So at home & in love with French food at La Cabane

I dreamt I was in Provence, enjoying a plate of cheese, pasta, wild mushrooms and olives in a cozy resto. The sight of lavender blooms gives me fragrant thoughts. Next table, a group of handsome men hold their glasses of wine amid laughter.

And then I wake up, and find myself in a comfy French restaurant called La Cabane on Pasay Road in Makati. Next table, I see two handsome men, Thierry Perdrix and Henri Muzzarelli. They are laughing, debating. Are they arguing?

Thierry Perdrix is the charming owner of La Cabane, this favorite hangout of expats in Manila and everyone else who loves delicious, French food in an informal, homelike setting.

Henri Muzzarelli is the suave man-about-town you see in society pages. He is one of the funniest, wittiest expats you will ever meet. And he is so lovable.

No, Thierry and Henri are not really arguing. They are talking about French fries.

Thierry, who grew up amid sea and mountain south of France, says the best French fries in Manila can be tasted at La Cabane. “Our fries are the favorite even of Filipinos who eat here,” Thierry declares.

Henri, who is half-Italian, half-French, answers: “Yes, I agree, even my dear friend Becky Garcia loves your fries. But they should be called Belgian fries because French fries were actually invented in Belgium,” Henri laughs.

Enough said. Anyway both agree that the French are the best lovers. And the best cooks.

Thierry is not just a superb chef. He has also produced an excellent cook. His wife Evelina Castro-Perdrix has become an incredible expert after years of watching him and his family whip up those dishes that people now yearn for at La Cabane.

There’s La Cabane Salad, a mouth-watering mix of salmon, prawns, mango and fresh greens. Their Nicoise Salad has the usual tuna, black olives, tomatoes and greens, but it’s probably the best we’ve tasted. If you’re a group of gourmands, try their plate of countryside terrines, hmmm, so good.

Meat-eaters will love La Cabane’s iconic Burgundy Beef with potatoes and pasta. Or the Countryside Chicken with wild mushrooms. How about the homemade Lamb Couscous?”Excellent!” says Henri.

Among their pasta dishes, their Seafood Tagliatelli and Penne Gorgonzola are really good. For those who love something fishy, their Grilled Salmon, Gambas au Curry and Seafood Skewers are topsellers.

The appeal of La Cabane lies in the truly flavorful goodness of its dishes. Secondly, there’s none of the stiff and formal ambience you usually associate with French restaurants. “The popularity of French bistros lies in the charm of hearty and tasty meals served in a casual and neighborhood setting,” declares Thierry, who decorated La Cabane with rustic wooden furniture (which he himself makes and exports) softened with pillows, mood lamps and Asian artworks.

Thierry is flattered that La Cabane counts the French Ambassador Thierry Borja de Mozota among its frequent guests which include political dignitaries, businesmen, and and young people as well.

Henri shares that he regularly attends La Cabane’s get-togethers for its Facebook Club. Yes, La Cabane regulars are Facebook friends.

For three years, La Cabane was located near the French School in Paranaque. When friends clamored for a more accessible location, Thierry and Evelina opened La Cabane on Pasay Road in 2006.

Like a typical French bistro, La Cabane has a blackboard at the entrance listing the day’s specialties. Once inside, you feel at home in this unpretentious resto inspired by the charming, old wooden houses in the French countryside.

“But you should never leave La Cabane without trying our Lemon Pie and Chocolate Heaven,” Evelina says proudly.

I did succumb to Chocolate Heaven, and dreamt I was met by two handsome, angelic men offering bouquets of oh-so-fragrant lavender blooms.

Then I wake up, and find myself listening to the merry laughter of Thierry and Henri in La Cabane.

They are fighting over the last few pieces of French fries on a plate.

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La Cabane resto-bar lounge is located at 1020 Arnaiz Avenue (formerly Pasay Road), across Park Square in Makati. For reservations and inquiries, call 844-0377 or 843-8813.