A Taste of Le Bouchon Lyonnais at Brasserie Cicou

A warm freshly baked crusty bread, a glass of wine, and a variety of salads and pate before the main course...just a typical day at a typical restaurant in Lyon in east central France. And here's the best part. An authentic Le Bouchon Lyonnais experience is just a short drive away. Right here at Brasserie Cicou. 

Brasserie Cicou introduces its new menu inspired by the iconic neighborhood restaurants of Lyon with Le Bouchon Lyonnais, a traditional and rustic set meal with unlimited salad, charcuterie et pate, a main course, and classic desserts.

As with the popular bouchons in Lyon, the new menu includes a variety of salad bowls, herbed cheese with vinegar spread (cervelle de canut), rustic and traditional  pate and comforting meat dishes like sausages and tripes. At Brasserie Cicou, you get to sample popular and traditional Lyonnais style cuisine with an impressive selection of salads, pate, a wide range of main courses and desserts. Start with a refreshing glass of crisp white wine to get you in the Lyonnais groove...

Freshly baked baguettes are then served with a side of butter. The aroma of fresh baked warm bread with  a dab of butter that slowly melts sets the tone for a rustic Lyonnais style meal at Brasserie Cicou.

The Le Bouchon Lyonnais experience begins with Brasserie Cicou's Les Saladiers, a selection of fresh salads including Salad of Potatoes and Smoked Fish in Olive Oil, Red Cabbage Confit with Mustard Vinaigrette and Egg Mimosa...

...Beetroot with Sour Cream, Salad of Pork Sausage, Onions and Vinaigrette, French Green Beans with Vinaigrette, and Salad of Lentils with Shallots, Onions, and Parsley Vinaigrette.

The friendly staff at Brasserie Cicou then serves the different salads, with each salad offering distinct flavors. The variety of salads deliver fresh and clean flavors, but there's just something about French cuisine where a simple salad bursts with so much rich flavors. And in true Lyonnais tradition, you can go for seconds. And thirds. Nothing like a good salad, or in this case, a variety of salads, to start a meal.

Next, Brasserie Cicou's Charcuterie Et Pate is served, a tasty selection with Pate en Croute, Pork Head Pate, Chicken Aspic with Tarragon...

...Pate de Campagne, and Pork Rillette. The flavors are rich and rustic, perfectly paired with crusty bread, or even as is. A side of sharp mustard with the pork head pate delivers contrasting notes that blend well together for balanced flavors. Seconds? Absolutely.

A second helping of Brasserie Cicou's pate selection and another toast with a glass of wine, and I'm really liking the Lyonnais style. Sante...

For the mains, we go for the Tablier de Sapeur, ox tripe coated in herb crumbs, served with carrots Vichy-style. The contrasting textures of the tender tripe and the crisp herb crumbs play well with the rich buttery sauces...

...and the Boudouille, a combination of Blood Sausage and Andouillette, crushed potatoes with parsley, sauteed apple and beef jus with thyme and shallots. A rich, traditional and hearty dish reflecting the regional flavors of Lyon, as you continue your culinary journey at Brasserie Cicou. Other choices include the traditional Le Coq au Vin, marinated and braised chicken red wine, mushrooms, shallots, croutons, and pasta tossed in cream and parsley; Blanquette de Poulet, chicken with white cream sauce, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, and shallots; Fish Quenelle, with crab bisque and Gruyere cheese; and Homemade Pork Sausage with braised lentils in red wine sauce.

With a new wine glass, Brasserie Cicou's staff then pour a Pinot Noir to pair with the mains. Another round, another toast...and I'm digging this.

For an additional P 500, you can enjoy Brasserie Cicou's Le Fromage, a cheese platter with St Marcellin and Cervelle de Canut, a creamy herbed cheese tempered by the sharp notes of vinegar. Brasserie Cicou offers authenticity, as well as real regional flavors, and that's what makes the Le Bouchon Lyonnais menu unique.

And there's no better way to enjoy the cheese platter than with another glass of red wine...

And for dessert, your Le Bouchon Lyonnaise experience at Brasserie Cicou is capped with an indulgent selection of traditional sweets including Tarte a la Praline,

...Creme Caramel...

...Floating Island, with praline and creme anglaise...

...and Les Bugne de Lyon with strawberry coulis, each offering distinct flavors to cap your Lyonnais feast. And you can go for seconds too. Go have another glass of wine, or a cup of coffee...just go with the flow.

And while you're at Brasserie Cicou, why not have one of their signature desserts? The iconic L'Original Kouign Amann de Cicou, topped with caramel ice cream...

...and the Chocolate Kouign Amann, topped with chocolate ice cream, still the best in the metro. It would be a crime not to try Brasserie Cicou's Kouign Amann, seriously.

Or Brasserie Cicou's equally popular Macaron de Paris (P 45) in coffee, ube and lemon flavors...

...and Chocolate Cannele (P 40). Brasserie Cicou's Le Bouchon Lyonnais set menu and wide variety of signature desserts are just some of the many reasons to visit Brasserie Cicou.

Our host, Anna Ascalon Soenen, then shares their personal bottle of Calvados, an apple brandy from the French region of Normandy. And this one's got quite a kick...have a few more shots until you figure out how the apple got into the bottle. Or just have another shot.

Brasserie Cicou's Le Bouchon Lyonnaise is priced at P 1,700 per person for unlimited Les Saladiers, Charcuterie et Pate, a main course, and dessert (wine and beverages not included, no leftovers and no sharing). Enjoy the distinct flavors of east central France with Brasserie Cicou, it's just a short drive away...and one more reason to visit Brasserie Cicou.

Brasserie Cicou is located at 57 Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan or call 661-9200 or +63917-885-8841 for inquiries and reservations.

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