Salcedo market - La Cuisine Francaise

On Saturday mornings at Salcedo market, La Cuisine Francaise is one of the must-visit stalls. Their spread of French-cooked dishes is quite varied -- roast chicken with garlic, beef lasagna, lamb moussaka, canard a l’orange (duck orange), quiche, apple tart, etc. Also on offer at the stall is a neatly packed pate (P200) , which Michele , the owner, said, she had learned to make in a cooking school in Lyon.

On a recent visit, I bought a slice of beef lasagna (P200 per slice) and the next Saturday, I went back for lamb moussaka (P275/slice). I must say that their prices are not within reach of the hoi polloi. A few young women wanted to buy lasagna but backed out when they heard the price. Although the prices are somewhat steep for a market stall, their beef lasagna did not disappoint. It turned out to be a hearty blend of ground beef and layers of different types of choose – ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, romano – if I heard it right from the French man.

The slice or slab is quite thick and can be shared by two persons. When I took it home to eat it slowly, the lasagna was so very good. The tartiness of the tomato sauce was just perfect. The taste of the beef lasagna makes you feel that it is the quality that you would aim for if you were to cook it for yourself. But if you live alone or there's just the two of you, cooking a whole pan of beef lasagna might not be a preferred option because you don't want to end up eating it every day for the entire week or you may not have the time, the skill, or the cooking equipment. Indeed, going to the food stalls of Salcedo Market on Saturday mornings to buy bibingka, ensaymada, paksiw na tawilis, sinaing na tulingan, Cebu lechon, Ineng's pork barbecue, lechon baka, Indian food, La Tasca's dishes, blueberry or whole wheat bagels, Vietnamese spring rolls, vegetable quiche, or lamb moussaka can widen your meal choices.