La Folie – the talent of a young chef is apparent

As the MultiPlaza Pacific Mall continues to grow and add new additions, many of the newly available spaces are being filled with restaurants, some new, some familiar. Among the former, La Folie has made its appearance. Opened in April of this year, La Folie’s menu is guided by its talented owner/chef César Podesta.

The decor, a vision of understated elegance, is sleekly modern, yet comfortable, a space well conceived and executed. The menu, while wide-ranging, is brief at a mere two pages...one for appetizers, one for the main courses. Brevity is a good thing as it permits the chef and his assistants to focus on what they do best...

We started with Beef Carpaccio ($8.00). A large platter was filled with a flower-like design of paper-thin slices of raw beef, circling a delightful center of chopped-portobello mushrooms and Parmesan cheese, all seasoned with a wine sauce "dressing". The flavor of the meat was rich, delicious and perfectly accented by the deep flavor of the portobellos and rich slices of aged Parmesan cheese.

Next was Prawns Ceviche, ($9.00), a mixture of marinated small prawns and diced fish and perfumed with parsley oil. While quite good, it was just a bit too tart for my taste.

Shrimp Salad, $10.00), featured bite-sized shrimp with grated ginger and sesame, a foam of pixbae, diced peaches on a bed of mixed lettuces and topped with a sherry vinaigrette. Pixbae is a pickled preserve of steamed peach palm fruit...an unusual and quite delicious addition to this delightful dish.

A muted chorus of "bravo" followed the completion of La Folie Rolls, ($7.00). Two springroll-like fingers of light filo dough were filled with minced shrimp, chicken, cheese, onions, peppers, cilantro and corn, then served with a small dollop of liche ice cream. While at first glance it would seem a strange pairing of foods, it works.

After a brief lull to discuss the merits of the plates already served and an opportunity to avail ourselves of La Folie’s extensive wine list and full bar, we began the evening in earnest when the main courses arrived. (I should note here that, while we did not order it on this occasion, the menu offers New Zealand Rack of Lamb, a boon for lovers of that delicately flavored meat.)

Grilled Beef Tenderloin, ($20.00) featured two thick, perfectly cooked tenderloins of beef, served with mashed otoe garnished with shredded spinach, and lightly sauced with a sausage and beef demiglace. The English language menu stated it was supposed to be "tomato mashed potato", but two dining companions declared the puree was otoe, a potato-like tuber with totally a different flavor and texture. Whatever it might have been, the plate was a resounding success... the meat tender and juicy, the "otoe or potato" rich and creamy.

La Folie Rice, ($22.00) was a risotto-like rice dish filled with small shrimp, lobster and beef tidbits, served with a molé sauce. The dish was moist and mildly flavorful, succeeding primarily when you encountered the shrimp, but overall like an elegant version of Chinese fried rice. The molé sauce offered a strong conterpoint to the subdued combination of flavors and its copious use is recommended. A good choice, but lacking that special "something" that would move it higher on the scale of dishes you would like to try again.

Sea Bass, ($16.00), was a disappointment. The large fish filet was perfectly cooked but sadly devoid of flavor. It cried out for yet another "something" that would lift an already lightly flavored fish to something other than bland.

Grilled Prawns, ($20.00) was exquisite in all aspects. Wonderfully seasond prawns surrounded a bowl filled with three-cheese rice, toasted almonds, spears of al dente asparagus lightly sauced with a beef demiglace. The combination of flavors was balanced and mutually enhancing. It would be difficult to overstate just how delicious the three-cheese rice is other than to say that if given the choice, I would have it with every dish I ordered. Hands down the best dish of the evening.

Two "so-so" main courses were disappointing. But the menu at La Folie is due to change soon and a Peruvian-themed Sunday Champagne Brunch is planned for the near future, so this is definitely a restaurant in transition and perhaps one still looking for its vision. I will definitely try another visit as the talent of its young chef is readily apparent in the creative combinations he uses and the exquisite presentations he presents. Stay tuned.

Service is extremely efficient and smooth, the staff both well informed and helpful.