MANILA, Philippines - Much is to be said about a man who dares to conquer the world. The daring, the dedication, the drive are all to be admired. Few succeed?which makes it all the more exciting to experience the craft of those who persisted and made it.
A daring Frenchman, Alain Raye, has decided to conquer Asia via the humble location of Pasay Road. Why he chose the Philippines, the hidden culinary treasure of Asia, when China is all for the taking in this day, is baffling. Perhaps there?s less competition, or he prefers the sight and smell of Filipinas, or he couldn?t say no to Buboy Quicho or part-owner Tonyboy Cojuangco, or maybe he wanted an English-speaking environment. Whatever his reason, we?re not complaining, because at the end of the day, we benefit from the labors of this man.
Alain Raye is a French chef. The week that La Regalade opened, metro society was abuzz about this new restaurant with a Michelin-acclaimed French chef. Their website narrates, ?In 1975, he opened his first restaurant in Albertville, and gained his first Michelin star, when he was only 24. In 1985 he moved back to Paris and started a restaurant named after himself, offering innovative French fine cuisine.? What the site deliberately withholds is that in Mr. Raye?s first year in Paris, as the New York Times* recounts, ?the Michelin guide removed the one star it had awarded him when he was at the stoves at Chez Uginet in Albertville, in southeastern France.?
I?ve visited the restaurant four times since it opened, unbeknownst to the condescending and snooty general manager, who treats guests according to the way they dress and the company they keep. All pleasantries for big time politicians and smiles for their cameras, meanwhile a castigating reprimand?without so much as introducing himself?for taking pictures when you?re alone (my darling doctor couldn?t find parking) and looking like a poor college girl. The pudgy man should remember that every visitor of the restaurant pays the same damn P3,000 bill and each deserves the same amount of respect. I don?t know?maybe he was trying to act French.
Indeed, the place has become a kind of see-and-be-seen, of-the-moment venue, a celebrity in sighting on each of my visits. Part owner Cojuangco lurked around, hopping from table to table on one visit; and I had to muster all my strength not to approach Carmi Martin and ask for an autograph on another visit. (I know, no wonder Monsieur Snooteroo reprimanded me.) But usually places like this are exactly that?just ?of the moment.? A six-month high and then they die. Attributable to snooty management that offers freebies to the well-heeled who will keep returning because they are spoiled, while offending real paying customers who will not return because of shabby treatment from Monsieur Snooteroo. (I certainly didn?t want to come back after that experience.)
But I want this restaurant to last because, Monsieur Snooteroo and the Snooties aside, the food is honestly quite excellent. (Service, from the valet to the waiters, is pretty good, too.) Every bite of every dish offered felt like it came from the kitchen of a real French gourmand. If Mr. Raye were Filipino, based on his cooking, he would definitely be a Pampangeño. The servings are excessive, the seasonings rich, the flavors strong, and it has that added, indescribable experience that can only be called ?soul.?
Take their buttered and baked escargot. A layer of bread crust covers the snails underneath, exposing only one, and provides a delicate crunch as you bite into the softness of the mollusk. Amazing texture! And the Emmenthal and the butter dissolve any earthy aftertaste of snails, making it a very civilized treat.
Make no mistake, though, this French bistro is more heart cuisine than haute cuisine. The menu does not go in wildly adventurous directions. The meals do not come in tiny portions whose ingredients would take a master gourmet to dissect. Instead, these come in huge servings (never order for one!) that use simple ingredients?carrots, onions, parsley?that you might even have in your own kitchen. The Beouf Bourguignon looks like a difficult-to-pronounce bowl of adobo while my friends debated whether the Fricassee de Volaille was afritada or pochero. But what makes Mr. Raye?s creations stand out is that here we get to experience southern French cooking as it should be, and with exceptional quality.
In terms of taste, it is easy to appreciate Mr. Raye?s hearty flavors. He brings out the best in traditional French fare: the French onion soup at this restaurant is especially recommendable, and in the dessert arena, another classic, the tarte tatin, is exceptional. He sticks to basics, which is harder than it seems, because then you have to really hit the nail on the head or you?re out. Take texture, which must be perfected if you are to deliver a real classic: Mr. Raye?s loin of beef is especially tender; the sauteed chicken just falls off the bone; and the coq au vin makes for a very gentle chew.
And then he surprises you through some specials by showing a dabbling in the direction of Asia. I was particularly taken by the grouper special, which came with a dip of shrimp bisque, giving the grouper a totally foreign flavor. This was very interesting and I would like to come back to try the other specials?if they would only make the letters on the Specials board a little bigger!
The interiors here are simple. Warm lights, hues of brown to grey, no table mantles, a simple and small vase of white Malaysian mums on each table. If not for the lamps and the Specials board, the room would look like a corporate hotel lobby.
But La Regalade has an ace up its sleeve that would make the restaurant worth the trip, even stripped of all fancy trappings. It has Chef Alain Raye. On my last visit, though, Mr. Raye had already left for Vancouver, where he has another kingdom to run, and will be back in October. In the meantime, Executive Chef Pierre Cornelis, who has been trained by Raye, takes over.
But I would hold out until Mr. Raye returns. Because when La Regalade gets cold and snooty, warmth can still be found in Mr. Raye?s food. It may be the only thing there that?s got real soul.
* A Provincial Chef?s Parisian Education, Gordon Mott, New York Times, 1 April 1987.
La Regalade. 820 Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City. 750 2104 or 750 2105. Wheelchair accessible. Major credit cards accepted. No reservations required but recommended. After-ten menu available on weekends. www.laregalademanila.com.
