That’s what French are for
A French restaurant in a supermarket? Oui! Throw in a wine bar, too, and brace yourself for an intoxicating shopping/dining/wining experience as only Rustan’s Supermarket Fresh in Makati can offer.
First stop on our culinary itinerary is Le Gourmet, the yummy new French cafe-cum-deli located where Yum Yum Tree used to be.
But to repeat a question brewing in the minds of hordes of Rustan’s Fresh shoppers: Why a French cafe?
“It’s part of the transformation of Rustan’s Supermarket Fresh,” says Paris-born Christian Couvreux, chief operating officer of Rustan’s Supercenters, Inc., who promised his Filipino wife he was retiring but was intercepted by Donnie Tantoco, young and dynamic president of Rustan’s Supercenters, Inc., operator of Rustan’s Supermarket and Shopwise chain of stores.
Donnie stresses, “We still want to stand for quality when it comes to imported products, baked goods, deli, fresh cheeses, fresh meat. Although Yum Yum Tree was successful, we needed a new concept — a restaurant that offers very good French meals but still in line with the whole point of quality. So when we set up Le Gourmet, the menu was very important. But we were also looking at how it compared to where people get to eat French products. And we were looking at how they were pricing it. We want to offer comparable quality within the P200 to P300 price range. And Le Gourmet has paid off — the sales have been a lot higher. We have a regular customer base that comes to Le Gourmet.”
It’s certainly welcome news that Le Gourmet is not as pricey as you’d probably expect a French resto to be. It isn’t always true that if you can’t pronounce it, you can’t afford it.
How does the neophyte order French food at Le Gourmet?
Fear not. While the French dishes on the menu are much better eaten than pronounced, diners will be happy to know that there’s an English description below each dish. “Or our waiters can assist customers because they’re well-trained and they know what the items on the menu are all about,” says Monsieur Couvreux. “Or the customers can just point to the dish that they want.”
Call it turo-turo with a French twist.
Since it opened last February, along with a fresher-looking Rustan’s Fresh, Le Gourmet has been drawing a faithful clientele that includes “housewives, working moms who want to unwind after work,” notes Donnie. “People come to Le Gourmet specifically to have lunch because it has good value. We’ve come up with classic meals that are not super upscale, high-end French types of courses. They’re classic, down-to-earth, simple, homemade, with good value. Eating at Le Gourmet is something you can do on a regular basis and not only sometimes because it’s affordable, it’s accessible.”
So, are you ready to order?
For starters, try the Quiche Lorraine (a classic French egg dish filled with bacon and Swiss cheese, P195). The chef recommends the flammekueche (a thin pizza topped with creme fraiche or fresh cream, bacon, and onions, P195). Those fond of fondue can have the cheese fondue (melted three-cheese combination served with crusty bread cubes and good for two to three persons, P485). Other meaty choices are the beef carpaccio (thin slices of fresh raw beef topped with basil and served with lemon slices and baguette, P235) and the cold cuts platter (assorted slices of Parma ham, Serrano ham, salami and coppa, garnished with olives and cornichons, and served with pate and crusty bread, P335). Or you can create your own platter with any of the cuts served at the deli counter, where you can also find a delectable selection of French cheeses, salmon, sausages, imported chocolates (that are even cheaper than those sold in other delicatessens), biscuits/cookies, canned goods, pastas, etc.
“Now, I can eat my omelette with salmon for breakfast,” Donnie enthuses.
Speaking of breakfast, Christian says, “We open at
Donnie invites the not-so-early risers, “You can have authentic French breakfast here with the croissants and the cheeses.”
We’ve only just began. Don’t forget to eat your salad. “Try the taboule (Middle Eastern salad), it’s really good,” long-time eating chum Frances Yu, AVP-marketing of Rustan’s Supercenters, Inc. eggs me on. When it comes to food, I totally trust Frances, who has managed to stay trim and slim despite her hearty appetite.
Yes, the taboule salad was exquisite! The couscous with parsley, diced tomato, and lemon slices was light and just right.
If you’re a soup person (I am), you won’t go wrong with the French onion soup (caramelized onion served in a chicken broth and topped with a slice of French bread and melted mozzarella, P135). As they say, in onion, there is strength.
For your carb fix, there are pastas to warm the heart and the belly: carbonara (classic Italian pasta with diced ham and bacon in a rich and creamy white sauce), marinara (pasta with prawns, squids, clams, and fish in a tomato and cream sauce), al arabiatta (a spicy melange of tomatoes, olives, capers, tuna, anchovies, and oregano), lasagna al forno (a rich ground beef and tomato mixture layered between lasagna noodles and topped with a rich creamy white sauce and melted cheese). These pastas are just light on the tummy and the pocketbook at P235 to P265.
Now, you’re ready for your entree. The chef highly recommends the legumes farcis (stuffed vegetable plate), hachis parmentier or shepherd’s pie (minced meat covered with cream and mashed potatoes topped with cheese, P235); cassoulet (stewed bean casserole filled with duck confit, sausages, and pork slices, P365); and couscous (couscous grain topped with lamb stew vegetables, meatballs, and spicy sausages, P295). But go ahead and try the others, too, like the tuna basquaise (grilled tuna with stewed vegetable, P335); chicken saltimbocca (chicken thigh wrapped in Parma ham and cheese, P295); Greek moussaka (alternate layers of eggplants and minced meat in a rich sauce, P265); fish fillet romana (oven-baked fish fillet topped with onions, tomatoes, lemon slices and drizzled with olive oil, P295).
Le Gourmet’s exhilarating list of offerings is enough to keep diners excited — from the soups to the entrees to the pastries/desserts and everything in between. There are also the hot grill favorites, the sandwich board, the cheese board, and a fine wine selection.
“Red wine is healthy, it has a lot of minerals,” Christian recommends.
They say French women don’t get fat despite all the breads and cheese and chocolates they eat because they drink red wine with their meals and they take long walks. Touche!
“We have good wines that are only P235 — not just French but also Italian and American wines,” says Christian. “Our most expensive wine is only P1,200. We have the cheapest champagnes in town. We have white and red wines. Customers can buy from our wine bar and in the supermarket to bring to Le Gourmet, and they can also buy it by the glass. A typical wine by the glass is just P75-85; there are also glasses that start from P120.”
Says Donnie, “People are actually surprised when they find that the cost of our wines is very affordable. They realize they don’t have to pay a lot to enjoy good wine. And it’s not just the wines, all products here are affordable — the coffee, cheeses, croissants, chocolates. Our goal is to make it affordable (Rustan’s Fresh gets it straight from the source and thus passes on the savings to consumers). It’s gourmet every day.”
“These wines are kept at temperature-controlled rooms 24/7 at Rustan’s Fresh,” says Frances.
“The best temperature for wines is 18-20 degrees,” says Christian. “That’s to keep the wines in good quality.”
“Yes, you can have a small wine party at Le Gourmet for 10 to 20 people,” adds Christian.
What are the new products from France now available at Rustan’s Supermarket Fresh?
Christian names some, “We have the duck confit, lentilles, soupe de poisson, couscous, cassoulet, crackers, waffles, candies, marshmallows, mayonnaise, pastas. The main French brand that we carry is Belle France. People also expect to find the leading US brands here, but Rustan’s is introducing the not-so-famous US brands or the private labels.”
“We are trying to be the Target (famous chain in the US) of gourmet products,” says Donnie.
“Yes, we will also have some cooked food, the way it is in the US and in Europe,” Christian announces.
“An example of cooked food that I think would do well is ricotta con spinache. Christian made us try one that was made for the restaurant and then he made a vacuum-packed version that you can also prepare at home.” Donnie relates.
I believe there’s a French word for all this. It’s magnifique!
