Le Bistro d’Agathe: The Convenient Getaway
Tucked away in a small (and a bit sketchy) alley in Makati, one can find an unassuming art gallery/bistro named Le Bistro d’Agathe. It currently occupies the lot where Fat Michael’s used to be.
Stepping inside the restaurant feels like being in a living room wherein art dominates. From the fixtures, to the paintings; from the books, to the displays, Le Bistro d’Agathe is hodgepodge of creativity, color, and life.
A three course meal is the standard in dining in this restaurant; a starter, an entree, and a dessert for a price of P600 to P900 per person. However, if you manage to catch it on Groupon like we did, each person would be treated to two variants of each course, with a total of 6 courses for a special bargain of P1200 pax.
We started off with warm slices of their delicious house bread. The toasted slices were soft to the bite and had a subtle sweetness to its taste.
THE FIRST STARTER: TOMATO SOUP
It took a while for me to process how the Tomato Soup failed to have any hints of redness; but the tangy flavor was unmistakably present. The tartness was well-balanced with the creaminess of the soup; making it a perfect blend.
THE SECOND APPETIZER: TERRINE
I’m not a big fan of Terrine so when I saw the enormous slab of terrine served on our plate (yep, the picture shows just a single order), I got a bit worried. Fortunately, the beef terrine was contrasted by the pungent zings of the pickles; which erased the suya in eating it. I would suggest serving this in a smaller portion, because finishing the latter half felt like a chore already.
THE FIRST ENTRÉE: CREAMY GARLIC PRAWNS
The first entrée featured succulent and well-cooked shrimps (not prawns!) simmered in a delectable cheesy and buttery sauce. If only they could drizzle the divine sauce over the rice; that would make the dish simply perfect.
THE SECOND ENTRÉE: STEAK with PEPPERCORN and RATATOUILLE
A pleasant contrast to the first entrée would be the juicy and tender-to-the-bite piece of steak bathed in a lovely spiced peppercorn gravy. The highlight of the dish would definitely be the ratatouille, which featured fresh tomato chunks, smoky eggplant slices, and crunchy zucchini pieces clothed in a lovely herbed olive oil emulsion.
THE FIRST DESSERT: CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
I’m truly picky when it comes to chocolate, but a spoonful of the restaurant’s Chocolate Mousse was enough to win me over. You start by breaking the delicate crust before you get to the lovely gooey part.
Our stomachs may have been bursting from the twin appetizers and twin entrées we each had, but we easily devoured our cups of mousse in seconds!
THE SECOND DESSERT: PROFITEROLE
As if we weren’t full enough, we were served with a Profiterole each. The cream puff was filled with a lovely scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream, and the sweetness was beautifully tempered by a lovely dark chocolate syrup. It was definitely a pleasantly sweet ending to our 6 course meal.
TENDERLOIN BEEF STEAK (P600)
Le Bistro d’Agathe also serves single entrée’s if you’re not up for the full course. You can opt for their Tenderloin Beef Steak which comes with bleu cheese sauce, and pasta noodles. The sauce is a heavenly velvet blanket of creamy goodness; however, do be wary on the doneness of your steak. Ours ended up a bit dry.
The charm of Le Bistro d’Agathe is its simplicity. It serves hearty comfort food that feels like it came straight from your mom’s kitchen. Its cozy ambiance and attentive staff will definitely make you feel at home.
Le Bistro d’Agathe
1154 Rodriguez cor Lacuna St., Bangkal, Makati City
Date of Visit: October 30, 2014 (with Lily Chua and Jem Chua)
