Tuesday, August 19
Like I said, I will post something about the place I’ve went. That French place “le bistrot du sommelier” it’s located at the row of shop houses diagonally opposite of paradise center.
Its open by a French who use to own a small restaurant in a small village in France, but came to Singapore to try out instead. Thank god that he did, if not we wouldn’t have been able to taste wonders, especially when it is just nearby my place.
When we go in, it look like a humble eating place with some nice ambience. Their wine list was superb, a lot of variety but then again, as usual, wines in restaurant = expensive. The good thing is that as long as you buy a bottle from them, they won’t charge you corkage charge even if you bring another 3 or more bottles of wines of your own. I came to a conclusion that their wines are about $30 +- more expensive than the retail price of specialty retail store. So that 30 dollar extra, if you bring in another 2 bottles, ( that makes 3 bottles in total ) it will be as good as corkage charge of $10 per bottle. Which is rather cheap compared to other places of per bottle charges. The wines there though, the cheapest is at 60 dollars.
Their wine menu was so much more to read than their food menu. The food menu was just a piece of paper stuck on a board that looks like a piece of wooden carton that is used to keep bottles in 1/6 dozen.
But that piece of paper was something none of us could figure out at first, we did make out that the 1st two categories are nothing but appetizers, the main was at each category etc, but nothing more. The “semi-in charge” ( I think ) person had to explain to us what the menu is all about because we definitely took long enough to decide our orders and we still look as lost. Attentive point is definitely up for this one. ( no one on my table asked for help, he came initiatively and he did give us ample time to look at the menu before he reckons that maybe we’re lost. Not pushing us or anything at all. )
With his guidance and additional information of three off the menu main course. Rabbit, Lamb, Duck, (forgot the name of those la) we made our order and waited in excitement. They all sounded so interesting.
We didn’t know what to expect coz the only info we all know about is that my brother saying they had good reviews on some food critics website/forums.
We ordered an appetizer platter, which was in fact meant for the consumption of one person only. We didn’t know since its platter and usually, doesn’t that mean that it’s for sharing. We’re informed, but we chose to still just share the appetizer as we don’t really want to burn a hole in our pocket and we’re not sure if it’s that fantastic after all.
They are so nice, they gave us extra servings for our platter. Enough for four of us to have a good taste of everything they have on it. Some of the variety we had to share half half for some la, but they cut the meat thicker so we still have enough to feel satisfied. Both my cousin and my brother had a go on the foie gras and didn’t like it. Who could be happier than to eat what they didn’t like, me and my sister.
The bread, I have to say, the bread they serve with the appetizer. It look like those French bread, long long de, which you cut into many slices and eat with pate or dip them into olive oil etc. The bread they serve was something like that, just darker in color, and super mini size. It’s the whole long bread in super mini size, it is served warm and smells good. The appetizer really served its purpose of getting our stomach ready for the upcoming course.
The food came, it was more than pleasant. Maybe because we don’t frequent French Cuisine at all, but the food there is really something. My brother ordered baby cow thingy… it came rather thin but definitely big in its “area” ( mathematical term ). There was a weird paste on top, so the waiter explained, it is made from anchovies, you might or might not like them, so just have a taste 1st, if you don’t like it, just put it aside, if you like, spread it all over.
The moment I hear the word anchovies, I KNEW I will like it. I said I wanted to ‘try’ it because it’s a typical excuse you use to dig into someone else’s food. And I am right, I LOVE it.
I tried the paste by itself once, and tried it with a chunk of his baby cow once. It tasted differently both time and I love it both time. I am so going to order that the next time I go there, it might be very unadventurous, but what am I to do? I feel in love with it, not my usual self.
My main is next to come and ( when I ordered the rabbit thingy, I felt like there is a glance from either the direction of my brother or my cousin, a glance that means I am the most cruel thing on earth, eating a rabbit ) they still dug into my rabbit. It’s filled with cheese sauce, and although their cheese sauce isn’t the typical cheese sauce.
Although I love it too, good texture and not too thick, you won’t get “er xin” feeling even if you eat up the whole plateful of cheese sauce with the mash potato, I have to say I am not really a fan or rabbit as food after that. That was my 1st rabbit eating and it taste very familiarly like chicken, but the texture was different, but not in my favorite list of meats. But the cheese sauce and mash potato was good, but of but, I still hope I ordered my brother’s baby cow topped with anchovies paste.
The next main up is my sister’s and cousin’s, they decide to share a main for two. Cow donno what, although cut into pieces, it’s still big pieces/chunks. It’s medium done I think, I’ve tried a little, the combination of the beef and their sauce, red wine sauce, I remember the word “balance” came into my mind when trying it. I guess it’s because the smell of beef and the sauce doesn’t cover each other up. It complements each other and you can really taste each of them individually to bits even when you put them all into your mouth together. The only down side is that their medium look a little more uncooked compared to other steaks I’ve tried, some people may not like it. That said, although the meat looks redder and all, it is different… how should I put it…
You know sometimes when you cut up a medium steak, the blood actually flows out… and too much of it might make u “er xin” and lost your appetite. This particular one, although it looks redder, the blood doesn’t drip out or anything, it stays IN, just where it belongs. And the raw taste, in this case it actually kind of taste fresh at the same time, is well kept. Then again, everyone has different palate, one’s medicine can be another’s poison? Lol.
Like how I loved garlic and spring onions and celery and green/onions. Some of you just might not, and I don’t like preserved olives, but some of you might? So whatever I think is nice, might not suit your taste. And the word “well kept” I said up there, if I said something like the fragrance and crispiness of green onions are well kept. Some of you might feel like puking, very subjective indeed, but I can’t figure out a better way to describe raw yet fresh at the same time so there it is, you just got to try to know.
We were not done, it’s time for dessert and we have a bottle of ice wine anyway, why not?
We requested our wine to be opened ( they initiatively offered to store our wine in their chiller when they saw us bringing at the start of our meal even before we start ordering, which is good coz the wine we brought needed to be chilled )
We ordered this chocolate mouse thingy, and another chocolate thingy with pear… both are as nice, but I prefer the one with pear coz the subtle pear-ish taste isn’t covered by the chocolate, the combination was splendid. It’s is light at the same time, good for people who don’t own a 2nd stomach for dessert.
Plus there is one more dessert wine I want to recommend. It’s rather similar to the expensive ones I’ve recommended at about half the price. Of coz, the kracher ones had more intensity, but this one is satisfaction as well. It has the same fruit tart and lychee thingy, with honey texture and taste at the same time. But the first word that came out of my brother’s and my cousin’s mouth when they give it a quick round smell, was the word “jelly” True, it does remind me of jelly once they mention. But it is definitely something sweetoothers would love.
It’s a Muscat from France, one of those gold color liquid in clear bottles. It was so sweet we kind of forgot we’re drinking alcoholic. Plus that bottle was 15% alcohol, quite high even amongst the standard bottles of wine. Surely doesn’t taste like 15% alcohol.
The best part is, although the last order was at 11pm, they allowed us to stay as long as we want. We stayed till nearly 1 am and I had to walk my cousin home. It’s a habit of mine, not sure good or bad, that I die die had to send them home if it’s already so late if they were out with me.
The ironic thing is, following the superlicious dinner, was a long period of super headache from dancing ceilings and hang over as I haven’t been drinking enough water to catch up with the amount of wine I’ve drank since the day before. I puke most of the food out, and oh god.. the following day was worse since I had to go back to work on a morning shift.
Lesson learnt, drink more water if you want to drink more wine ( or any other alcoholic drinks )
