Charlemagne Lim is a food enthusiast. No, make that the loquacious spokesman. Or best yet, the greatest marketing man behind the bistro he named after who else, himself! Charlemagne Bistro recently opened their branch in Scout Gandia in Quezon City, and the buzz has been immediate. Loyalists of its previous incarnation, Little Asia are happy that one of their favorite restaurants has opened once more, with distinctly beautiful surroundings yet still maintaining its friendly casual vibe.
A Quarter-Century Tradition of Quality
I missed Little Asia. Back during my early days of blogging in the late 2000s, it was already a byword, a bucket list destination, yet for some reason, I never got around to it, but a simple Google query is more than enough. More memories from so many friends in the blogging world, not vlogging or content creators, but blog writers: pictures and words, the way we used to be. The wonderful thing is, whether Little Asia or Bistro Charlemagne, the highest quality food still remains, retained for previous patrons and newbies like me. The Honey Walnut Shrimp and the Crispy Fried Chicken? In the menu when Little Asia first opened in 2001, and proudly retained in Bistro Charlemagne, a full quarter of a century later!
There have been many branches of Little Asia, and reading about them, from blog posts over twenty years old, is heartening indeed. The menu is on its way to unchangeable and classic status, much like Aristocrat and Max’s, and that’s all thanks to its Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Charlemagne Lim. He’s got quite a story to tell, and I was thoroughly entertained as I enjoyed our lunch.
The Man Behind the Menu
Back in high school, he was a star basketball player, and after college, he was sent to the States, where he had a burgeoning career in In-N-Out Burger, but being an adventurer who enjoyed journeys, he chose to come home, and with no culinary school background, decided to open a restaurant. With gusto and drive, he managed to put it up, and the rest is history. Little Asia became one of the real life favorites of the showbiz set, given its original location on Tomas Morato, very near ABS-CBN and GMA, it became, as opposed to its name, big! The stories he told of generations of actresses and actors were fascinating. But Little Asia also became a beloved favorite by ordinary diners as well, from college kids to grandparents, and remains to be so to this day, as Bistro Charlemagne. And as I was about to discover, well worth it, and worth coming back to again and again.
Starting Off Strong: Salads and Appetizers
Our meal started with Japanese Seafood Salad, made with tossed tuna, shrimp, and kani, all tossed with spicy mayo and tempura flakes and sweet soy. It was refreshing, cool yet spicy, the perfect beginning to what promised to be an epic meal. We continued with the Honey Walnut Shrimp, and it was terrific — the nutty taste of the crispy succulent crustaceans, coated in the creamiest sauce, was addicting. No wonder it’s become a family favorite for all these years. The Vietnamese Spring Rolls followed, stuffed with glass noodles, pork and more shrimps, and mushrooms, accompanied by Nuoc Cham vinegar dip. There’s something unique about the wrapper, completely crisp. More please!
Decadent Carbs and Capampangan-Approved Sisig
The carbs came next: Bopis Rice! Stir-fried traditional bopis on top of the fragrant rice, it was seductively spicy, the perfect pair with the next item, the Gourmet Pork Sisig, Now, let me remind you that I am Capampangan, and I love all manner of sisig, and fell for this too: thrice-cooked (!) pork cheeks blended with sauteed chicken liver sauce. I was in heaven. Just reading that description made my stomach grumble, it was that good. But the best was yet to come.
The Star of the Show
Korean Beef Stew. The best I ever had, outside of Korea Garden on Jupiter Street, the very first Korean restaurant in the Philippines. It was amazing and wonderful and fantastic: sweet notes and spicy afternotes combining into a most delicious, most genuine bowl of extreme goodness. I highly suggest you order this when you visit. This alone is worth the trip. Oh, and order extra plain hot steaming white rice. You’ll thank me after, but better yet, thank Charlemagne.
Great Food, Unforgettable Tales
I’m not exaggerating. If you see him, or rather if he sees you, you’ll soon find yourself immersed in life changing stories — from basketball to showbiz to influencers to chefs — all true. So head on down to Q.C., at the corner of Mother Ignacia and Scout Gandia, and have the time of your life with the great food, and great tales of Bistro Charlemagne!
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