I was a regular customer at the Little Asia restaurant chain before it folded in 2015. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the proprietor and my old friend Charlemagne Lim, has brought the concept back to life through BISTRO CHARLEMAGNE.
The first BISTRO CHARLEMAGNE branch is located in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa Laguna. Because it is all the way in the south, I have never tried it. Luckily, they opened another branch on the 5th floor of AYALA MALLS FELIZ in Marcos Highway. I could not run fast enough to check out the new menu which included some LITTLE ASIA favorites as well as a wide variety of new Western dishes.
My foodie friends and I kicked off our meal with a rich and creamy PUMPKIN and CARROT SOUP. The rich, thick soup is very hearty and satisfying. Just this soup and some salad can fill you up as a nice, healthy weekday lunch.
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| Pumpkin and Carrot Soup |
They serve a variety of salads but we opted for the JAPANESE MIXED SEAFOOD SALAD. The tuna, kani and shrimp are tossed in a spicy mayo dressing and topped with ebiko and crunchy tempura flakes. Everything is laid on top of a bed of greens that are coated in a sweet soy dressing. It’s a salad but the flavors and textures are all there. Like I said, this is enough for a light lunch.
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| Japanese Mixed Seafood Salad |
Sticking to the seafood, we also tried the SHRIMP POPPERS. Lightly breaded shrimp are deep-fried and coated with a tangy, creamy dressing and served with some greens. The shrimps were perfectly cooked until they were crispy on the outside but still juicy and tender on the inside.
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| Shrimp Poppers |
I was very intrigued by the OCTOPUS A LA POBRE. Not many restaurants have octopus on the menu and they are often expensive. This dish had a mound of octopus and for only Php355, it was a steal! I would have wanted it to be a bit more garlicky and spicy but each piece was succulent and tender. I almost wanted to start having some beers with lunch!
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| Octopus a la Pobre |
Speaking of beer match, BISTRO CHARLEMAGNE has a new twist on the classic sisig. Their OX SISIG has lengua and tripe mixed in with chicharon bulaklak. So many of my favorite cuts of meat all in one dish! Flavored traditionally with soy, garlic, onions and chili, this is easily my favorite dish on the menu.
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| Ox Sisig |
Since I’m a big fan of cheese, I could not resist the BEEF TENDERLOIN ROLLS with CHEESE. Call me crazy but it makes me think of lasagna roll-ups.. Just replace the pasta with thinly sliced beef haha. They don’t use fancy-schmancy cheese here but if we’re being honest, we all love the classic melty cheddar cheese we all grew up with. The beef however, is clearly a good tenderloin judging by how nice and tender it is. A sweet soy sauce drenches everything with even more flavor. You will be asking for extra rice with this dish.
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| Beef Tenderloin Rolls with Cheese |
To round off the savory dishes, we had a classic LITTLE ASIA favorite. The CRISPY CHICKEN had the distinct Chinese flavors that one would expect. A distinct aroma of Chinese five spice greets the nose as one takes a bite. This is one of the popular dishes from the old restaurant chain that makes a reappearance on the menu. I was also happy to see my favorite prawn tempura and Korean Beef Stew still on the menu.
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| Little Asia Crispy Chicken (half) Php325.00 |
We closed out our meal with a sweet treat. A small bowl of toasted SMORES provided the perfect ending. We had both the Reese’s and Ghirardelli flavored ones, because why the heck not?
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| Toasted Smores |
Overall, this is a place that you go to with a group or with family. All the servings are good for sharing and you will want to try more than just one or two dishes. There’s a wide selection of dishes and there is surely something that will tickle the fancy of everyone in your group, no matter how picky they may be.
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