It's the flavorful stories retold and shared with each dish that elevates one's dining experience with a colorful weave of vibrant and comforting notes. And Chef Sau del Rosario is one of the country's finest culinary storytellers...
From Angeles to Poblacion, Chef Sau del Rosario finally brings his much-loved restaurant to Manila as Le Petite Cafe Fleur recreates all his specialty dishes like Crispy Pork Belly + Truffled Macadamia Kare-Kare, Lamb Shank Caldereta and the famous Vuco Fye much closer to home in the heart of Makati. Designed and reconfigured to meet the requirements of the new normal including al fresco dining, enjoying bold yet elegant fresh flavors masterfully executed with your peace of mind combine for memorable moments at Le Petite Cafe Fleur. Here's a closer look at some of those moments...
A laid-back mid-morning before the lunch service rush at Le Petite Cafe Fleur reveals Chef Sau del Rosario busy at the kitchen. For Chef Sau, each day is about constantly developing creative new dishes and new stories to share with diners. Drawing inspiration from childhood Capampangan flavors to classic French techniques mastered with years of experience, Chef Sau's colorful culinary journey is a continuous story unveiled each day at Le Petite Cafe Fleur.
Each dish is elegantly plated down to the last intricate detail reflecting Chef Sau's culinary style, and Chef Sau just won't have it any other way. For those who know Chef Sau, it's all about the details (for more on Chef Sau del Rosario, see my earlier posts, Dining in the Next Normal: Nostalgic and Authentic Capampangan Flavors Comes To Your Home Dining Table with Culinarya Pampanga on the stellar all-star cast of Capampangan chefs led by Chef Sau, Dining in the Next Normal: Tidtad, Kilayin, Sampelut and Other Nostalgic Flavors Delivered by Culinarya Pampanga on the regional cuisine from Culinarya Pampanga, Flavors of Pampanga: Farm-to-Table Dining at Chef Sau del Rosario's 25 Seeds on Chef Sau's specialty dishes at 25 Seeds, Flavors of Pampanga: Samsaman, A Capampangan Boodle Fight with Chef Sau del Rosario at 25 Seeds on the lavish feast of local flavors and From Page to Plate: Chef Sau del Rosario's 20 Years of Love + Cooking on his book launch from 2015).
And it's these details that make your dining experience at Le Petite Cafe Fleur special. And the ingredients. Chef Sau shared one his newest dishes at Le Petite Cafe Fleur, the Bottarga Pasta. It's a deceptively simple and comforting pasta dish offering a delectable play on both flavor and texture in a seamless weave. Topped with edible flowers, it's a dish that first tempts the eyes before the palate...
A closer look lets you in on the dish's secret, topped generously with salted cured fish roe. Slathered in olive oil, garlic and lemon zest pairing well with the bottarga, the soft yet springy noodles become the flavorful base for this much prized Mediterranean delicacy.
The seemingly contrasting notes complement the other in an elegantly delicate balance. Each bite brings the crunch and a flavorful burst of briny notes from the bottarga followed by the olive oil, garlic and lemon zest to complete the flavors. And they don't hold back on the bottarga at Le Petite Cafe Fleur. Each savory bite presents its own moment, savored and enjoyed one tasty bite at a time for another colorful story by Chef Sau at Le Petite Cafe Fleur.
For dessert, why not indulge in Chef Sau's decadent Vananah Walnut Tsokolateh Vread? It's Chef Sau's elegant spin on the banana bread, elevated with premium local Malagos Chocolate and imported walnuts in a moist banana bread that's almost like cake (for more on the Vananah Walnut Tsokolateh Vread by Sau del Rosario of Cafe Fleur, see my post, Dining in the Next Normal: Move Over Banana Bread and Make Way for Chef Sau del Rosario's Indulgent Vananah Walnut Tsokolateh Vread). One bite and you'll never look at banana bread the same way again. And you'll agree, it's time for the banana bread to move over and make way for Chef Sau's over-the-top Vananah Walnut Tsokolateh Vread.
Complete the moment with soothing cup of freshly brewed Latte at Le Petit Cafe Fleur, and just sit back and relax. But there's one more absolute must-try specialty from Cafe Fleur Bekeri...
Much has been said about Chef Sau's popular Vuko Fye, a flamboyant take on the traditional buko pie. Making waves on the net since last year at the height of the quarantine experience, the raves on the Vuco Fye by Chef Sau still resonates to this day. And allow me to add to the buzz by saying this is the best buko pie in the metro. Period.
In true Chef Sau style, it's all about the details. From the buttery crust to the wide slabs of fork-tender coconut delicately layered over the other draped in a sweet cream for a buko pie experience like no other.
The first noticeable difference from the usual variety is the scale and height of the Vuco Fye. It has to be tall, as Chef Sau packs the tender meat from eight to ten young coconuts in each Vuco Fye. The layers of coconut are tightly compressed, and a slice shows just how packed it is.
Then, Chef Sau completes the Vuco Fye with a buttery crust. Forget the days when you simply enjoy buko pie as far as the hard crust with the common variety. The hard crust often marks the end of your buko pie experience. But not the Vuco Fye.
Made with loads of butter, the crust of the fresh-baked Vuco Fye delivers rich notes to cap the perfect buko pie experience. And you'll love the Vuco Fye from the pointy tip of the slice all the way to the crust.
Just like Chef Sau's equally popular Heg Fye (his own lavish version of the traditional egg pie), the Vuco Fye goes a step further like a fully loaded upgrade of the popular staple. More layers of young coconut draped in a buttery pie crust, it's buko pie reinvented with the luxuriant culinary style of Chef Sau del Rosario. Like many chefs during the lockdown last year, Chef Sau kept busy in the kitchen finding relevant ways to adapt to the new normal. Dining at home and the food delivery culture were the emerging consumer habits when a light bulb moment presented an opportunity. Cafe Fleur Bekeri led the way in showcasing Chef Sau's new and updated versions of revered bakery staples and kept the kitchens open and busy throughout last year during the on-going quarantine. And it's even busier now.
The Vuco Fye is truly an experience in itself, it's one more moment looped in a continuous thread of experiences at Le Petite Cafe Fleur by Chef Sau del Rosario.
And you can take it home too...
...so you can recreate the same moments at home. The vibrant neighborhood of Makati's Poblacion hosts yet another new dining experience and even more flavorful stories by Chef Sau del Rosario. Bottarga Pasta. Vuco Fye. Have your own memorable moments, at Le Petite Cafe Fleur...
Le Petite Cafe Fleur is located at 5893 Enriquez Street, Poblacion, Makati or call 0917 556 0917 for inquiries and more information. You can also visit their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/cafefleur.ph/ for more updates.
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