FOOD REVIEW: Old Friends, Great Food, and a French Bistro in Alabang You’ll Want to Visit Again

Last month I had the pleasure of visiting Manila to see an old friend who I had not seen for around 10 years or more.

We used to work together in the Intercontinental Hotel in Manila for a while, and we both remember those days fondly. Sad to say, but the Intercon has been replaced by a monstrous shopping mall that seems to be linked to three or four even bigger malls. In fact, the central Makati area of Manila is like one vastly oversized mall. It’s certainly a distant cry from the good old days that I remember.

Moving on. My friend, Antoine, has long been retired now and lives in a beautiful suburban village in Alabang, which is about 45 minutes drive south from Makati.

The area is full of delightful restaurants, which is undoubtedly why Antoine decided to spend his latter years there. He loves the good life - and food is at the center of it for him. Our old HR manager once asked Antoine what he would do if he landed on the moon. Wondering if this was a ‘trick’ question - he answered, “Open a wonderful restaurant - and get you to find the staff”. He got promoted a week later… 

Lunch was decided upon, and the restaurant chosen for the occasion was L’Epiciere in a popular area called Molito. The place is absolutely full of different dining concepts; Japanese, Thai, Italian, Turkish, Greek - you name it, and you’ll no doubt find it here.

L’Epiciere, as the name suggests, is a French restaurant, one which serves up a delightful menu that made our visit one to remember. The owner/manager is French, and he has trained his staff impeccably. The service is excellent.

To make the day even better, Antoine’s lovely daughter, Izzy, graced the occasion and joined us for lunch. As she’s also a big foodie, the choices were left to this charming young lady.

Sausage Platter is always welcome when you are sharing the dishes, and the one served up was a delight. Four different choices of perfectly cooked plump sausages were complemented by a few roasties and a really hot mustard. This is a dish I thoroughly enjoyed and one that I would recommend. The flavours and aroma blended deliciously.

A tasty looking fish dish was also served, a local Filipino fish called Bangus, which is very popular, I am told. However, for me, I prefer one with less bones and more flesh. Still, it disappeared quickly enough…

The main was grilled beef skewers with an accompaniment of grilled fresh vegetables and fries - the beef was tender, perfectly grilled, and the addition of mixed herbs in a marinade added to the succulent flavour. The portion, three skewers, was hearty, and could easily serve two people. It was a treat. 

When dining in a good French restaurant, one simply must have profiteroles for dessert. These were freshly made, perfectly chilled, and absolutely delicious. As were the chocolate truffles and, of course, the Crème Brule. 

An ice cold glass of draught Stella Artois was the drink of the day, and an absolutely super time was had by all.

Merci Antoine and Izzy.

Give this smashing restaurant a try yourself if ever in this lovely area.

Discovering Hospitality Ratings

Ambiance: 7/10

Service: 9/10

Presentation: 7/10

Food: 9/10

Overall rating: 8/10