This is really something to get excited about. A 130 year old restaurant which began in Mont Saint Michele France is now in Manila. No need to book that flight to France to have a taste of La Mere Poulard’s century old recipes rich in history
What does La Mere Poulard mean?
La Mere Poulard literally translated means mother Poulard.
Poulard refers to Annette Poulard owner of the 130 year old hotel in Mont Saint Michel she opened in 1888.
The word “mere” is a distinction , acknowledging Annette Poulard’s prowess in the kitchen and her contribution to the culinary traditions of France.
Annette Poulard’s passion for food spanned 40 years giving birth to 700 recipes which include the world famous souffle omelettes or puff omelettes. 
La Mere Poulard in Manila
La Mere Poulard is just 8 months old having opened in SM Aura last January 2018. There are only 4 La Mere Poulard franchises in the world! One is here in the Philippines and the other two are in Japan.
The opening of La Mere Poulard here in our shores coincides with the 130th anniversary of the inn opened by Annette Poulard in 1888.
The restaurant is a sprawling 198 square meter area which can seat a maximum of 100 at any one time 
The theme is predominantly red, black and white with a huge open industrial kitchen with stacks of glittering pinkish gold copper pans. The kitchen is literally like a stage from which one gets front seat to watch the chefs make the world famous souffle omelette and other Annette Poulard dishes.
Chef’s Special
Today, I was privileged to have been invited along with other foodies by Zomato to taste their Chef’s Special which included the much ballyhooed souffle or puff omelette.
Their CHICKEN ADOBO WITH APPLE CIDER SAUCE P420 amazed because the dark sauce is reminiscent of our adobo but minus the usual toyo and vinegar. This is the French version of our adobo. I loved the rustic presentation. The copper pan lent the whole dish an informal/chill vibe
The second dish we tried was PRAWNS THERMIDORE P860. La Mere Poulard’s version is quite different from the Prawns Thermidore that we know ie chopped prawns sauteed in butter, herbs and spices which are then returned to its shell topped with breadcrumbs, white sauce and cheese, then finally baked until shrimp turns orange. La Mere Poulard’s prawns are deveined and butterflied and sat atop a small hill of greens swimming in a pool of thick orange-brown sauce that smelled divine. Matching textured orange brown topping adorned the prawn layers finished with parsley.
The prawns were a bit on the small side but were nonethless flavorful and scrumptious. Whatever is in the sauce was delicious. There was salty, sweet, citrusy and umami
Foie Gras Omelette P650
Tasting La Mere Poulard’s Foie Gras Omelette was like getting to know Annette Poulard herself. The omelette was a sight to behold with its beautiful golden color and its humongous size. One can only imagine how Annette cooked it in medieval 18th century France over a wood fire.
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Desserts
CREPE NORMANDY P240 Crepe is a French staple that is served either sweet or savory. I remembered our first crepe years ago in Paris near the Eiffel tower. It was pretty cold when the hubby and I were there. We saw this ubiquitous street vendor selling the thinnest pancake ever and joined the long queue. I had mine with nutella and banana and ate it while standing up 
CREPES SUZETTE P280 ‘are thin dessert pancakes flavored with beurre Suzette , a sauce of orange juice, orange zest, cuaracao or Grand Marinier, melted butter and sugar ” – Bonjour Paris 
One big can of LA MERE POULARD BUTTER BISCUITS is P1500. There are other smaller sizes too in boxes and tin cans that are also for sale from P200 up
The biscuit was indeed buttery with 26 percent French butter .
SUMMARY
It was an awesome experience eating dishes with recipes as old as 130 years. Every mouthful of that whip-cream-like souffle omelet had me imagining Annette Poulard beating the egg in medieval Mont Saint Michel in France.
It was a much touted dish and was quite impressive in its presentation. It was simple yet quite filling and delicious. I loved how unpretentious it was yet I can imagine the skill it took to make it puff. It paired well with the risotto and the foie gras.The portion was huge! It can feed 2-4 people.
The presentation in beautiful copper cocottes was impressive specially when we were told that is how it is served in Normandy France
Overall, the restaurant’s strength lies in its faithfulness to adhering to Annette Poulard’s original vision – that of authentic French casual dining that is casual, comforting and not intimidating.
Note the availability of the Chef’s Specials as follows :
August
Chicken Adobo with Apple Cider Sauce
September
Prawns Thermidore
Daily
Omelette all variants
PROMO
Unlimited wine the whole month of August for
P500 from 6pm to 9pm
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| L-R Head Chef Clement, author, Miguel of Zomato, @johnbunag , @gastrofreak @discojocen |
Thank you La Mere Poulard for having us and Zomato for the invite.
LA MERE POULARD is located at the ground floor of SM Aura Premier C% road corner 26th street Bonifacio Global City