Brasserie CiÇou caters Istituto Culinario launching

It was my first time to eat at Celebrity Chef Cyrille Soenen's Brasserie CiÇou, (formerly famed CiÇou at the Hotel Celeste in Makati City). Thanks to the launching of the new culinary school, Istituto Culinario, I was able to try Chef Cyrille's French degustation, which covered the whole restaurant, including its kitchen.



Students of Istituto Culinario, together with Chef Cyrille, created the whole dinner for all the guests. The food served ranged from non-meat hot station, meat station, cocktail tables, cold station, pastry station, charcuterie station, and beverage and wine station, totaling to 7 stations all-in-all.



Starting with the HOT STATION, they prepared 1.) Egg Cocotte with Squash Foam which is egg cooked in cocotte or ceramic vessel served with squash foam; 2.) Cromesquis of Sea Urchin which is deep fried sea urchin balls; and 3.) Duck Liver Flan with Truffle Foam which is custard of duck liver with truffle foam



The COLD STATION is made of 4.) Beef Tartar which is ground US beef mixed with chopped shallots, capers and pickles seasoned with mustard, ketchup, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce; 5.) Marinated Sardines, Goat Cheese Espuma & Black Olives which is marinated sardines in olive oil, garlic, and basil served with goat cheese espuma and black olive powder; and 6.) Salad Nicoise which is salad of seared tuna, anchovies, sardines, tomatoes, eggs, bell pepper, green beans and mesclun salad.



The MEAT STATION offers 7.) Pork Garlic Sausage which is home made pork garlic sausage with marble potato served with sauce Ravigote (capers, pickles, shallots, olive oil); 8.) Onglet Poêlé Coquillette made from seared US beef hanging tender with pasta coquillette cooked in bacon, mushroom and cream; 9.) Boudin Noir Parmentier or the blood sausage on mashed potatoes; and 10.) Bouillabaisse made from fish and seafood stock boiled and reduced served with prawns, fish fillet and marbled potatoes.



The PASTRY SECTION was the bomb! :) We had the famous 11.) Kouing Aman (mini) which is caramelized sweet laminated dough; 12.) Chocolate and Vanilla Canelle which is chocolate and vanilla custard cakes; 13.) Madeleine or small shell-shaped sponge cakes; 14.) Financier or small almond tea cakes; 15.) Assorted Macaroons; and 16.) Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream made of peanut butter ice cream with banana cooked in muscovado.