I have recently discovered a divine little place that is every bit as pleasant as a café in Paris tucked conveniently in a small nook along Makati Avenue. Drowning in the familiar hustle and bustle of Makati City’s streets, I escaped to this rendezvous called Lumière. The moment you walk in this fascinating little place, you develop a sense of belonging. You immediately find yourself relaxing in the café’s clean, white, no-fuss interiors with walls that are awash with displays of modern art. This month, the walls come to life with black and white photographs that are as interesting as the café’s menu itself. One can drown himself in the story behind each photograph while sipping a cup of Kousmichoff tea as he awaits his order.
Having decided on the 101 tea flavors, I settled for a vert menthe---a combination of Chinese green tea and mint leaves. I go through the menu carefully. In places like these, one can not just pick a dish at random. Deciding on which dish to order is like naming your firstborn or every child after that; not that I have experienced it---I imagine it to be challenging. After much contemplation and plenty of dictation from my grumbling stomach, I gave in to its woeful pleas and ordered a Poire, Beu, Noix Légumes vert et Arugula as an appetizer. Please do not ask me to translate. As much as I love everything French from chocolat to objet d’art, my French can only go as far as counting from un to dix, uttering simple words and phrases like je t’aime, c’est très bien, merci, s’il vous plait, and the like. Lucky for me and many other French illiterate Pinoys, the menu provides a very detailed translation for each dish. For starters, I ordered a salad of pears, blue cheese, walnuts, salad greens & arugula in a light dressing of walnut oil, mustard, olive oil, and white wine vinegar. For my main dish, I settled (guiltily) for Foie Gras poelé sur lit d’ Épinards (Foie Gras braised in a grape reduction served with green grapes on a bed of spinach and mushroom). For those who do not know me, I am in an endless hunt for the best Foie Gras in town. And for those who do not know what Foie Gras is, or rather, have difficulty uttering these two important words, avoir peur my chérie! I suggest you pick up a French dictionary très vite!!! In restaurants like these, you do not want the waiter to sound more knowledgeable than you do. Never say foy gras s’il vous plait or you will want to hide under your skirt for having said so! After having made such a très très difficile decision, I patiently waited as my eyes roamed over the walls beside me.
As I was starting to feel très triste with les affaires de coeur, I was saved by the timely arrival of my salad. I immediately immersed my senses in the bold flavour of blue cheese and the luscious taste of fresh pear slices in contrast to the “supercilious” flavour of walnuts and the crisp taste of fresh greens draped with the taunting flavors of the light dressing which was just ab-so-lute-ly purr-fect.
Absorbed in a tangle of emotions, once again deep in thought, my senses shifted to the wonderful aroma that suddenly floated my way. At last, my foie gras has come… I slip the first forkful of foie gras in my mouth and let my senses revel in the rich flavours. My senses came to life as the flavour of fresh grapes (which was just rightly sweet) entwined with the delicate texture of the foie gras---one of the sexiest combinations I’ve encountered so far. The mushrooms and spinach compliment the dish in such a way you feel less guilty for every forkful of foie gras that slides down your tongue. At Lumière, Foie Gras is effortless and unpretentious… but it is every bit as sinful as a cup of Vosges hot chocolate.
Still reeling from the amazing flavours of my last dish, my eyes danced over the words on the dessert section of the menu. After a lengthy deliberation between my endless love affair with everything chocolate and my fascination for the titillating aroma of fresh lemons and oranges, I decided to set aside my loyalty for chocolate (just this once) and ordered a Feuilleté de Meringue à la Fleur d’Oranger (or simply Meringue with Orange Sauce). Ask me not if I was wrong with my choice. The moment the rich creamy taste of the meringue touched my lips, the wonderful aroma of fresh oranges seduced my senses. What a très très goûteux surprise! Ah… l’oubli…
Lumière… French for light… the epitome of what this restaurant is all about. As light brings life to that which our eyes can not see, Lumière brings life to your senses… Bon appetit!
Having decided on the 101 tea flavors, I settled for a vert menthe---a combination of Chinese green tea and mint leaves. I go through the menu carefully. In places like these, one can not just pick a dish at random. Deciding on which dish to order is like naming your firstborn or every child after that; not that I have experienced it---I imagine it to be challenging. After much contemplation and plenty of dictation from my grumbling stomach, I gave in to its woeful pleas and ordered a Poire, Beu, Noix Légumes vert et Arugula as an appetizer. Please do not ask me to translate. As much as I love everything French from chocolat to objet d’art, my French can only go as far as counting from un to dix, uttering simple words and phrases like je t’aime, c’est très bien, merci, s’il vous plait, and the like. Lucky for me and many other French illiterate Pinoys, the menu provides a very detailed translation for each dish. For starters, I ordered a salad of pears, blue cheese, walnuts, salad greens & arugula in a light dressing of walnut oil, mustard, olive oil, and white wine vinegar. For my main dish, I settled (guiltily) for Foie Gras poelé sur lit d’ Épinards (Foie Gras braised in a grape reduction served with green grapes on a bed of spinach and mushroom). For those who do not know me, I am in an endless hunt for the best Foie Gras in town. And for those who do not know what Foie Gras is, or rather, have difficulty uttering these two important words, avoir peur my chérie! I suggest you pick up a French dictionary très vite!!! In restaurants like these, you do not want the waiter to sound more knowledgeable than you do. Never say foy gras s’il vous plait or you will want to hide under your skirt for having said so! After having made such a très très difficile decision, I patiently waited as my eyes roamed over the walls beside me.
As I was starting to feel très triste with les affaires de coeur, I was saved by the timely arrival of my salad. I immediately immersed my senses in the bold flavour of blue cheese and the luscious taste of fresh pear slices in contrast to the “supercilious” flavour of walnuts and the crisp taste of fresh greens draped with the taunting flavors of the light dressing which was just ab-so-lute-ly purr-fect.
Absorbed in a tangle of emotions, once again deep in thought, my senses shifted to the wonderful aroma that suddenly floated my way. At last, my foie gras has come… I slip the first forkful of foie gras in my mouth and let my senses revel in the rich flavours. My senses came to life as the flavour of fresh grapes (which was just rightly sweet) entwined with the delicate texture of the foie gras---one of the sexiest combinations I’ve encountered so far. The mushrooms and spinach compliment the dish in such a way you feel less guilty for every forkful of foie gras that slides down your tongue. At Lumière, Foie Gras is effortless and unpretentious… but it is every bit as sinful as a cup of Vosges hot chocolate.
Still reeling from the amazing flavours of my last dish, my eyes danced over the words on the dessert section of the menu. After a lengthy deliberation between my endless love affair with everything chocolate and my fascination for the titillating aroma of fresh lemons and oranges, I decided to set aside my loyalty for chocolate (just this once) and ordered a Feuilleté de Meringue à la Fleur d’Oranger (or simply Meringue with Orange Sauce). Ask me not if I was wrong with my choice. The moment the rich creamy taste of the meringue touched my lips, the wonderful aroma of fresh oranges seduced my senses. What a très très goûteux surprise! Ah… l’oubli…
Lumière… French for light… the epitome of what this restaurant is all about. As light brings life to that which our eyes can not see, Lumière brings life to your senses… Bon appetit!
