Raphael Mollard
It was love that brought him to the shores of Cebu. Cheesy as it may sound, 25-year-old Frenchman Raphael Mollard came back to Cebu to be with his one true love: crepes and the Cebuanos.
The intimate French affair is a cozy creperie that has certified foodies abuzz this side of town. Barely a month after Creperie Paris opened, the place has already caused quite a stir—as curious Cebuanos take selfies beside the Eiffel tower replica, or taste the crepes after instagramming it, and oftentimes take a front seat to witness how a crepe is made from scratch courtesy of the crepeir (they are not called chefs) Raphael who, like his name, is a cherubic charmer.
Amusingly enough, the gay waiter would whisper with a smile, like a true mind reader: “He’s already taken.”
Always on the lookout for what’s hot, the Play! pool had coffee and crepes one Monday afternoon, and chatted with this cutie (who was an IT consultant in Europe before coming here, armed with a degree in Management of Information Systems from the Institut National des Télécommunications) French guy every-one is going crazy about—only after he has taken the last order and hung his apron.
Language barrier notwithstanding, here’s how our conversation went, in between wolfing a savory crepe and downing it with a cold French smoothie.
WHEN DID YOU START COOKING SERIOUSLY?
I started last year. Before that, I was cooking and baking in my house with my mom. I grew up helping out in the kitchen, cooking French dishes. Most French guys cook. It’s a tradition. It’s nothing new. We’d always cook our food at home. Most of the French people… we don’t dine out that much. We prefer eating at home than going to restaurants for lunch, or dinner.
SO WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, YOU’D ALWAYS COME HOME FOR LUNCH OR SOMETHING?
Yes, after class. It’s just a 10-minute walk. And it’s different there. French people love to walk.
HOW MANY ARE YOU IN THE FAMILY?
I have two older brothers. We’re all boys.
AND YOU ALL COOK?
We all do.
WHICH PART OF FRANCE DID YOU GROW UP IN?
South of France. The name of the city is Valence, not so big and not so small.
HOW DID THE IDEA OF OPENING A CREPERIE IN CEBU ABOUT?
First of all, my girlfriend is Cebuana. Her name is Jamaica Obeso. We met in Paris. We were both exchange students from the university. On our first date, we ate crepes in Paris. Four years after, we decided to come to Cebu and open our French restaurant.
Raphael and her Cebuana girlfriend outside their creperie. (CDN PHOTO/ DR. FRANCIS XAVIER SOLIS)
OH, SO THERE IS A LOVE STORY THERE!
Yeah, we really want to start with crepes. In France, savory crepes are a main dish. Only the sweet one is for dessert.
IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME TO BE IN THE PHILIPPINES?
Actually, no. In 2010, I was here for vacation. Then, over a year later, I came back twice—one time to learn English at the Ateneo de Manila where my girlfriend was finishing her degree in Legal Management, and next time to volunteer for Gawad Kalinga.
YOU HELPED BUILD HOUSES?
I helped out a bit in building houses because there were over 50 volunteers. But since my background was in IT, I helped in building the website.
HOW DIFFERENT ARE FRENCH COOKING AND CEBUANO COOKING?
I say very, very different. Both are very good, but you cannot compare one with the other.
WHAT’S THE CREPERIE’S BESTSELLER FOR NOW?
The sweet crepes, the apple with cinnamon, and now we have “Cebuanized” it a bit with mango crepe, which we call La Cebuana.
AND WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE?
The Racklette, a kind of hard cheese, quite strong, but once it’s melted, it’s not so strong anymore. You put smoked ham.
ARE ALL YOUR INGREDIENTS IMPORTED FROM FRANCE?
The savory crepes are from France. There are suppliers from Europe. We just order from them. The sweet crepes? We can get it from here.
WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS– OTHER THAN COOKING — WHILE GROWING UP?
I play a lot of sports. Track and field, running, and football for more than 10 years.
IS THAT HOW YOU KEEP YOURSELF FIT?
I do yoga with my girlfriend. It helps me relax.
DID YOU IMAGINE THAT THE RESTAURANT WOULD BECOME A BIG HIT?
A big headache? (laughs).
WE MEAN, DID YOU EXPECT THE PLACE TO BE A SUCCESS?
(Smiles). I really want to introduce the crepe to Filipinos. I think Filipinos are not yet very familiar with it. Here, they think crepes are desserts. Although that’s true, it can also be one of the main dishes.
HOW IS THE RESPONSE OF THE CEBUANOS SO FAR?
Most of the people I ask if they like the food would say “yes” as expected since I’m in front of them. But they really do come back.
HOW AUTHENTIC ARE YOUR CREPES?
We had a big group of French people come here, and they say, “It’s good.” It reminds them of home. It’s always a compliment because French people really tell it to you straight after dining, if they like it or not. You will see if they are not pleased.
WHAT ARE THE USUAL PEAK HOURS?
Since most of our clients are Filipinos and they think crepes are a dessert, they come here after 2 p.m. and after dinner, say after 8 or 9 p.m. But slowly, we are introducing to the Cebuanos that crepes are a main dish, too.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF OPENING A CREPERIE IN CEBU?
Finding a good location with nice parking area.
DID YOU HAVE A HARD TIME TRAINING PEOPLE?
For the cook, to assist me because I like to do it, they come from the culinary schools here. They are very good from the very beginning. And they’re very easy to train. They can now do it without me. But, as much as possible, I make the crepes myself.
EVERY CREPE MAKER HAS HIS IDIOSYNCRASIES. SOME SWEAR BY CREPE PANS. OTHERS INSISTS ON BUTTER TO OIL THE PAN. AND SOME PREFER CORN R SAFFLOWER OIL. WHAT’S YOURS?
French salted butter for most of the recipes.
Raphael shows how to make a crepe. (CDN PHOTO/ DR. FRANCIS XAVIER SOLIS)
WHAT TO YOU IS ONE UNIVERSAL TRUTH ABOUT CREPES THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SEE BEING STRICTLY OBSERVED IN YOUR KITCHEN?
Again, French salted butter for most of the recipes.
IS PANCAKE THE PRECURSOR OF CREPES? WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON ITS HISTORY?
Pancakes aren’t as famous as crepes in France. Galettes were invented before crepes during the 13th century in Bretagne, France.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE OUR LOCAL DINERS TO DISCOVER ABOUT CREPES?
The difference between savoury and sweet crepes.
FRENCH MEN ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST ROMANTIC IN THE WORLD. IS THERE TRUTH TO THAT?
There are romantic people everywhere. It depends on how you define “romantic.” It just happens that most romantic movies are shot in Paris —and Paris is really a romantic city—so it may be an additional factor for romances to bloom in the city.
AMONG THE FILIPINO CUISING YOU’VE TASTED, WHICH DISHES DO YOU LOVE MOST AND LEAST LIKE?
My favorite is the lechon because of the crispy skin. I do not like dried fish for breakfast, since I’m used to eating sweets for breakfast—croissant, pain au chocolat, or cereals.
WHO AMONG THE WORLD’S CREPE MAKERS YOU ADMIRE AND WHAT QUALITIES ABOUT THEM THAT YOU’D LIKE TO EMULATE?
Crepier is the word for a cook who specializes in crepes. A crepe maker is a machine. I admire the crepier who trained me in Bretagne, the part of France where crepes originated. He shared with me all his recipe secrets. He always creates something new with crepes, like improving the recipe. I admire his dedication.
HOW ALIKE AND DIFFERENT ARE YOU TO CREPE?
We’re both from France, but you cannot cook me in two minutes.
IF YOU WERE A CREPE, WHAT WOULD YOU BE AND WHY?
A Galette aux 3 fromages, because it is strong with identity.
THERE IS A GROWING FOODIE SUB-CULTURE THAT’S MORE HEALTH CONSCIOUS TO THE FASTFOOD-EATING BUNCH. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO POSITION YOUR CREPERIE IN THE CEBU MARKET?
We would like to be a home for individuals knowledgeable about French food and culture, and a learning experience for those who have not yet been exposed. We position ourselves as affordable yet authentic high-quality French crepes and galettes.