A
month after visiting Ba Na Hills in Vietnam, where a replica French village piqued
me with newfound interest about French designs, I found myself longing for a
more faithful experience. The village, though spectacular, felt theatrical, a
careful imitation of a culture I wanted to experience in its truest form.
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| Le Coq Bleu is perfect for meaningful conversation |
Fast
forward to one morning in Baguio, I learned that breakfast would take place at a
spot called Le Coq Bleu Homestay, owned by Chantal Michaut-Pangilinan, a
Frenchwoman who has lived in the city for over 30 years and is married to a
Kapampangan. I expected to see a typical French motif: rich textures, bold
patterns, and intricate details reminiscent of something you would see in a
movies set in France like let’s say Chocolat, Before Sunset, A Good Year, or
Moulin Rouge to name a few.
.jpeg "Chantal Michaut-Pangilinan") |
| Chantal Michaut-Pangilinan |
Stepping
into Le Coq Bleu, which primarily functions as an Airbnb for just a couple of
guests, the world around me shifted. A blend of the Cordillera and the French
countryside unfolded within this chateau-inspired space. Victorianesque
furniture, quirky art pieces including sketches by Baguio artist Leonardo
Aguinaldo, and colors and styling that were undeniably French created a
charming, immersive environment.
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| This breakfast spread comes with the stay at Le Coq Bleu |
“Nothing
here is new,” Chantal explained. “Either heirloom pieces like the knives and
utensils from my parents, this couch from my husband’s parents’ home, salvaged
wood from a fallen tree, or trinkets from ukay-ukay, dining chairs from my time
in Paris. I wanted to offer my guests Filipino hospitality with a French
flair.”
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| The cozy loft room |
The
dining table, seating six, was set with croissants, sweet apple compote, slices
of pears, ube-flavored yogurt, Benguet coffee, French toast, fresh fruit salad,
and an omelet infused with Cordilleran kiniing. While Europeans, especially the
French, are known for storytelling, literature, and intellectual discussion,
our conversation stayed casual, touching on football (with trivia about
France’s Les Bleus goalie, Alphonse Areola, who is of Filipino descent), food,
Chantal’s love for the Cordillera, and art. She even showed us a portrait of
herself painted by the late actor Johnny Delgado. “I didn’t pose for him; he
painted based on his imagination of me,” she said.
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| Inside, a lot of elements to stare at |
Chantal
herself felt like a character from a film (she did appeared in the 2004 Judy
Ann Santos movie Sabel), someone whose every line carried a story you
didn’t want to miss. By the end of our visit, despite all the French details from
Victorian furniture to French-inspired decor, you easily felt at home.
Finding
Identity Across Borders
Chantal’s
story is one of displacement, adaptation, and cultural synthesis. Raised in
Vietnam during the American war, she and her family left the country at age 12,
escaping Saigon before its fall. “My mother hosted parties for American
generals and Ambassador Cabot-Lodge, however we, as a family felt and witnessed
the suffering of the locals on a daily basis,” she recalled. Adjusting to life
in France proved challenging, and a few years later, the family moved to Hong
Kong.
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| Outside, in the balcony, you can enjoy the cool Baguio City breeze |
A
third culture child, she described the experience of being “at home in any
culture and yet never truly belonging anywhere, a wandering soul searching for
its niche.” Her journey eventually brought her to the Philippines, first Manila
for 17 years, then Baguio, where she found a home amid the Cordillera’s rich
culture.
Building
a Dream: From Vision to Homestay
In
2012, Chantal purchased a 130-square-meter lot from a friend to build her dream
house. Inspired by her paternal grandparents’ cottage in the French Basque
country and her husband’s memories of John Hay bungalows, she designed a simple
6-by-10-meter rectangle with a loft, emphasizing sustainability and recycled
materials.
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| A space with a story indeed |
“I became the architect, decorator, and contractor of this vision,” she said. Friends rallied to help, supplying doors, windows, furniture, and décor. Every item tells a story of friendship, love, and care; Chantal calls them “blessings from angels.”
.jpeg) |
| The reading corner upstairs |
A
year later, she added a guest suite, and five years after that, she purchased a
neighboring property to build a tiny house with a Provence theme, recalling
summers spent with her maternal grandparents. Nestled among trees, it offers
privacy and tranquility, with birdsong, frogs, and rustling leaves as the
soundtrack. The garden is intentionally wild, inviting local wildlife and
creating a natural, serene environment for guests.
Hospitality
and Heart
Homestays,
Chantal believes, are the truest form of hospitality, allowing travelers to
experience authentic homes, cuisine, and culture. Guests at Le Coq Bleu enjoy
continental breakfasts by the bay window overlooking the mountains, lounge in
the sunroom, read, write, or sit by the fireplace with a glass of wine. Some
come for quiet reflection; others linger for a month, leaving feeling restored
and recharged.
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| Le Coq Bleu |
“Come
as guests, leave as friends,” Chantal says. Many return annually, forging bonds
that extend beyond the stay, proving that hospitality at its best is not just a
service, but an exchange of warmth, culture, and trust.
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| The lounge spot |
Since
Le Coq Bleu offers single room in a loft-within-a-house and a garden cottage
(it has an antique narra bed), most of its guests are couples. 'Le Coq has been
a favorite among LGBT couples,' Chantal tells us. 'They often say they don’t
feel judged here and truly feel at home.'
A
place of colors, stories and memories
Le
Coq Bleu is more than a homestay, it is the sum of Chantal’s life experiences:
Vietnam, France, Hong Kong, Thailand, Manila, and finally, Baguio. The exterior
echoes John Hay’s green-and-white bungalows, the interior reflects her French
heritage in blue and white, and the rooster: the coq, symbolizes the shared
culture between France and the Philippines.
.jpeg "Chantal Michaut-Pangilinan") |
| She's got a lot of interesting stories to tell |
Through
this home, Chantal has created a space where travelers can explore identity,
culture, and heritage while enjoying quiet reflection, natural beauty, and warm
hospitality. For a wandering soul who has finally found her place, Le Coq Bleu
is a testament to building a home that welcomes not only guests, but hearts.
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| Spot the portrait of Chantal painted by the late Johnny Delgado |
“I want to be the kind of host with whom guests can exchange stories, laugh and be carefree,” Chantal Pangilinan told us. Exchanged or more aptly, listened to stories we did, and we left not only with a satisfied appetite but with heaps of new learnings as well.
It
surely is, and hands down, Le Coq Bleu is LE perfect homestay.
