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Roux by Chef J. Margate is a newly opened French-American restaurant at Greenbelt 3, in Makati. Chef J. Margate, of course is the full-blooded Filipino chef, Joseph Margate, who first made his presence felt in Metro Manila via Bait’s restaurant.
Just a quick backgrounder: Margate grew up in the US, graduated from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and sharpened his knives at restaurants such as Jardinière in San Francisco, Eleven Madison Park in New York, and Lark in Seattle. He was the executive chef at an F&B outlet of the Liberty Hotel in Boston before he decided to pack his bags and reconnect with family roots in the Philippines.
His impressive bio is important because Roux is billed as a chef-driven fast casual restaurant, something that food trend-spotters say is going to be one of the big things for 2016. It is a concept where the head chef calls all the shots to the menu items and how the food is prepared — something that’s not usually done in a fast casual setting.
In Roux’s case, the menu is a mixture of familiar continental comfort food and French specialties, made with local ingredients prepared the French way, owing to Margate’s classical training abroad. Thus, you can find chocolates from Davao or mushrooms from Laguna in their ingredients list, alongside brie and gruyere from France. Classical also means no shortcuts, so his Pork Rilletes (PHP248), meant to be spread on flatbread, takes three days to make.
Must-tries are the quintessential Beef Bourguignon (PHP538), tender beef cuts braised in red wine and served with a potato puree that comes in the comforting consistency of baby food. Crispy Fried Pork Shank (PHP1,399), aka the high-end version of crispy pata packs a crunch, but the stars of this dish are the sausages, that are made in-house. If you really want to go sosyal, try the Cured Salmon with Warm Potato Salad (PHP248). The cold starter, inspired by Margate’s first time in Paris, has a slightly briny taste perfectly offset by creaminess of the potato salad.
Chef Margate’s own favorite is something that is not exactly French. It’s Spaghetti with Spanish Sardines and Roasted Garlic (PHP348), something that he says, he fixes for himself even at home.
So, how exactly do you Americanize French cuisine? Margate graciously answered: “It is not necessarily Americanized. It is more of going for a bistro concept which is more casual than the fine-dining French restaurants that we are used to. It is not formal and intimidating. Besides, even in France, you can find burgers and spaghetti [in a bistro].”
Roux by J. Margate 3/F Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati. +639175470009. 11am-9pm.
This takes three days to make. Roux’s Pork Rilletes (PHP248), which is meant to be spread on flatbread.
Roux’s Beef Bourguignon (PHP538) is a most definite must-try.
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