#lunchset

It was my first time visiting Bistrot Le Coucou which opened its doors just last year. The restaurant is open daily from 11:30am to 10:00pm from Sundays to Thursday while extending up to 11:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

The place is quite charming, with elegant seats and tableware accompanying its bright-lit interiors. There are plenty of dining areas to choose from, whether you are having a casual lunch date or just staying for some cocktails over at the bar.

Bistrot Le Coucou also functions as a wine bar with its carefully curated selection of fine wines that can be purchased to be enjoyed at the bistro or at home. A semi-private dining room is available which can be reserved for small groups and special occasions.

It was a weekday but my husband and I took the opportunity to have a romantic lunch date at Bistrot Le Coucou. The four-course Menu Du Jour comes with a selection of appetizers, salads, entrée, and dessert — paired with a glass of sweet wine or cup of coffee. This is available from 12:00nn to 3:00pm from Monday to Friday for only ₱1,880+ per person.

We started by having some sweet wine which you can add to the set for P200 per glass. The Bodegas Vega De Mara Dabalia Frizzante from La Mancha, Spain is a light and refreshing dessert wine with sweet tropical flavors.

Complimentary breads and butter were placed on the table. The bread was freshly baked and was a good appetizer while waiting for our orders to arrive.

The Menu Du Jour lets diners choose one appetizer, one salad, and one main course, followed by a dessert. The selection is quite interesting, with dishes that you will only encounter at authentic French bistros. With the Menu Du Jour, you can enjoy these full-sized orders at a fraction of the price.

For my starter, I had the French Onion Soup, a classic French soup made with caramelized onions and a rich beef broth. This is then topped with a golden brown puff pastry and gratinated Gruyere cheese.

I really love having French Onion Soup and it takes a good restaurant to execute it well. The crust was flaky and the beef soup was hot and properly prepared with lots of onions.

My husband Dexter ordered the Snapper Tartare and Black Herring Caviar for his starter. This is fresh snapper tartare doused with extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, and chives then served with plain crackers. A third option for your appetizer is the Fresh Clams with White Wine.

There are two salad choice at the Menu Du Jour so we tried both. The Ratatouille "Bistrot Le Coucou" comes with layers of aubergine and courgette lying on a velvet roasted red pepper sauce with Perigold black truffles. This is quite a unique eggplant dish prepared the French way.

On the other hand, the Salad Niçoise is a pretty dish with its baby gem lettuce wedges plus ripe tomatoes and anchovy drizzled with black olive vinaigrette, tuna mayonnaise, and black olive oil power. This is a popular salad which originated in Nice, France.

For the main course, diners can go for the French Hunters Chicken which feels like the French countryside on a plate. This boneless chicken thigh is simmered in cognac and white wine then garnished with mushrooms and bacon and served with mashed potatoes.

The hunter's chicken is very tender. Dexter loved the combination of the bacon and mushroom sauce which gives the chicken a sweet flavor. The dish is quite filling especially with its generous serving of mashed potatoes.

My choice was the Salmon Au Reisling, a seared salmon with gnocchi, caramelized onion, and spinach then finished with Reisling sauce and extra virgin olive oil. The salmon was perfectly cooked so I loved having this light dish for my main course. Another option is the Ravioli Demi-Luna Scallops and Chicken Umami which we would want to try next time we visit.

For dessert, a plate of Salted Caramel Beignets will be served to complete your Parisian dining experience. These are fried dough tossed in powedered sugar similar to a doughnut. It is served with caramel sauce on the side.

Aside from the Menu Du Jour, we also wanted to try some of the other interesting items on their a la carte menu. The Confit Baby Lamb Leg with Pilaf Rice & Mint (P2550) is one of their Chef's Specialties. This tender lamb leg is cooked sous-vide for 36 hours. It's baked and served in a big clay pot with fragrant rice, carrots, and sweet onions. This can be shared by the entire table.

We also ordered the Mousse Au Chocolat (P385), a French chocolate mousse that is served from a giant bowl. We got one big spoonful of this heavenly dessert.

Bistrot Le Coucou has some other promotions to make every day a little better. They have Bring Your Own Bottle on Mondays where dine-in guests can bring their own bottle of wine without any corkage fees.

Nothing says joie de vivre like an Apéro Hour, so Bistrot Le Coucou lets guests enjoy two drinks from a selection of cocktails and wines for only P595+. This is available from 2:30pm–6:30pm on Mondays to Fridays. That means you can make any afternoon feel like a mini getaway to Paris.

We really did not want to leave yet after our Menu Du Jour lunch, so we hopped over to the comfy sofa near the bar to enjoy some cocktails. I had one of the Bartender's Choice cocktails called the Le Coucou Sour (P650) made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, lemon juice, elderflower liqueur, simple syrup, flour bitter, and egg white. Dexter had the Cacao Royale (P495). a cocoa-infused gin with Campari, vanilla liqueur, Cointreau, cacao bitter, simple syrup, and a ginger cookie.

We would like to thank Brazille Mae Tango and Jorge Joseph of the NIKKEI group for inviting us and hosting our exquisite afternoon at Bistrot Le Coucou. The Menu Du Jour is a great opportunity to experience French dining at a very good price. So bring your friends or significant other to Bistrot Le Coucou and enjoy an elegant afternoon in Paris.

Bistrot Le Coucou

2/F View Deck, One Bonifacio High Street, BGC

(0954) 356-2965

www.nikkei.com.ph/bistrot-le-coucou

www.facebook.com/bistrotlecoucou