Le Petit Soufflé: Beyond Soufflés
Le Petit Soufflé comes with the high expectations of bringing something new and creative in today's bustling dining scene, as it is the product of another brilliant collaboration of Chef Miko Aspiras and Charles Paw.
Stepping inside the restaurant transports you to a picturesque scenery centered on nature. I initially expected that its menu would rival the number of the savory and sweet soufflé selections that Chef Jessie restaurants boast of.
To be honest, in my previous two visits, I sampled only one soufflé variant because its other menu items are sure to grab more of your attention.
FURIKAKE POMME FRITTES (P165)
I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed when they served the Furikake Pomme Frittes on our table. I expected it to have more oomph in its presentation. Once I started snacking on them though, I was immediately sold on it. The freshly made shoestring potatoes were a bit greasier to the touch, as compared to what we’re used to eating in Piknik; however, its flavoring of nori bits, black and white sesame seeds, black pepper, and spritz of lemon will make you totally addicted to this dish. I wonder if they have take-out versions of this similar to that of Cibo’s, because I wouldn't mind adding this to my personal (but not so secret) stash of chips at home!
SQUID INK RICE (P395)
The Squid Ink Rice has garnered its share in the social media spotlight; so I was curious to see what the buzz was about. The black rice itself was bland; but this was balanced by the flavorful savory tastes of the seafood and shimeji mushrooms it came with. The scrambled egg was served in a similar fashion with that of Osaka Ohsho’s Fuwatoro Tenshin Han's (omelette rice) set; which features a saucier version of the classic scrambled egg.
FOIE GRAS MAC AND CHEESE (P755)
My favorite dish by far would be the indulgent Foie Gras Mac and Cheese. This would come as a surprise to many because I am defintely not a fan of Mac and Cheese as I find its taste quite monotonous. Le Petit Soufflé was able to address this by serving up slices of spiced Hungarian sausage to lend the dish a meatier flavor. They further kicked it up a notch by serving sizeable pieces of melt in your mouth delectable foie gras; which maade this a winning dish for me.
FRENCH VANILLA BEAN SOUFFLE WITH VANILLA CRÈME ANGLAISE (P300)
For our dessert, we opted for the Vanilla Bean Souffle. I wasn’t that impressed with it as the vanilla sauce came with a bitter aftertaste. The texture of the soufflé was quite rough; and its crust didn't seem torched enough. Overall, based solely on this soufflé, Chef Jessie’s win by a mile (however, I’d still give its other variants a chance).
COLD MATCHA LATTE WITH MATCHA SOFTEE (P170)
It’s quite hard to find really good soft serve matcha in the Philippines. St. Marc’s and Family Mart’s are very accessible, but they don’t quite fit the bill. I’m looking for something that would rival the matcha of Chacha (Citysuper, Hongkong). I’m pleased to discover that Le Petit Soufflé’s matcha soft serve closely meets the standard. What makes this dessert even more enjoyable is that it’s served in a glass of cold matcha latte. This whole Matcha – on – Matcha concept is simply happiness in a cup!
Droolworthy Dishes: Cold Matcha Latte with Matcha Softee, Foie Gras Mac and Cheese
Le Petit Soufflé
3F Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue, Makati City
Dates of Visit: June 24, 2015 and July 28, 2015 with Nick Castro
