Tucked in Timog Avenue (Near Tomas Morato Ave.), you might just miss Cuisiner if you’re not the observant type. I think part of this French and Mediterranean restaurant’s charm is that its location is somewhat hidden, but there wasn’t any hiding with the quality of their food and service.

I went there with budget in mind (as it is my mindset for everything these days), and I had a very lovely time. The interiors and the mood of the restaurant might be intimidating as the place and food has a fine dining appeal, but I was surprised that for such a well-thought out and elegant place, the prices are pretty reasonable. I was initially looking for just a casual dinner like we always have, but from the minute I walked in, I knew it was going to be special. I would love to come back here for special occasions, with family or friends.

For appetizer, we had house bread served with herbs and cheese in olive oil. Here are our other orders:

1. Soupe a L'Oignon (P190): Caramelized onion soup with sherry and red wine

I’ve always loved onion soup, I love how exciting it is to indulge in it, making sure you have a spoonful of soup with mozzarella cheese, onion, and soaked bread every time—or maybe some with just mozzarella! The stock of the soup was really flavorful and the onions cooked just well. It was so hearty and filling that we had to take our other order to go.

2. Sopa de Ravioletti (P160) Butternut squash and potato soup

Another favorite is squash soup. So when my friend ordered it, I asked that we share so we both could enjoy both soups. And indeed, it was amazing. You can taste both the squash and the potato married in stock, with the cream on top. To enjoy it more, I asked for more cream. Need I say more?

3. Moroccan Lamb Stew in a Melange of herbs and spices (P550)

Lamb, for me, is really interesting as it is not what I usually eat on a daily basis, so when I saw that they serve lamb, I didn’t hesitate. Meant for sharing, the lamb was so tender I didn’t need a knife to slice it. My friend said he wanted to learn to make stew because of this dish. The sauce was really aromatic because of the herbs which was balanced with a just the right sweetness.

4. Fish Normande (P380) Folded fillet of fish, served with mussels, shrimps and cream mushroom sauce

A mountain of seafood was served to us and I was so happy about how the serving was so generous. It’s poured in creamy mushroom sauce, which tied the flavors of all the seafood together. I was already sold on the seafood to begin with, but how the cream sauce tasted was a pleasant surprise!

When I go back, I want to try their scrumptious-looking desserts. Until next time!

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Cuisiner Brasserie is located at Richwell Center
, 102 Timog Ave., Brgy. Sacred Heart
, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines