There used to be several French restaurants - outposts of gastronomic civilisation - here in the Philippines. Le Souffle (Bonifacio Street, Taguig) and The Gustavian (Banilad and Ayala Terraces, Cebu) were two of the better known and both were owned by French citizens. Both are sadly closed. But for those of us who live in Davao, there's an authentic French restaurant that's been going since 1996 Claude's Le Cafe De Ville occupies the first floor of the iconic Oboza Heritage House at 143 Rizal Street, right in the heart of Davao City. Claude Le Neindre, originally from Tours in the Loire Valley is a chef of some repute and has worked around the world with the Hilton and Inter-Continental hotel groups before deciding to settle in Davao with his wife, Tess, in the early 1990s. A word of warning: this is not a cheap place to eat despite the word "Cafe" being part of its name. You want cheap and cheerful fast-food, go to the Jollibee around the corner; this place is for those who are somewhat more discerning and want to treat their loved ones and themselves to some wonderful food and fine wines. Having eaten there several times, I can tell you that it is just as popular with Filipino families as it is with westerners. Last night the place was packed-out, it being the first day of its two-day Valentine special. The wife and I started with Cream of Tomato soup; definitely home-made and delicious. I then had Spring Chicken Forestiere served with baby new potatoes and seasonal veggies whilst the missus tucked-in to a large portion of grilled Blue Marlin, steamed rice and veggies; both were wonderful. She had Crepes Suzette for pud whilst I had the finest dessert souffle I have ever tasted. But I did have to wait the twenty minutes for it to be prepared and cooked - to overcome this slight delay, it's best to order it at the same time as your starter and main course. Service is as one would expect from a western establishment with the courses coming-out in the correct order and all the dishes for a given course being produced at the same time; not even the four star Marco Polo Hotel manages that with any degree of consistency. Everything is cooked fresh so there may be delays during busy periods. It happens. I said that Claude's isn't cheap. It is, however, both cheaper and better value for money than the Marco Polo whose menu is at least 5 years old and whose quality has slipped into mediocrity. Pearl Farm resort on Samal comes close - but then Claude did manage that place for two years!
Sounds like an interesting place for special occasions. Thanks for the review. If I'm honest I'm not really an avid fan of the French Style of cooking but my wife is so i'll add it to my dining list.
