If you're among the crowd that's been waiting since 2020 for Chef Sau del Rosario's famous Pampanga café, Cafe Fleur, to open their Makati branch, then we're right there with you. Given Chef Sau's popularity and his restaurant's reputation for serving high-quality Kapampangan eats, it's no shock that the news caused quite a buzz. And now that the Poblacion outpost has finally gotten into the groove, we headed on down to check out Le Petite Cafe Fleur, and let's just say we're surprised—in the best way possible.
LOOK: Must-try Filipino Restaurant, Le Petite Cafe Fleur, in Poblacion, Makati:
If you're looking for your next date spot, dinner-with-friends resto, or possibly even a venue for a special occasion, you might want to add Le Petite Cafe Fleur to your list. Donning a very tropical and homey design, Cafe Fleur Makati serves great food and great looks. There's no missing the nipa-style tropical ambiance of the café once you're at Enriquez street. The brightly lit nook is a welcome change to the cramped, almost suffocating Poblacion streets.
The restaurant is housed in one of Poblacion's rustic, formerly residential buildings. This allows the restaurant to seat up to 60 people in its three major zones: the cool al fresco seats, the airconditioned ground floor, and the quiet second floor.
One step into the building, and a feeling of relief will wash over you. Everything at this spot screams airy, breezy, and tropical. Goodbye, stressful Makati. Hello, slice of paradise. Rattan seats, comfy sofas, ambient lighting, and lots of wooden decors jazz up the space giving it a very chic and comfortable vibe.
Now let's talk food. Surprise, surprise, if you're planning to go to Le Petite Cafe Fleur expecting to nosh on some top-notch Kapampangan and Filipino food, you might want to turn back. Le Petite Cafe Fleur in Poblacion serves more international and continental eats than Filipino cuisine. But despite this major change in menu style, Cafe Fleur is worth the visit. Aside from sharing parts of its name with its Angeles sister restaurant, Chef Sau is still part of the menu curation and development, so you know the food is remains at par.
Their menu offers a wide range of dishes, from light appetizers, sandwiches, and pasta to full-on main courses. There's also an array of drinks, pastries, and plant-based food. With everything going on in the resto, it's easy to get overwhelmed and miss out on some truly delectable bites. But not to worry, dear Spotter, we got you covered.
Start your meal with light and quick bites courtesy of the appetizers. You shouldn't miss out on the Aligue Gambas (P780), which is a bowl of shrimp swimming in a crab-fat sauce flavored with garlic, coconut, and coriander. But if you're the type who likes a plate of greens to start off the meal, you won't go wrong with the Mushroom Confit Salad (P550), light and fresh vinegarette-dressed mixed green salad with gorgonzola, candied walnuts, and apples. These two dishes pair well with each other as the Aligue Gambas is creamy and rich, flavors which could easily overwhelm the palate, but the tart dressing and fresh greens from the salad cut through the richness nicely.
Don't fill up too much on the appetizers, though, as the best part is still coming. For your mains, there is no way you should leave Cafe Fleur without trying the Galbi Jjim (P1,800). This for-sharing serving is good enough to feed a group of three to five. The Galbi Jjim is a fork-tender braised US beef rib swimming and marinated in honey, mirin, and ginger concoction served with some kimchi on the side. With beef this tender and moist, we're still dreaming about it. Add in the sweet and salty flavor profile, and it's one we're bound to return for.
The Galbi Jjim dish goes great with either pasta or rice on the side. If you do decide to get some pasta, must-tries include Cafe Fleur's best-selling Signature Champignons (P470) or the Squid Ink Aglio Olio (P640). The Champignon Pasta has a cream-based sauce best described as a milder and less in-your-face take on truffle cream pasta. Meanwhile, the Squid Ink Aglio Olio is an oil-based pasta with a hint of citrus courtesy of the garlic prawns cooked with a touch of lemon. Both plates of pasta would go great with the galbi for different reasons; where the Champignons would add a creamier and milky component to the galbi sauce, making it richer, the aglio olio would cut through the sweetness of the galbi to bring fresh palate-cleansing notes.
If you're in the mood for more seafood, give the Cereal Salted Egg-yolk Prawns (P1,100) a try. Although classified as a main, we could see ourselves noshing on these crispy cereal-breaded prawns on their own as we're watching our favorite shows, paired with an ice-cold glass of beer. Unlike usual cereal prawns, where the cereal seems like an afterthought added for the sake of texture, cereal sprinkled with generous amounts of salted egg-yolk powder is the star of Cafe Fleur's version. The amount of flavor packed in the outer shell of the prawns is mind-blowing and what's even more amazing is the fact that despite being breaded and fried, the prawn is still very moist and succulent. Believe us when we say this is a must-try. You won't regret it.
While eating, make a mental note to leave room for dessert. One of the food items that made it from the Pampanga outpost is Chef Sau's Buko Vye (P420), their take on the classic Filipino dessert buko pie. Made with generous amounts of coconut, you'll go loco for the coco. It's a well-balanced and not-so-sweet clean palate cleanser. But the dessert that really kept our tummies wanting more is the Cafe Fleur Burnt Cheesecake (P490), a perfectly light, fluffy, and aerated take on the burnt cheesecake. A slice of this cake is pretty big, so much so you'd think of sharing it, until you take that first bite. Mild vanilla notes pepper every bite of this sweet treat. It's perfectly creamy and surprisingly light despite a compact and dense appearance.
There are so many more nice things we could say about Le Petite Cafe Fleur, but we wouldn't want to preempt your visit. A meal at Cafe Fleur is not just about gaining sustenance and energy for the rest of your day, but it's an occasion, a memory to be kept, if you will. With a mix of great food and great ambiance, it's one of those spots where you'd bring a special someone, good friends, and family, for a meal to remember.
Le Petite Cafe Fleur is located at 5893 Enriquez Street, Poblacion, Makati. Their contact details are: 09171928343; you can also reach them via their Facebook page. They are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursdays to Saturdays.
*This story originally appeared on Spot.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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