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Feel French, eat French at Goût de France on March 21


Corner Tree Cafe's dark chocolate toblerone mousse with toasted almonds is one of the must-try dishes diners can taste at the restaurant during Goût de France on March 21. Photos: Nikka Sarthou-Lainez

Did you know that French cuisine has been named by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity? In fact, it is the only cuisine in the world to be part of its Intangible Heritage list.

Fortunately for us, we don’t have to fly all the way to Paris to be able to taste this cuisine, as the Philippines will be joining the Goût de France event that celebrates French gastronomy.

On March 21, this worldwide affair will feature French cuisine by chefs from different countries. An annual event since the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development organized it in 2015, the Goût de France was inspired by legendary French chef Auguste Escoffier's idea to serve the same menu on the same day and in different cities across the globe.

This year, 2,000 chefs will prepare 2,000 menus across five continents. In the Philippines, 10 restaurants run by nine chefs will take part in this celebration:

“It is an opportunity for Filipinos to get a better feel of France through different aspects—culture, technology and also what we call art de vivre, the way of living. And obviously a part of art de vivre in France and in the Philippines is good food, good cuisine, fun cuisine,” said French Ambassador Thierry Mathou at a media preview for the event at Vatel Restaurant in Manila.

Vatel Restaurant's beef bourguignon is served with potato gratin.
 

Mathou addded that the event also aims to highlight the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and the Philippines. “When you think about French cuisine, don’t think about it as elitist. But as a cuisine that comes from the roots of the people which is part of our culture,” he said.

The participating restaurants will be serving a variety of specialties such as mini vol au vent with escargots, ratatouille, cheese selection, soufflé, lavender crème brûlée, and many more. We got a preview of the menus and some of the items to look forward to are CAV’s foie gras appetizer, Lemuria’s fish-of-the-day on Florentine sauce, oven-roasted duck from Restaurant 101, and Apero’s Malagos Chocolate Mousse.

Try the choux pastry with Gruyere at Lemuria.
 

Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with French food or have a hard time pronouncing the ingredients, as the restaurants will be serving curated meals that the chefs have carefully selected. Diners will get to feel a sense of familiarity since many of the featured dishes will integrate local ingredients and techniques.

According to Vatel Restaurant's executive chef Pierre Cornelis, “Goût de France is not just about gastronomy but also about the way of the French culture. It’s a cultural experience. Of course it’s about the excellence, the quality, the taste, but also the style of the French culture—like sharing and the experience of eating together.”

Vatel Restaurant Manila will be featuring their French menu on March 22 and 23 since the executive chef will be preparing a special dinner at the residence of the French Ambassador on the 21st.

So, save the date. There is no better time to savor French cuisine than on the 21st of March. — BM, GMA News

To know more about the menus and to make a reservation, contact the participating restaurants. For more information on Goût de France and PhilFrance: Feel French!, visit the French Embassy's website or follow the Embassy on Facebook and on Twitter.

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