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2014-07-03
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Visiting this French bistro is always a delight - the maître d' (yes the great Patrick himself) was always jovial and attentive. As I arrived before my dining companions, he was kind enough to bring a mini amuse bouche to sweeten the wait.The gazpacho was light spicy and quite stimulating; there was much more to it than plain tomatoes - it actually contained garlic and brioche! Naturally this completely outshone the garnishes. As for the appetizers, the seasoning was a shade too heavy on the her
Visiting this French bistro is always a delight - the maître d' (yes the great Patrick himself) was always jovial and attentive. As I arrived before my dining companions, he was kind enough to bring a mini amuse bouche to sweeten the wait.
The gazpacho was light spicy and quite stimulating; there was much more to it than plain tomatoes - it actually contained garlic and brioche! Naturally this completely outshone the garnishes. As for the appetizers, the seasoning was a shade too heavy on the herring fillet, but the foie gras dishes were amazing (fig & smoked terrine versus "trio" foie gras); especially the "trio" variation consisting of profiteroles filled with foie gras or terrine with dark chocolate sauce - looking like a dessert but not at all sweet, with the chocolate accentuating the aroma of the foie gras.
The main courses were satisfying but less "wow" when compared to the appetizers. The fish, though prepared as a western cuisine, bore a faint resemblance to the traditional Guangdong steamed fishes. The steak and the gravy was a nice match. The quail and potatoes dish was a pleasant surprise and the quail tasted like tender chicken flesh with slow cooking.
The desserts were laudable too; the poached pear in red wine sauce was extraordinary in spite of its rather plain appearance - the pear melted in one's mouth and tasted like hawthorn. The ice cream and rhubarb tart was unique as the latter was not the British earthy version but a "Frenchified" dainty one. The creme brûlée was nothing short of the ideal - the glazed caramel crust was crispy but not too sweet, the custard base was smooth but the consistency was adequately firm for the spoon.
What topped this wonderful repast was the very reasonable price as weekend 3-course lunches ranged from $300-350 only! From the menu, weekday lunch buffets are also a bargain and hopefully I would be able to try this in future.
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