Chez Suzette opens this year in Clark, where love, hospitality, and heritage meet
The afternoon light in Clark had a softness to it, the kind that makes everything feel unhurried. At the Parade Grounds, steel beams, unfinished walls, and the quiet hum of construction told a story already nearing completion. The restaurant was about eighty percent done, but the feeling was unmistakably whole.
Suzette Simon was there, not just as a restaurateur preparing for an opening, but as herself. Beside her was her son, Chianne, photographing moments and moving comfortably through the space that would soon welcome countless guests. Her furbaby Bubbles trotted along with gentle curiosity, claiming the future brasserie as if it had always been home. Jonathan Tingaud was there, calm and attentive, joined by his mother and their general manager, Kevin Gueugnon, as conversations flowed effortlessly between family, work, and shared vision. Warmly, Eduard Mangalubnan shook hands with me and introduced himself as one of their business partners and part of Chez Suzette’s growing family. It felt less like an interview and more like being welcomed into a living room that just happened to be under construction.
There were no rehearsed speeches, no grand declarations. Just laughter echoing through unfinished halls, stories shared between pauses, and a quiet certainty that this place was being built with intention.
In that fine Clark afternoon, surrounded by love, lineage, and legacy, it became clear that Chez Suzette was never just about opening a restaurant. It was about building a home, one that had room for family, culture, and anyone willing to stay a little longer.
In the most memorable restaurants, what lingers is not only the taste of a dish, but the feeling it leaves behind.
This year, Clark shall pin a new address that promises exactly that kind of resonance. Chez Suzette Philippines, opening within the year, is more than a French brasserie. It is a homecoming, a love story, and a cultural dialogue between France and the Philippines, told through food, wine, and the art of hospitality.
Set in the culinary heartland of the country, Chez Suzette arrives not as a trend, but as a statement. French in flavor. Filipino by heart. And built on the belief that guests should never feel rushed, only welcomed.
Love, written onto the menu
The story of Chez Suzette begins long before Clark.
Sixteen years ago, Suzette Simon, a Kapampangan creative with an instinct for hospitality, left the Philippines for Singapore to pursue a life shaped by food and service. Her journey took her into the most demanding dining rooms in the world, including the three Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon, where discipline, precision, and excellence were non-negotiable.
It was there that she met Jonathan Tingaud, her French husband and partner in life. What began as shared shifts in one of the world’s most exacting kitchens grew into a shared philosophy. Food is important, but how people feel matters more.
Chez Suzette was born from that idea, and “with its Philippine opening this year, that story comes full circle,” shared Suzette.
The French brasserie, reimagined for Pampanga
Chez Suzette Philippines takes the form of a French brasserie, a concept deeply rooted in everyday French culture. In France, a brasserie is where life unfolds naturally. Long lunches turn into late afternoons. Casual dinners stretch into evenings. Wine is poured generously, and conversation is never timed.
Bringing this concept to Clark is both deliberate and deeply meaningful. Pampanga, long recognized as the culinary capital of the Philippines, shares the same reverence for technique, tradition, and craftsmanship that defines French cuisine. Both cultures believe in slow cooking, quality ingredients, and food as a way to gather people together.
Chez Suzette French Brasserie lives at this intersection, literally and figuratively. The dining experience is elevated yet approachable. Refined, but never rigid. International in technique, but deeply familiar in spirit.
Where French hospitality meets Filipino service
At Chez Suzette, the true marriage of cultures is felt most clearly in the service.
The structure follows the French philosophy of hospitality, intentional, disciplined, and precise. The soul, however, is unmistakably Filipino. Warm, intuitive, and deeply generous.
Guests are encouraged to stay as long as they wish. To order another dish, open another bottle, or simply linger. There is no sense of being moved along. The table is yours. Time is yours.
A dedicated wine cellar adjacent to the bar showcases fine French wines from respected regions, curated to be expressive, accessible, and meant to be enjoyed rather than reserved for special occasions. Outside, a pétanque field offers a playful, social extension of the dining experience, echoing the casual elegance of French daily life.
Chez Suzette is not designed for quick meals.
It is
