Cover Le Coucou, a new French restaurant by the Nikkei Group, opens in BGC
Le Coucou, a new French restaurant by the Nikkei Group, opens in BGC
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The Nikkei Group brings us a new French restaurant with classic bistro fare
“Coucou” is how the French casually greet each other, a saying usually reserved for close friends and family, reserved for more intimate settings and friendly encounters. Bistrot Le Coucou, the newly opened restaurant in One Bonifacio, BGC, encourages the kind of casual, approachable atmosphere, while delivering a dose of that quintessential laid-back luxury the French are known for. Situated on its second-floor terrace amongst the Nikkei Group’s other establishments, its warm lighting, comforting food, and chic interiors easily draw in a crowd.
The restaurant bears the prerequisites of a trendy cosmopolitan eatery—brass trimmings, plush seats, gleaming stemware, and a general polish and chicness that is undeniable in a Noel Bernardo-designed establishment. Still, Nikkei Group owners Carlo and Jackie Lorenzana strictly enforce a casual vibe, as is the true personality of a Parisian bistro.
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Le Coucou, a new French restaurant by the Nikkei Group, opens in BGC
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Carlo admits that opening a French bistro was a longtime dream, even before his earlier restaurant ventures that include a well-known chain of third-wave cafés. Like most of his restaurant concepts, Le Coucou is inspired by his and his wife Jackie’s travels abroad—he would always find himself gravitating towards French bistros. “I like the simplicity of bistro food,” he admits. “It's straightforward and no-frills. We are not trying to be innovative. We just want to do classic French food that is executed well.”
The initial arrangements were set into motion by a classically trained chef, but executive chef Luis Martinez and his team ensure that Le Coucou is off to a solid start. The food, as Carlo dreamed it, is traditional French with a few tweaks here and there. A starter of pommes frites is a strong opener and accurately represents Le Coucou’s distinct style, which is not completely old school but tends to lean toward its more modern iterations. The potatoes are given the Thomas Keller-pavé treatment with paper-thin slices of potatoes carefully layered and chilled overnight before being fried to give them that delightfully airy crisp. Dollops of caviar provide a stark contrast and salty pops of flavour, all accented with a herb dip made zippy with dill.
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Le Coucou, a new French restaurant by the Nikkei Group, opens in BGC
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These and a bottle of Champagne will make for the perfect companions at dusk, with perhaps a platter of fine de Claire oysters that benefit from a simple mignonette sauce or a squeeze of lemon. But, nothing quite prepares the palate for a hearty French dinner like a cheesy onion soup, and Le Coucou’s is redolent of sweet onions that have been cooked low and slow for hours, crowned with a pastry puff crust and melted Gruyère.
The main courses on the menu are divided into fish and meat courses. Dig into their creamy lobster linguine topped with ikura, or slice into Le Coucou’s duck confit served with a drizzle of orange glaze and accompanied by a roasted red onion. The steak au poivre is basted with butter until your desired doneness is achieved and is finished with a blanket of black pepper sauce and served alongside a creamy mashed potato. One would be remiss to skip dessert here, especially with a perfectly executed tarte tatin on the menu. The beignets dunked in salted toffee, too, are worth the extra calories, if only to accompany the aromatic espresso they serve.
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Le Coucou, a new French restaurant by the Nikkei Group, opens in BGC
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Do not miss out on some delicious wines to pair with your meal either—Le Coucou tapped the team behind Project Vino to help create their wine list and supply a range of reasonably priced, delightful varieties that are mostly old world, save for a few notable labels from Napa Valley and Australia.
The Lorenzanas’ new French restaurant is validation that one must never give up on a dream, no matter how deeply buried it may have gotten by life’s ebb and flow. Besides, the busy Saturday crowd is a clear indicator that this concept was something truly worth taking a gamble on and that the BGC market is currently in the mood for more French food.
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Jaclyn Clemente Koppe is a food and lifestyle writer, as well as a consultant to some of the country’s beloved food and beverage brands. Her passion for food and drink is only surpassed by her devotion to her family, most especially to her soulmate, Pepa the poodle.
