This Hidden Spot Across Ayala Triangle Is Serving France’s Favorite Sandwich

(SPOT.ph) Fact: You will never run out of good things to eat in Makati. Nearly every cuisine—at different price points, at that—has some representation everywhere from the neighborhoods of Bangkal and San Antonio to the glitzier streets of Legazpi and Salcedo Village. You’ll find great food in malls, building food courts, and standalone restaurants. But even then, no one expects to stumble upon authentic Parisian fare hidden in the side entrance of an office. And yet, that’s exactly where you will find Le Comptoir.

Tucked between a PICKUP COFFEE and the entrance to the offices of BDO Equitable Tower, this cozy Parisian-style takeaway shop is the second coming of San Antonio French and fur-parent favorite Lemmy’s Bistro, which closed just last year. From your usual sit-down meal over mean beef bourguignon steaks and gooey raclette plates along Guijo Street, it’s now reopened in a new spot, offering more Parisian deli fare from the heart of the central business district in a much smaller space. A counter dominates, with only 11 seats for those who’d prefer to dine in.

“When our lease ended in San Antonio Village, we decided it was the right time to close and look for a new location closer to the central business district,” explains Cris Preza, who founded Lemmy’s Bistro with her life partner Stephane (and their French bulldog, who their business is named after). They’d nearly given up when they finally found the much smaller, almost hidden spot they occupy today—and instead of seeing the limitations, they adapted and built around it.

“A comptoir is essentially a counter where people stop for coffee, food, or a quick bite before continuing with their day,” Cris explains. “The idea felt very natural to us. And today, Le Comptoir is our little corner of Paris in Makati and, more importantly, the home of Jambon Beurre.”

Literally named after its two star ingredients, jambon beurre (pronounced jahm-bohn behr) is essentially ham and butter sandwiched between two slices of baguette. It sounds almost too simple, but the numbers don’t lie: 1.22 billion of these babies were sold in France in 2017 alone, beaten only by the almighty hamburger. Do the math, and that means up to 3 million jambon beurre are sold in a single day—something that Cris herself saw in action after spending a summer in Paris with her partner.

“But just how good can a simple sandwich even be?,” you may wonder. You’ll find your answer at Le Comptoir, where Cris has since set out to make it as close to the real deal as possible: each and every jambon beurre is sliced, toasted, and assembled to order, with the exact ingredients that go into the ones you’d find in France.

“To keep it as authentic as possible, we stay true to its three essentials,” says Cris. “A traditional baguette, real French butter, and quality ham.”

That said, you can taste the difference in its most basic and uncomplicated form, the Le Parisien (P299). This is a dollop of French butter and thin slices of forest ham—nothing more, nothing less—between a freshly-baked baguette that’s almost supernaturally never too tough. You’d think that the ham would steal the show, but that rich butter never throws in the towel: it’s one heck of a clean and harmonious bite, and also Cris’s favorite.

“It’s simple, but that’s exactly what I love about it,” she says. “When the baguette is right, the butter is good and the ham is quality, you really don’t need anything else. It reminds me of the little moments we had in Paris and is probably the sandwich I could eat any day.”

Le Comptoir already makes the case for the jambon beurre at its most basic, but the Le Complet (P375) is the whole package. Beautifully nutty Gruyère cheese enters the chat, offering an extra dimension to the savoriness of the butter and ham, while tangy Dijon mustard and salty pops of cornichon pickles really make it a party in the mouth.

If you’re after something truly hefty though, Le Overload (P480) is definitely true to its name, going to town on rich and savory flavor with extremely generous portions of forest ham and farmer’s ham, as well as gruyere and emmental cheese, on top of Dijon mustard and cornichons. You genuinely have to wonder how it all fits—whether in that toasted baguette or in your mouth.

Le Comptoir also serves up a mean cup of coffee to go with it—if you like it rich and creamy, their Iced Signature Oat Latte (P150/Medium, P190/Large) has a bold kick and a hint of sweetness that makes it go very quickly.

Beyond jambon beurre, Le Comptoir also serves up croissants and pastries right out of a French bakery, as well as fresh salads, pasta bowls, and regularly-changing specials for those looking for a quick hot meal on a workday. It’s simple, convenient—a dimension of French cuisine beyond the usual white tablecloths and essay-long wine lists we see in Metro Manila.

“We’re really hoping to attract people who understand and appreciate this kind of everyday French dining,” says Cris. “Come in, grab your jambon beurre, have your coffee, enjoy the moment, and get on with your day. That’s really what Le Comptoir is about.”