Arts & Culture

The Most Picturesque French Cafe in Cebu

La Vie Parisienne continues to appropriate wine culture in Cebu—hey, not that we mind!—with a brand new look that’s going to keep us coming back for more drinks (and Instagram photos).

Drinking wine in Cebu has never really been that big of a thing, at least not until the opening of La Vie Parisienne in 2011.

Back in those days, the place was a charming little thing consisting of a repurposed container van with counters of freshly-baked bread, cold cuts, and cheese; and a cellar boasting of quite the impressive selection of wine. Tables scattered outside in the garden shared with Alliance Française de Cebu’s French restaurant La Maison Rose, at night only lit by a few warm lighting fixtures here and there, along with flickering tea candles in charming holders serving as the table’s centerpiece and bolstering the intimate atmosphere.

It’s a long way from the La Vie Parisienne that exploded in popularity. In response to the rapidly growing clientele, floor boards were added for convenience, as well as to make room for more tables. This also saw the addition of the now-iconic bright pink cherry blossom lighting fixtures, which intrigued both locals and visitors alike (you’d be lying if you said you didn’t have a guest in town who wanted to check out La Vie Parisienne). Of course, this only opened the doors further for more people to appreciate wine at such an accessible, unintimidating venue.

You’d think that now they found something that works for them, La Vie Parisienne would keep it at that. As it turns out, this wine cellar, deli and bakery is a stylish space of a gift that keeps on giving. Imagine our surprise when, sometime in December, images of a stunning cathedral-like wine cellar started popping up on the #lavieparisiennecebu Instagram hashtag. We just had to see this for ourselves.

Long gone were the cherry blossom installations—well, some of them anyway (there were still quite a few at the back). In their place was an enclosed industrial structure that seemed to come across as minute yet massive all at once. Inside was a completely different story: Louis Thevenin, Alliance Française’s director, has recreated a European wine cellar cum old hotel in France that narrowly treads the fine line between classic and gothic with his clever use of elements.

New wood panels on the floor were distressed to give them an older look, creating stark contrast with the clear crystals dripping on the chandeliers and the lamps. Chairs—a whimsical selection of loungers, ottomans and everything in between—were made of either brushed steel, leather, or faux fur. The tables were repurposed vintage trunks that Louis divulges were from various antique dealers and furniture shows abroad. Putting everything together was an entire wall of lush greenery—soon to be outfitted with a chimney and a taxidermy of a doe’s head. And that’s only just part of the new expansion. It seems like there’s so much going on, and yet with one glance across the entire thing, everything feels organic.

“It’s a premium look, but everything is affordable,” Louis says before turning to a waitress and rattling off a list of dishes—some old, some new—for us to sample that afternoon. For starters, we had Escargots a la Bourgignonne, a bestseller over at La Maison Rose, what with its ridiculously addicting garlic herb butter. The Oozing Puglia Burata in Arbequina Oil with Mango is a must for cheese lovers, while the Rillettes de Porc with Green Salad and Cournichons was satisfyingly filling. Our main protein source that afternoon was the Honey Tandoori French Duck Breast, with a hefty serving of roasted potatoes—the meat deliciously chewy and flavorful.

We washed everything down with a bottle of the raspberry Fruits and Wine by Moncigale—because honestly, who goes to La Vie Parisienne without getting wine? Certainly not us.

371 Gorordo Avenue, Lahug

Facebook: La Vie Parisienne

Instagram: @lavieparisiennecebu

Photography by Oliver Echavarria

Arts & Culture

Chaos and Clarity: Zen Aesthetic in Oj Hofer’s Art

by Jing Ramos |

Oj Hofer, our fashion contributing editor, is a Fine Arts graduate from the University of the Philippines. Though he began painting at the age of eight, his artistic journey took a transformative turn in 2013. While volunteering as a costume designer for Siddhartha: The Musical, he encountered Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s One-Stroke Calligraphy, sparking a deep devotion to Japanese sumi-e painting and kanji calligraphy. Over the years, he refined his craft, using his art to share the Dharma through exhibitions while supporting the Hsing Yun Educational Foundation. In 2022, his spiritual path deepened at Nan Tien University, where he embraced Zen and Humanistic Buddhism, shaping his artistic philosophy.

“Plum Blossoms in Moonlight.” Serigraphy on abaca.

In his recent works, Hofer merges traditional calligraphy with serigraphy, drawing inspiration from his friend Charles Lahti—an internationally recognized New York-based painter and printmaker. Lahti, known for his collaborations with post-war American artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Donald Judd, Andy Warhol, and LeRoy Neiman, introduced Hofer to silkscreen techniques. Through a workshop Lahti conducted in Cebu—arranged by their mutual friend Greg Urra—Hofer integrated silkscreen into his Zen artworks, particularly those on abaca.

“The Circle of Harmony” Serigraphy and Calligraphy on abaca.

Hofer’s cross-disciplinary approach challenges conventional Zen aesthetics. His layered paintings on abaca may seem far from tranquil at first glance, but closer contemplation reveals a meditative core. His serigraph of an Enso circle, for example, initially appears chaotic, filled with Tang Dynasty poetry and overlapping, repetitive forms. Yet, by focusing on a single calligraphic element, the viewer experiences a moment of clarity—a glimpse of awakening within the visual complexity.

“Monkey Mind” Serigraphy and Calligraphy on abaca.

Even more engaging is his diptych Monkey Mind. At odds with the traditional Zen emphasis on negative space, this piece is deliberately busy, reflecting the restless nature of the mind. A distracted viewer may struggle to find a focal point, but one attuned to emptiness and presence will perceive clarity amidst the seeming disarray.

Ink and intention—creating calligraphy in support of one of my advocacies.

By fusing Zen philosophy with the discipline of serigraphy, Hofer invites his audience to look beyond surface impressions and discover stillness within movement, balance within complexity. His art does not merely depict Zen—it embodies the paradoxes at its core, offering a path to mindfulness through the act of seeing and the experience of doing.

Arts & Culture

What is Sappia? The Rice Myth Goddess of Bohol Who Helped Feed the People During a Great Famine

by Emma Gomez

The story began when the people of Bohol started to experience hunger and famine. All the livestocks were inedible and the fields were dried out leaving only weeds planted on the ground. The people prayed to the goddess of mercy, Sappia, to ask for food.

Sappia, the rice myth goddess of Bohol

Sappia, from the heavens, heard the cries of the people. She saw the dense population of weeds and offered to help them. Sappia thought of nourishing the weeds to be edible and healthy for the people of Bohol. Straightaway, she sprinkled the weed with milk from her bossom. She emptied each breast until blood came out. Before she left, she whispered to the weeds that they may be nourished and be able to feed the people.

When harvest season came, the people of Bohol quickly gathered the nourished weeds. They observed that the ones sprinkled with milk were white, while the other were red. They called the new plant rice and they replanted these in honor of Sappia, and for the people to devour.

Arts & Culture

Kimsoy’s Canvas of a Lifetime in Full Display

by Diana Gillo

There is nothing more fascinating than seeing an artist’s lifetime of work in one room. Such is the experience in Jose “Kimsoy” Yap’s third solo exhibit entitled “Kimsoy: Episodes of Mastery,” at Galerie Raphael Cebu. This serves as the truest form of homage to his enduring journey, showcasing works that span over decades.

Kimsoy with his student and muse, Zhara Rivera Mercado, at the entrance of Galerie Raphael

The exhibit speaks greatly of Kimsoy’s evolution as an artist, with his shifting mediums and remarkable variety of subjects. His creations range from heartfelt portraits of individuals he encountered along his journey to detailed landscapes inspired by the different walks of his life. The room’s layout carries the weight of his years of craft with one wall lined with pastels, another with watercolors, and another with oil painting.

As the River Flows Onward by Kimsoy Yap 2020 | Oil on canvas | 82×48 inches

The exhibit transcends beyond just the commemoration of Kimsoy’s masterful periods. It wanders more into a sense of intimacy reflecting Kimsoy’s life’s journey—from his roots as a young boy in Negros Oriental, through his pursuit of greater artistic mastery in New York, to his prominence in Cebu’s art scene. All his work freehanded, created both with his left and right hand, depicts the ways in which we all leave traces of ourselves in our work and in the world.

A Friend of Mine 1979 | watercolor on paper | 24×18 inches

In a Relaxed Mood 1977 | water color on paper | 16×19.5 inches

The opening ceremony featured Ambassador Jose Mari Cariño, alongside special guests Ivy Ang Gabas, Paolo Li, Angbetic Tan, Laurie Bouquiren of the Visayas Art Fair, and Valerie Go of Galerie Raphael Cebu. The exhibit is open until March 21, 2025.