A perfect blend of the old and new

Ever wondered what happened to the old Chateau 1771 in El Pueblo, where discriminating diners used to feast on traditional French dishes and a few Filipino favorites? Well, the elegant white two-storey edifice at the corner of ADB Avenue and Doña Julia Vargas is humming once more, this time as the casually chic Café 1771. Stepping into Café 1771 gives you a feel of the old and the new at the same time. Upon entering, you instantly forget you are at the center of the Ortigas business district. You’ll feel like a diner in Paris, enveloped in a cozy café that jumps at you with its walls painted in bright blue, tables and shelves in plain white and chairs in funky fuschia and electric blue. Its style of décor is a quirky combination of sleek and country. A pastry counter stands across the door where the cashier and servers welcome you. This is called the Whimsy Lounge and aptly so, where you can imagine diners, most of them Louis Vuitton-toting ladies, chatting on a lazy afternoon over tea, pastries and gourmet snacks. One of the managers pointed out that this is the casual part of the restaurant, which only means that there is an area designated for formal dining. Over at the far right end of the counter, there is a merchandise store of sorts, with notebooks, gift cards, bottle holders, ceramic pieces and cool pouches. Yes, the café has a bigger area called The Lounge where the “no slippers, sando and shorts" rule is strictly imposed. But the lounge isn’t exclusively for business. When I sauntered into the café, the place was packed with families enjoying their Sunday lunch, comfortably seated in sofas and lounge chairs, surrounded by bookshelves, paintings and artful curios.

The café certainly has a spanking new look, but what about the food? As the new baby of the Chateau Group, operators of Chateau 1771 and Sentro 1771, you come with nothing but great expectations from Café 1771. The menu has some of the old Chateau signature dishes like the Lemon Chicken and Pasta Chorizo. The coffee pie is also listed in the dessert menu. But Café 1771 added its own specialty dishes, one of which is the Organic Chicken in Potato Crust. The café has every right to tout this as their Specialty Dish. The chicken we had was surprisingly moist and very juicy – even the breast part—which is a feat of sorts as it won over my family where not everyone is a fan of chewy white meat. This version really hits the spot – it’s perfectly tender and cooked through the inside, perhaps because it is slow-baked, as it says in the menu. The chicken was coated with a crust of crispy potato slivers, which gives you a chicken and potato dish that is at once both familiar and new. An order sets you back by P525 but you are served a good-sized half chicken which can be shared by 2-3 diners. Another item listed as a “must" in Café 1771 is the Eggs Benedict Special (P390). We sampled this with the smoked salmon instead of ham. At first glance, the dish looked bland and sparse. The two English muffins appeared rather tiny on the huge plate. But after taking a bite of it, you’ll know you are in the expert hands of professional restaurateurs. While you can always make this dish in your own kitchen, the café’s version succeeds in combining the saltiness of the salmon with the freshness of the perfectly poached eggs and the hollandaise sauce. The café also lists a number of gourmet sandwiches, pizza and pasta, meat and seafood dishes in their menu that shows it does not limit itself to French cuisine. The Osso Bucco Caldereta is as Filipino as caldereta can be. There are no surprises here except for the tenderness of the beef. Let’s just say there’s no need for heavy steak knives to cut through them as the beef shanks are well-cooked and almost crumble away as you spoon a portion over the hot steamed rice. You need to order the rice separately, though. And at P550 for this dish, an order of the plain rice at P55 may send your bill skywards. Among the pasta dishes, there’s the Vegetable Lasagna (P400), an enticing medley of grilled egpplant, zucchini, roasted bell peppers and onions, swathed in garlic-parmesan béchamel sauce. That sounds good in print but it might be a tad too cheesy for some. Perhaps, the plate is better off shared by two people who can have a plainer dish or maybe a pizza to go along with it. As a finale to a heavy lunch, there are choices of desserts and several coffee and tea concoctions. The waiter recommended the coffee pie and the bread pudding, two heavy dessert favorites. We opted for the Monroe Bread Pudding (P225) which was amazingly devoid of any heavy cream. It was light as plain bread (brioche) baked in a milky custard, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of strawberry sauce. It was a good choice, a light yet luscious way to end a heavy meal. Certainly, there are a lot more surprises to be expected from Café 1771 with offerings like the Sauteed Sea Bream, Lamb Shoulder Chops, Korean Ribs in Guava Glaze, the Beef Tenderloin and more. For those looking for a casual dining experience, you can check out the Salmon Cheeseburger and the Holy Cow Pizza. Among the desserts, the Valhrona Chocolate Ganache Tart also sounds inviting. With several new dining choices in Metro Manila, it’s hard to go wrong in Café 1771. You can be sure of more hits than misses. While everything here seems more laid-back than its mother establishment, Café 1771 is still a “special occasion" place – one where you can celebrate a birthday, promotion, or a graduation, even. Of course, you’ll also need an ample wallet to be able to partake of a satisfying meal. But if true satisfaction is what you want, then by all means, take the old familiar path to Café 1771. - GMANews.TV