Hungry gourmand

MILLIE: “Je suis gourmand.” It’s French for “I love to eat good food.” It’s a phrase that so very well describes me and the other members of my family. My entire clan, in fact. It’s different from the other famous French word, “gourmet,” which means a connoisseur or someone knowledgeable, educated in the field of food.

One of our favorite restaurants is aptly called Je Suis Gourmand, located at the ground floor of Net One Building at the Fort, Bonifacio Global City. Chef Marc Aubry, ever so visible, welcomes and greets guests as he does his rounds in between stints in the kitchen. He accommodates whatever my dad fancies to eating, even when it’s not on the menu — a rare treat these days. What’s remarkable is the consistently delicious (and that’s an understatement) meals we have had all these years at his place. Ever since I can remember, my favorite has been the Homemade duck foie gras terrine served with a small salad and baguette toasts. It’s delightfully smooth and enchanting but so highly “cholesterolific” that I’ve tried to avoid it in recent years. It’s a good appe-teaser and, oftentimes, that’s all I have with a glass of red wine. Dad’s all-time favorite is the braised lamb shank Provencale, which has always been tasty and tender, the sauce exquisitely prepared each time. Since the portion is rather big for him, we normally split and share it with an extra portion of lovely potato mushroom purée as a side dish.

KARLA: “Gourmand,” in plain and simple terms, means, matakaw. My favorite dish at Je Suis Gourmand is the warm quiche Lorraine — just because it seems like it is always freshly baked, which makes it really, really good! Quiche is a French pie made from eggs and milk and, in the case of Je Suis Gourmand, their quiche has mushrooms, onions and ham, all baked on a yummy, buttery-tasting pastry crust. Quiches are generally breakfast food but are also eaten any time of the day, especially when you’re looking for something light for dinner. Je Suis Gourmand’s quiche comes with a salad and some Parma ham and cherry tomatoes on the side.

Although we have been going to the restaurant for years, it was only last week that we ordered their escargots bourguignons. My first encounter with escargots was in a little café in Paris along Avenue des Champs-Élysées with my mom and her friend from the hotel school of Lausanne, Switzerland, Uncle Frank Ansel. I remember liking it for the exceptional garlic and butter sauce it was served with. Having this at Gourmand last week definitely brought back memories, even though that Euro-trip took place back when I was 13 years old.

If I can’t think of anything to order or don’t feel like being adventurous with some other dishes, I order something that won’t disappoint me. And that would be the blue cheese carbonara linguini with roasted smoked bacon and grilled prawns. Carbonara is my comfort food. Although some people may find blue cheese too strong, you can always have them separate it from the order and sprinkle it yourself.

MILLIE: Some nights, as in the past few months, the heat’s been terribly unbearable so I long for a platter of assorted cold cuts and cheese from Gourmand, perfect with a crusty French baguette and a glass of red wine. There is also the tomato basil and parmesan penne with air-dried beef, a pasta dish like no other! When I’m a good girl and am sticking to my seafood diet, the seafood trio with bell pepper sauce is the ideal choice for it comes with a wonderful combination of sea bass, prawns and scallops, cooked just right or malasado.

KARLA: For dessert? Soufflé, definitely soufflé! It is always a toss-up between my usual plain chocolate soufflé or soufflé with Grand Marnier, both with vanilla sauce. Usually, chocolate soufflé wins.

But Lolo’s all-time favorite sweet-tooth craving would be good old bread and butter pudding — anytime, anywhere. This version is not the usual as it has minced bread with nuts, fruit and raisins coarsely mixed together, unlike the old-fashioned style with sliced day-old bread. It’s too good to pass up.

MILLIE: On our recent visit last week, Chef Aubry intimated that he is changing the menu soon and we were wondering whether we should wait for the new menu before writing about Je Suis Gourmand.

But then, the old menu is superb enough for our readers to come and try even just once before it is phased out.

We hope you enjoy pleasant dinners at Je Suis Gourmand the way we have and even share fond memories coupled with a few bites! Bon appetit!

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Je Suis Gourmand is located at G/F Net One Center Bonifacio Global City Taguig. Call 815-8801 for reservations and inquiries.

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Send e-mail to milliereyes.foodforthought@gmail.com and karla@swizzlemobilebar.com. Find us on Facebook: Food for Thought by Millie & Karla Reyes.