Ever since Chef Sau del Rosario opened the doors to his Cafe Fleur Poblacion in mid-January, there’s been a steady stream of happy customers, raving about his crab cakes with calamansi aioli, his spiced chicken a la plancha, his Vuco Fye, and the other goodies on the menu. His Angeles, Pampanga hiatus only made the faithful who’ve followed him through the years, welcome him back with open arms; while spreading the word for a new legion of dining patrons.
To diversify the offerings, and bring to the table his own version of the traditional Sunday brunch, Chef Sau opted to do things in a big way. The Cafe Fleur brunch is an ongoing culinary feast from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday. In other words, you can head there early for your first meal of the day, or make it your lunch stop. Either way, you’ll be happy you did, for the selection of dishes are most everything you’d have wished to gorge on and make your Sunday meal memorable in a good way.
We got there around 11 a.m., so rather than going for the traditional breakfast selections, we were eyeing the lunch options, and based on the viewing alone, I was counting the calories and thinking of the hours of work out I’d put in to justify this late brunch. There was a raclette station, something you don’t see that often, yet brought back a lot of good memories.
You had choices of roasted lamb or baked salmon. The lamb was truly tender, with the simplest of sauces, just olive oil, and chopped greens to complement your slices of lamb. The baked salmon was served with a creamy lemon butter sauce, and the fish had been expertly baked so the morsels of salmon fell off the bone.
For your carbs, there were pasta selections to choose from, most popular were the Penne Bolognese, and the simple Pesto Spaghettini. The freshly baked bread and rolls were your other carb options.
Cafe Fleur has always been about celebrating nostalgia, recalling Chef Sau’s mother and his childhood, so it was fun to note how an old school sorbetero cart was positioned by the entrance. Yes, it was sorbetes of ube, avocado, and tsokolate, ‘dirty ice cream’-style.
There’s much to enjoy with Fleur’s Sunday brunch with all the selections open for choosing from. The brunch costs P1,275/person, and one adds P300 for a Moët & Chandon mixed drink to be included in one’s brunch. It’s on Enriquez St. Poblacion, and it’s fast becoming a favorite hang-out for the discriminating diner, the one who’s ready for a hearty meal, one bursting with flavors and with dishes that are unique to the eating establishment. Now there’s a very strong Sunday reason for heading there!