Soleil: The secret is in the sauce
October 9, 2003 | 12:00am
Today’s Pinoy diner is discerning, more demanding and is somewhat getting to be a spoiled brat. He now enjoys so many choices to suit his taste and pocket.
Take pizza for instance. Gone are the days when pizza meant only Shakey’s (for those with more dough) or Greenwich (for those with less dough). Today, there are pizzas of all persuasions: California Pizza Kitchen, Pizza Express from London, Chicago-style (thick crust) and, lest we forget, the original thin-crust Italian pizzas baked in traditional brick ovens (Caruso on Nicanor Garcia St. in Makati City comes to mind), and so on. (But in spite of it all, Mary Ann still swears by Shakey’s cheese, garlic and anchovy thin crust pizza.)
Globalization is making it more exciting for the Pinoy diner, and a tad stressful (or challenging as the case may be) for the local restaurateur. Never in our dining history have we been faced with so much food choices. It’s no wonder that the dining public has become a bit spoiled; restaurateurs are vying for everyone’s patronage, especially in these days of the shrinking peso.
When Mary Ann and I decide where to dine, it always depends on our mood (craving is more like it), budget and what is convenient at that very moment. There are times when I am in the mood to try with an open mind (and mouth) anything new, risking possible pleasure or disappointment; and there are other times when I only want the true-and-tested favorite places of ours. Sometimes my budget can take us to a five-star hotel, or when under time constraints, burgers at a fast-food chain will get us by. Fortunately, one thing is consistent. I can always enjoy a meal whether in places high or low, which in itself is a priceless blessing, if I may say so myself.
Certainly, one of the reasons I enjoy a meal wherever I am is the little "secret" I carry around with me. I keep in stock in the car little bottles of Tabasco and XXXO chili sauce – Tabasco, in case the pizza parlor or burger joint doesn’t have it (most local brands of chili sauce aren’t hot enough; one even claims to be the world’s hottest. My foot! The only thing it delivers is hot air) and XXXO chili sauce for oriental dishes, especially congee, noodle soups and dim sum, when a slight lift is needed. I call them my food "uppers." Mary Ann brings her own muscovado sugar for her coffee. We used to bring our own version of sinamak (natural brewed cane vinegar spiked with chili and garlic) when we go to roadside barbecue pits (the commercial one is just plain sour and has no kick to it) until one day the bottle spilled in the car. Ooops. Don’t laugh now, but our foodie friend, Makati Representative Teddy Boy Locsin, carries around with him a small rice cooker whenever he eats out. His rice has to be cooked just the way he wants it, fluffy and steaming hot when served. Anything less will not do, and he’s known to walk out of establishments. A cousin of mine brings her own talangkâ paste whenever she goes to a native restaurant, while Mary Ann’s Thai friend brings fresh siling labuyo (bird’s eye chilies) wherever she goes. Well, to each his own.
Recently, Mary Ann and I rewarded ourselves with dinner at Soleil after a day’s work at our shop About Design in Greenbelt 3. We had three reasons why we chose Soleil that night over a dozen or so others in Greenbelt 2.
It has a solid reputation based on the consistently good feedback I get from friends who’ve eaten there, even from way back at its old location on Pasong Tamo Ext. Second, I’d like to meet its chefs, Swiss Marcus Gfeller, once the executive chef of Grassi’s in Ortigas Center, and chef David Pardo de Ayala, to know firsthand the secret of their good track record. Lastly, we heard of its new menu, which was quite a departure from the traditional French cuisine at the old venue.
As Mary Ann and I were led to our table, a tall, handsome and rather big guy in a white chef’s jacket approached us. Mistaking him for a Filipino, I asked him in Taglish about their menu offerings. He answered, quite politely in English, explaining each dish we were interested in, and finally we asked him for his recommendations as this was our first time in Soleil.
"If you leave it up to me, allow me to prepare you a good sampling of our dishes," he declared and we agreed as he headed back to the kitchen.
As we were ordering our drinks from the waiter, I asked the name of the chef with whom we just left our fate that evening.
"He’s our Columbian executive chef, David," we were told.
No wonder he had a somewhat different accent from our Filipino English, which I couldn’t place till now.
Chef David hails from Colombia, but learned his culinary skills from the other CIA (Culinary Institute of America) in New York. It was also there that he met his future wife, the Filipina Gianella Rodriguez. After graduating from CIA, he honed his skills further, working for Bouley, Le Bernardin and Allison on Dominick St. He found his way to our shores when he married Gianella in 1997 and settled here for good.
And so, with much anticipation, came the first of our appetizers. We were given a plate each of a trio of very fresh Aklan oysters with different toppings each – a ginger/shallot granita, a Thai-inspired herbal sauce and the classic tomato/horseradish cocktail sauce. Although the three were all good, our favorite was the granita. As you put the oyster in your mouth, the crunchy chopped shallots are made crunchier by the ice crystals, adding an unexpected sensual pleasure from the soft slippery mollusk, and giving it a new dimension. It left both of us craving for more.
Then came a second appetizer of duck liver pâté on a bed of mixed greens and drizzled with balsamic dressing. Coming in quick succession were two salads, one for each of us, but also to share: Salade Pastorale of Tagaytay greens and fresh herbs topped with poached egg, with a light truffle and Parmesan vinaigrette.
The poached egg on the salad is quite rare in this part of the world since hard-boiled egg is de rigueur, but nevertheless it was a welcome treat. One breaks the soft yolk with a piece of the hot home-baked bread, made heavenly with a swipe of the truffle vinaigrette. It leaves a homey comforting feeling, yet delicate in flavor.
The other was a warm spinach salad topped with croutons, chopped hard-boiled egg and smothered with smoked bacon bits simmered in a balsamic vinaigrette reduction. Again, I couldn’t resist wiping the last drop of the delicious dressing with the bread.
For the main course, Mary Ann was given half portions each of jumbo prawns brochette, spiced with an aromatic lemongrass and coconut bisque, nestled on a garlic-pimiento risotto, and beer batter-fried Bacolod soft shell crabs with a spiced honey dip. And having forewarned chef David of my allergy to crustaceans, I was given the New Pork a la Maison, which is very tender pork belly cooked with aromatic spices and served with a potato mousseline. Needless to say, we both wiped our plates clean, and to think we didn’t have to bring out our food "uppers."
For dessert, we were served a chocolate and ginger tart with a scoop of peppery ice cream. It was a rich, amazing combination.
Chef David works magic with his sauces. They are light (unlike most traditional French sauces which are heavy cream-based), yet so tasty and flavorful. That evening, we not only got to meet chef David, but we also got to learn about Soleil’s secret to its success. And we’re not about to tell.
Soleil is at the ground floor of Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati City. For inquiries and reservations, call 757-3600.
Take pizza for instance. Gone are the days when pizza meant only Shakey’s (for those with more dough) or Greenwich (for those with less dough). Today, there are pizzas of all persuasions: California Pizza Kitchen, Pizza Express from London, Chicago-style (thick crust) and, lest we forget, the original thin-crust Italian pizzas baked in traditional brick ovens (Caruso on Nicanor Garcia St. in Makati City comes to mind), and so on. (But in spite of it all, Mary Ann still swears by Shakey’s cheese, garlic and anchovy thin crust pizza.)
Globalization is making it more exciting for the Pinoy diner, and a tad stressful (or challenging as the case may be) for the local restaurateur. Never in our dining history have we been faced with so much food choices. It’s no wonder that the dining public has become a bit spoiled; restaurateurs are vying for everyone’s patronage, especially in these days of the shrinking peso.
When Mary Ann and I decide where to dine, it always depends on our mood (craving is more like it), budget and what is convenient at that very moment. There are times when I am in the mood to try with an open mind (and mouth) anything new, risking possible pleasure or disappointment; and there are other times when I only want the true-and-tested favorite places of ours. Sometimes my budget can take us to a five-star hotel, or when under time constraints, burgers at a fast-food chain will get us by. Fortunately, one thing is consistent. I can always enjoy a meal whether in places high or low, which in itself is a priceless blessing, if I may say so myself.
Certainly, one of the reasons I enjoy a meal wherever I am is the little "secret" I carry around with me. I keep in stock in the car little bottles of Tabasco and XXXO chili sauce – Tabasco, in case the pizza parlor or burger joint doesn’t have it (most local brands of chili sauce aren’t hot enough; one even claims to be the world’s hottest. My foot! The only thing it delivers is hot air) and XXXO chili sauce for oriental dishes, especially congee, noodle soups and dim sum, when a slight lift is needed. I call them my food "uppers." Mary Ann brings her own muscovado sugar for her coffee. We used to bring our own version of sinamak (natural brewed cane vinegar spiked with chili and garlic) when we go to roadside barbecue pits (the commercial one is just plain sour and has no kick to it) until one day the bottle spilled in the car. Ooops. Don’t laugh now, but our foodie friend, Makati Representative Teddy Boy Locsin, carries around with him a small rice cooker whenever he eats out. His rice has to be cooked just the way he wants it, fluffy and steaming hot when served. Anything less will not do, and he’s known to walk out of establishments. A cousin of mine brings her own talangkâ paste whenever she goes to a native restaurant, while Mary Ann’s Thai friend brings fresh siling labuyo (bird’s eye chilies) wherever she goes. Well, to each his own.
Recently, Mary Ann and I rewarded ourselves with dinner at Soleil after a day’s work at our shop About Design in Greenbelt 3. We had three reasons why we chose Soleil that night over a dozen or so others in Greenbelt 2.
It has a solid reputation based on the consistently good feedback I get from friends who’ve eaten there, even from way back at its old location on Pasong Tamo Ext. Second, I’d like to meet its chefs, Swiss Marcus Gfeller, once the executive chef of Grassi’s in Ortigas Center, and chef David Pardo de Ayala, to know firsthand the secret of their good track record. Lastly, we heard of its new menu, which was quite a departure from the traditional French cuisine at the old venue.
As Mary Ann and I were led to our table, a tall, handsome and rather big guy in a white chef’s jacket approached us. Mistaking him for a Filipino, I asked him in Taglish about their menu offerings. He answered, quite politely in English, explaining each dish we were interested in, and finally we asked him for his recommendations as this was our first time in Soleil.
"If you leave it up to me, allow me to prepare you a good sampling of our dishes," he declared and we agreed as he headed back to the kitchen.
As we were ordering our drinks from the waiter, I asked the name of the chef with whom we just left our fate that evening.
"He’s our Columbian executive chef, David," we were told.
No wonder he had a somewhat different accent from our Filipino English, which I couldn’t place till now.
Chef David hails from Colombia, but learned his culinary skills from the other CIA (Culinary Institute of America) in New York. It was also there that he met his future wife, the Filipina Gianella Rodriguez. After graduating from CIA, he honed his skills further, working for Bouley, Le Bernardin and Allison on Dominick St. He found his way to our shores when he married Gianella in 1997 and settled here for good.
And so, with much anticipation, came the first of our appetizers. We were given a plate each of a trio of very fresh Aklan oysters with different toppings each – a ginger/shallot granita, a Thai-inspired herbal sauce and the classic tomato/horseradish cocktail sauce. Although the three were all good, our favorite was the granita. As you put the oyster in your mouth, the crunchy chopped shallots are made crunchier by the ice crystals, adding an unexpected sensual pleasure from the soft slippery mollusk, and giving it a new dimension. It left both of us craving for more.
Then came a second appetizer of duck liver pâté on a bed of mixed greens and drizzled with balsamic dressing. Coming in quick succession were two salads, one for each of us, but also to share: Salade Pastorale of Tagaytay greens and fresh herbs topped with poached egg, with a light truffle and Parmesan vinaigrette.
The poached egg on the salad is quite rare in this part of the world since hard-boiled egg is de rigueur, but nevertheless it was a welcome treat. One breaks the soft yolk with a piece of the hot home-baked bread, made heavenly with a swipe of the truffle vinaigrette. It leaves a homey comforting feeling, yet delicate in flavor.
The other was a warm spinach salad topped with croutons, chopped hard-boiled egg and smothered with smoked bacon bits simmered in a balsamic vinaigrette reduction. Again, I couldn’t resist wiping the last drop of the delicious dressing with the bread.
For the main course, Mary Ann was given half portions each of jumbo prawns brochette, spiced with an aromatic lemongrass and coconut bisque, nestled on a garlic-pimiento risotto, and beer batter-fried Bacolod soft shell crabs with a spiced honey dip. And having forewarned chef David of my allergy to crustaceans, I was given the New Pork a la Maison, which is very tender pork belly cooked with aromatic spices and served with a potato mousseline. Needless to say, we both wiped our plates clean, and to think we didn’t have to bring out our food "uppers."
For dessert, we were served a chocolate and ginger tart with a scoop of peppery ice cream. It was a rich, amazing combination.
Chef David works magic with his sauces. They are light (unlike most traditional French sauces which are heavy cream-based), yet so tasty and flavorful. That evening, we not only got to meet chef David, but we also got to learn about Soleil’s secret to its success. And we’re not about to tell.
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