Thursday, April 26, 2007 A French Meal By Dorothy Bangayan The unlonely planet
WHILE overturning my drawers inside out to look for a lost check my grandmother gave me to encash, I stumbled upon a faded receipt from our first paid meal in Europeat La Lorraine Brassierie in 272 Rue Du Fg Saint Honore Paris, near the banks of river Seine where we missed the Bateaux cruise for French food.
It was an all girls trip -- me, my sister and my cousin, my very first day in Paris, or in Europe for that matter. My cousin wanted to dine at Jules Verne, the third most expensive restaurant in Paris, I declined saying we lacked time (and money, I thought silently).
So she recommended another place, which we readily said yes to. It was this chi chi place which sounded vaguely of lingerie. (I found out much later that Brassiere means cafe or casual restaurant.) We were greeted by the Maitre'd who subtly gestured at his coat.
I silently wondered if there was a dress code but since I was starving, I decided to play the dumb tourist and continue inside. The Maitre'd had no choice but to lead us to a table where we ordered.
Ordering was a dilemna. First of all the menu was all in these French words which we couldn't pronounce. And how many kinds of oysters are there in this world? We asked the waiter to recommend an oyster.
He pointed at the three euro (P210) per shell listed at the top of the menu. What the heck! I could eat a bucket at Yahong or Talaba Joe with that kind of money. I politely pretended I liked the cheaper version better.
My cousin continued to ask what else the waiter could recommend. "My gosh! Stop asking because he is just going to point out the most expensive thing on the list."
One please, I said, pointing at the 6 pieces of quiberon oyster on the menu. The Maitre'd thought it was one order each and was shocked when we ordered to share! "For each," he insisted in a very snobbish and dignified manner as expected of a French waiter disgusted by the uncouthness of an ignorant foreigner.
"No... uh..we are full," I said, dead set on not spending as much Euros as possible.. "this is just a snack."
For the entree, we were served free bread rolls which was hard and crusty, garlic sourcream paste and a brownish watery sauce which somehow tasted like our patis (fish sauce). I am not a fan of the bread but what the heck, I'm eating it especially with all the money I'm shelling out for this meal.
Our oysters were served raw. It was huge and unbelievably fresh and had no trace of "malansa." The Poisson Marche (Sole) was tastefully arranged and simply melted in our mouths. The foie gras (duck liver) however was a disappointment.
Its consistency did not melt in your mouth like the foie gras served in Lumiere in Makati, which is also much cheaper. The Creme Brulee, which is French for "burnt cream", was sinfully rich and sweet.
We were given free walnuts for desert. We had to crack them using a nutcracker and broke a wine glass in the process. I almost choked when we got the bill.
My sister and I made a run for it after paying the bill. If this was just the first day, we would be forced to beg for money on the streets before the end of our trip.
"Where is Ruby?" I asked practically panting, when we are safely out of the Brassiere, half expecting the waiters to chase us if they discovered the broken wine glass. "She is still leaving a tip," my sister told me.
After complaining about the humongous bill to my cousin. She said: "Hey I saved you guys money. At Jules Verne, its 80 euros per person!"
