French Food Heaven in Baguio

I was not honestly prepared for the experience... it was like stepping into another era, another country, another destination, another place.

The first thing I felt was happiness, like a child- it was like having my own tea ceremony with a friend, it felt like being transported to a very nice place. 

The color and pattern they used in the area was light and cheerful.

The next thing I felt was pleasure from the first bite....a fusion of salty and sweet! Le Fume and Citron Tart.

 How can one tart look and taste so good? You can feel the consistency, the creaminess... the balance...

I have never tasted something like this..It is even better than the cakes I have tasted in Thailand.

The third emotion was anger... after the first bite on my  sandwich.. I felt anger surge inside me... because I finally  know what I have been missing for the last 26 years of my life....

What have I been eating, what kind of bread am I buying every day?

Comparison with other restaurants in Baguio City:

In Baguio even in some of the most expensive restaurants that charge clients 300 and above per plate I have  discovered that they have very little to offer,  you can actually imitate what is on the menu and have better food at home.

 Not because chefs here don't know how to cook- not because we don't have the ingredients... I am guessing it's probably because profit is the No. 1 motivation for some, even if chefs want to make better food, most of the franchised restaurants have forgotten to focus on the quality.

What most of them are after, is getting the profits back, never mind if the food that they are serving is memorable or not.

 I have tried  a lot of  expensive restaurants that charge you 300 per plate  here in Baguio but none of them came close to this.... 

It felt as though the food has a  mind of its own, it enters your soul and you are able to sense the idea of the one who  made it.

To me, that is just pure magic, only some chefs are able to share that kind of emotion... only the best... I have read about cooks in far away areas that are able to transfer their feelings into the food they create...such bliss...

The next  feeling was just Inspiration...I felt enthusiastic, lively, chatty. I felt really, really vibrant... its as if the food goes into your stomach, then fills your entire body with music...

About the Artist:

And then he came out.. The French Chef named Eric Chevalier. Chef Eric is french and his specialty is french pastry, he is married to Cyra a Filipina from Bicol.

*After reading the post of Calypso Alaia, we just had to visit the French Restaurant. The pastries are really heavenly. The french chef makes their own bread, croissants, cakes, eat everything from the best ingredients. Also the ambience brings back memories of the cafes and restaurants in Paris on the Tocadero Area, near the Eiffel Tower which we visited- Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda

He spoke with such anger and passion about the state of things in the city, how every food he has ever created was crafted with detail... you can see he is in love... in love with all of the cakes he was making and could not bear the idea that they will just be thrown away the next day if they are not sold...

You can see the lover's passion... the willpower he had... for every cake and pastry that he makes...

We had a chit chat with him, and together with my friend, we felt how passionate he is. He told us a story about two women telling him that they will go back because the cakes are heavenly, and he just told us, people don’t really need to talk about coming back—they just have to focus on eating the cake.

We also saw the disheartened look on his face... every cake takes several hours to make, he makes use of the finest ingredients, he could easily display cakes  that have been made there for more than a week, but he does not do that.

What is the best thing about this restaurant?

He bakes fresh cakes every day and will not allow old products to get sold--this of course will translate to lower profits or none at all- but he continues with the vision of honest business.

Together with his Filipina wife Cyra, they are making magic in Baguio.

Why do we need to support this restaurant?


We need people like him, we need his example, his words, his works, his life to energize chefs and bakers around this side of the world.

I admire this guy's integrity, he doesn't make cakes  for profit alone, he makes them because he loves doing it.

He wants clients to concentrate on the cake, to feel it, to merge with it. 

We felt the love in the food, the joy in the food, the emotions in the food..it was so strong... we felt the need to share it...

He also likes to train his staff well, expects them to be disciplined and provide them good wages according to the waitress we interviewed. 

Every cake is 100% made from fresh cocoa, dairy and butter--and you can feel na every item in that cake shop is made with dedication.

. It was truly delightful...we met a brilliant food artist--ang swerte ng Baguio to have someone like him and since ayaw ko mawala itong chance na ito sa atin..please go out there and try this experience--- 

I am 500% sure hindi kayo mag sisisi, money well spent. Feeling mo yung sweldo mo di nasayang...

 

Here is a French baker in Baguio, who cooks his own recipes, who serves fresh cakes and pastries every day, who offers meals that are cheaper, but 10x better than the expensive food sold in other restaurants, who  provides fair wages...

Here is a restaurant challenging the way we eat, the way we see our food, the way we live..take the time to try and share this experience, don't deprive yourself of the chance to feel thankful about something...

Take the time to learn in every bite... 

So we are taking this time, to share this with you...

It is not his loss, but the loss of Baguio if we are not able to keep them here. So, with everything that I got together with Ivy Buenaobra we will try to promote the place for as long as we can. Join us and feel the experience...

They are planning to move in Manila if things don't go well for them here... Baguio.. give yourself a chance to discover this blissful moment...

 Remember that we need them, We have much to learn about how to conduct an honest business, how to create breads with love- how to put back the integrity in our food--after all " We are what we eat".

 

( Fr. Ingrid Payaket)

Its a Sundate with my bestie Xylona Marla Lee. After mass we wanted to try something new in town and went to this place along Marcos Highway which was recommended by her cousin. And my gosh! Felt like we were in Paris for a day because of their authentic FRENCH cuisine (they specialize on pastries). Met the soft spoken chef Eric! Even a friend who is a really good baker herself has all praises for his cakes. Di ba ate Emerald Ventura he he..

Le Prestige cake is one of their best sellers. I was hesitant at first because all the sugar might scratch my throat but after the first bite it was surprisingly soft moist and not overly sweet! What a delightful treat! Plus the slice was actually big enough for two.

With French songs playing on the background and surely a delightful ambiance away from all the noise in town, it was an exquisite escape. A lovely Sunday at Paris, in Baguio -

Visit https://www.facebook.com/lamifrenchy

New schedule!!! Now its open at 10 am to 10 pm!! Enjoy!

Location: They are located near Baguio General hospital, near Botikang Pinoy ( Marcos Hi-way Baguio City)