Tymad: A taste of romance

Friday, February 10, 2012

MANY consider French to be the language of love. Some say it is the nasal vowels that sound very alluring. Others find its pronunciation romantic as it requires one to pucker his lips—which would in a sense be like kissing—while still others think it is the intonation that is very pleasing.

It is no wonder someone would suggest that we “speak French on Valentine’s Day” to impress loved ones. How about, say, eat something French on Valentine’s Day to please the appetite?

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Tymad Bistro might just be the right place to try a romantic taste. According to French owner Philippe Estienne, tymad means “good house” or “good restaurant.” The word is actually from a Celtic language that originated from Brittany in France, where crepes came from.

Tymad Bistro takes primary pride in its crepes and galletes—making the whole thing really very French. How are these two different?

Crepes are made from white wheat flour. They are as thin as buckwheat flour but way softer, courtesy of the eggs, milk and butter used to make them. Mostly taken as dessert, crepes are offered in a variety of ways to prepare with fillings such as butter, sugar, honey, chocolate, cream, fresh fruits and preserves.

Galletes are savoury crepes made from buckwheat flour. For the health conscious, this is a good choice as it has easily digestive protein, all eight amino acids and high fiber content. Traditionally, it is made of buckwheat flour, water and salt, but Tymad Bistro adds milk, eggs, melted butter, a bit of white flour to improve its texture and taste and, sometimes, honey to improve its color.

Tymad, bearing the restaurant’s name, is one of the favorites among the list of savory galletes. It is filled with burger, ham, cheese, egg, tomato sauce and mushrooms—it is a complete meal already.

Other choices are served with fillings such as pork loins, butter, ratatouille, basil, bechamel sauce, chicken, bacon, four cheeses (emmenthal, mozzarella, blue cheese, carabao cheese), salmon, cream and lemon. Through the menu, one can choose which combo suits his personal preference.

Tymad Bistro also has options for the main course, and chicken tarragon easily tops the list. It is made of chicken breast cooked in white wine with tarragon. As Philippe puts it, it is not too difficult to know if a customer is a Filipino or French by his choice between white rice or potatoes to go with the dish. Of course, Filipinos’ love for rice is common knowledge.

Another sumptuous dish is the gambas, which is quite popular already among Filipinos.

It is made of prawns flambee whisky with garlic and parsley in white sauce. Tymad Bistro’s version has its food presentation in a heart shape to relate with the Valentine mood.

Tymad Bistro also has pastry options. There is a known French pastry, the mille-feuille, which means a thousand sheets in French. He uses orange flower and vanilla for this confection. Its top layer is crispy while oozing within its layers is the creamy softness of its filling.

Going over Tymad Bistro’s menu actually serves two purposes: to practice speaking the language of love and, of course, to choose which French goodies to taste. The restaurant is on Maria Luisa Road, Banilad, Cebu City.