt with a list of all our orders. After a while, our Dim Sum started to arrive. Since it was just the two of us, I decided to stay away from the Pork Shao Mai and the Har Gau so that we could try other items. First up was the Glutinous Rice Dumpling Wrapped in Lotus Leaf (HK$20). A take on our local Machang, albeit a much larger version, this dish was served piping hot with all sorts of goodies inside. I enjoyed eating this dish as I was quite hung over from the night before and it was a great pick-me-up.

The famous pork buns.

Next we had the house specialty Baked Bun With Barbecue Pork (HK$12/3pcs). This variation of the Cantonese Cha Shiu Bao or our local Siopao had a baked brown crust with a thin layer of crunchy sweetish crumble on top. This dish was impeccable. The pork filling had the right balance of fattiness and flavor. The perfect filling combined with the crunchiness of the bun was a home run in my book. I ate two of the three pieces and, I would have eaten all of it if not for the dirty look C gave me.

Crunchy Spring Rolls

An order of Deep Fried Spring Rolls With Salad (HK$12) arrived shortly thereafter. This was the only disappointment of the meal for me. Don't get me wrong; the spring rolls were perfectly cooked. The wrapper was crunchy and was not drenched in oil. What I did not like was the fruit salad-like filling inside. I found it too sweet and devoid of anything substantial aside from a few pieces fruit cocktail. The filling tasted like the Hot Prawn Salad that we normally get at Chinese restaurants here but without the prawn.

I could not resist ordering the Pan-Fried Radish Cake with Pan Fried Turnips (HK$10). Again, this was perfectly cooked. Its consistency was just right: Firm enough without breaking apart. The Cake had pieces of turnip and dried seafood bits (scallops perhaps?), giving it the extra edge it needed.

Radish Cake (notice the little yummy bits inside)

The last two dishes we had were requests of C. Being the dutiful husband that I am, I immediately ordered them. Rice Roll Stuffed with Shrimp (HK$17) and Steamed Vegetable and Pork with Mushrooms Bun (HK$12). Both were very good but not extraordinary.

You might guess that we were pretty stuffed after eating all that food. There were other items on the Menu that I would have wanted to try like the Deep Fried Yuba Shrimp Roll and the Steamed Beef Ball with Bean Curd Skin. I however, had to raise the white flag since I could not eat another bite. This gives us another reason to plan a return visit on our next trip to Hong Kong. Our total bill for the whole meal including unlimited servings of hot Oolong tea: HK$87 or about P490! Yes you read it right, P490! Who would have thought that one couple could eat at a restaurant with a Michelin star and only spend that much. Waiting in line for an hour does not seem so bad now does it? Kudos to Chef Mak Pui Gor. He has made such refined and delicious Dim Sum accessible to everyone.

Tim Ho Wan: The Dim Sum Specialists

GF Phase 2, Tsui Yuen Mansion

2-20 Kwong Wa Street

Mong Kok, Hong Kong.

Closest MTR Station Yau Ma Tei or Mongkok

Tel +85223322896

Open Daily 10 AM - 10 PM

On the Table: Stephanie Zubiri

From being a food blogger, cooking instructor and food columnist of the Philippine Star to managing a full-time gourmet catering business, you could say Stephanie Zubiri has indeed immersed herself in the food world. And as if her plate weren't full enough, this dynamic twenty-something now also heads as editor in chief the newly launched Olive Magazine Philippines; a BBC title featuring fast and easy creative cooking, honest restaurant reviews and travel guides for the best eats locally and internationally. If there's something I wouldn't mind doing its eating and traveling for a living...


What was your childhood kitchen environment like?

We had an amazing kitchen with a large marble island. It was rather high up because it was one of those retro homes that was built with the main floor upstairs, so we had an amazing view or an undeveloped Alabang. My mom would make fresh pastas and apple pies. My sister loved to bake. She made the best banana bread and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. As far as I could remember, the kitchen was one of my favorite places. I had my own mini kitchen tools, even my own set of plates for just my friends and I. I would experiment and make up pasta sauces and pester everyone. I got to eat what everyone else ate and not kiddie food. Never had mango bits to help me chew down my cold untouched food. It was more like "Steph, stop eating!"


Was there any specific moment that made you decide to make food your profession?

It was always my passion; and before leaving for France to do Cordon Bleu I had a stint at Elbert Cuenca's Restaurant 12. Although I enjoyed it I never really thought it would be my profession. After culinary school I finished my degree at the Sorbonne in the University of Paris IV, History and Geography Major with a Masters in Geography and Sustainable Development. I was doing internships with UNEP and the Philippine Delegation at UNESCO. I never really thought I'd go back to food even though I still cooked all the time. When I moved back to the Philippines, I wasn't sure what I was going to do and decided to give cooking classes in my spare time. I had so much fun teaching and sharing my passion. It just came naturally. Plus I got to earn as well. Then I knew, there's nothing better than being able to build a career out of your passion. I had to work in the food industry.


What aspect of food does your writing focus on and why? What drives you to write about food?

My writing is truly about the emotional, cultural, historic and nostalgic attachments we have to food. It's that history and geo major coming out. What makes our dining experiences extra special are the memories and feelings it can extract, conjure or create. A forgotten meal is a blah meal. Even when I cook there's always something I want to transmit. Kind of like the book "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel... Amazing sensory experiences just make me so happy and elated, it can be a really cheap but flavorful hawker laksa, or a delish 14 course meal at Arzak. Awful cuisine, especially when I'm over-charged for it makes me feel angry. I want to share these with people and hope they can share something with me too. I love getting emails and responses for my articles. And the biggest plus about being a food journalist? Meeting people who are just as passionate as I am and learning from them.


Every article you write in your Feast With Me column and your blog seems to be set in a different place, or country. Was there a place where you didn't think you'd enjoy the food and ended up loving it? Could you give examples of dishes and why you liked them?

Well I've been invited more and more to places around the Philippines, which is great! I get to see my country and explore through its different dishes and local flavors. I'm lucky that as I establish myself further in the food journalism industry, I get to travel around and discover. To be honest, there has been no place yet where I didn't think I'd enjoy the food. I never think that way. Whenever I travel I always look for "What can I eat here?" I already have a list of must-tries. I did go to Cuba and find most of the food a little repetitive and oily, I was hoping for more Caribbean, tropical cuisine. But it is so difficult to buy produce. Then some friends of mine invited to their home and cooked the most amazing meal ever! Lobsters he caught just that morning, marinated with coconut and grilled. Fresh corn tamales made by his wife, the corn meal pounded at home. Bonito cooked with pineapples in a pressure cooker, sweet and savory, tenderly delicious. Some fried bananas and my favorite: congri. Congri is rice cooked with black beans and topped with onions and fresh cilantro. Add some sliced fresh avocados in salt and vinegar. Wash it down with REAL mojitos, home made with freshly picked yerba buena (not mint), aged Havana club rum, fresh bright green limes and sticky brown sugar.The sound of Afro-Cuban beats in the background, laughter and friendships being formed in the courtyard of a weathered down colonial home in Trinidad. It was beautiful.


Do you have a food obsession? Like a type of food, dish or ingredient? Please share.

I have several, and more. I have like food obsessions of the month. Like I'll go for one month of just making cauliflower in different ways. Or maybe use Hungarian sausages for different purposes. My recurring favorites? Chorizo, truffle oil, pasta, eggplant, really yummy french fries and egg. My current food obsession of the month? Crispy, deep fried danggit. I love it for breakfast! And Bicolano New Look daing with garlic rice, scrambled egg, ensaladang talong and vinegar.


Where do you find yourself heading out to for after-after-party noshes (or binges) and why?

My fave used to be McDonald's... twister fries are the best! I nearly cried when they took it off the menu wailing at the poor drive-thru speaker. "Why oh why?" But I had to really stop eating after drinking... nothing worse than making your tummy big. In France I used to live beside a Pizza Pino which would stay open till 5am... pizza with fresh mushroom and ham! And another African chicken joint my friends and I discovered: Babylon Bis... open till 8am!


Your favorite restaurant in Manila?

It's got to be Sushi Kappo Kobikicho. Impeccable service, great conversations with Chef Shintaro and oh soooooo amazing food. He always sneaks me some new thing try. I am not nearly wealthy enough to eat there as often as I would like though! I also enjoy Apartment 1b for their veggie lasagna and laid back feel. I love Cyma for healthy and tasty lunch options.


Anything you would not eat or never eat again?

Moldy, illegal, full of maggots disgusting Corsican u casgiu merzu cheese...ugh. It's so pungent your mouth gets hot! Aaaaaack!


For someone who obviously likes eating, how do you keep so annoyingly svelte?

I have a very unhealthy yoyo diet! I put on five pounds... I lose five pounds... Put on, lose it... It's very unhealthy. I'll binge and do no exercise at all then go super healthy and workout insanely. I'm trying to keep a healthier lifestyle. No limitations just portion control. Like I don't have to eat that 350g rib eye steak! I can share it. Also trying to exercise more regularly and eat more veggies. Wish there would be more healthy fast food or easy lunch options in the market!






Photo by Raymund Isaac