Cyrille Soenen

The French expat chef opens up about the love of his life and his life in Manila thus far.

The French expatriate chef opens up about the love of his life and his life in Manila thus far.


                                          
                  Chef Cyrille on food:  "It's like fashion. People won’t make special clothing if nobody likes it."
                                                   Click here to see Chef Cyrille Soenen's recipes


You’re living on the other side of the world! How did you end up in the Philippines?
My wife is Filipina and we’ve been married for 16 years now. In 2000, we wanted to go to Asia to be nearer to her family because she had been working in France for nine years. It's my turn now to get a little bit closer to her country and her family.

Did you have to adjust a lot when you first relocated here?
I can see a lot of similarities between the Philippines and France, especially in terms of family, how people live, and how they love to eat and enjoy life. They like to have long lunches. They like to go out on Sundays (especially my wife's family). We’ve met quite a lot of very nice friends. Those are the things that make us stay here.

What inspires your cooking?
My experience, what I learned way back in France, what I like to eat, and also what the people look for. It's like fashion. People won’t make special clothing if nobody likes it. It’s the same thing with food. You have to see what’s happening in the world and follow it a little bit but still be true to your own style.

For 10 years, you shared your expertise with some of Manila’s top hotels. What made you take the leap and open your own restaurant, CiCou?
All chefs dream of opening their own restaurant. But you can't open a restaurant in the middle of nowhere. You have to find the right location and the right people with whom you want to do it. The opportunity just came now. And finally, now that I’m a bit older, I feel that it's about time that I do it. CiCou’s menu singles out chef's suggestions.

How do those differ from the other dishes on the menu?
Those particular dishes are very French. All of those are my recipes for nice comfort food. [Diners] won't go wrong if they order those.


Photography by Miguel Nacianceno | Interview & Styling by Angelo Comsti


This article was published in the June 2009 issue of Yummy magazine.

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