Le Bistrot (81p)

2 Stadium Walk #01-03 Singapore Indoor Stadium
Tel: 6447 0018

WADA rating: 53+28= 81 pts
QPI: 8 ($55 for a appetizer+main+dessert but combinations of either of 2 are allowed at a lower price)
WFI: B+ ($20 per btl, gd stemware with a reasonable wine list)

DBF and I were planning on a double date with Paul and Elsa as a follow up to the melaka trip so Paul suggested this french restaurant tucked away at the corner of the indoor stadium. We did have a suprise guest- Elsa's little sister, who had joined us for an educational talk on wine and food appreciation by Paul and myself. Lovely ambience and easy to park. A perfect place for couples as the restaurant is just next to the waterfront.

What's Good

Pork Terrine
From the looks of the dish, you might be fooled into thinking it to be a compresed package of luncheon meat and leftovers from the night before. BUT! the strength of flavours packed tightly in this compact piece of meatloaf is amazing. Yummy pork bits that taste like duck and "lap cheong" is gelled and held together by a piece of streak bacon. Not exaactly salty, this tastes amazingly refreshing. I especially enjoy the pieces of pistachoes stuffed within that gives it more texture. It also comes with a generous serving of a whole can! of pickled vegetables which I am not a big fan of.

French Onion Soup
Ooh la la! The best french onion soup I have had so far. The cheesemelt bread covering adds a nice cheesy richness to the aromas. When you finally break through the cheesy "icing", the wonderful sweet aromas of caramelised onions fills your every senses. The perfectly sweet onions add an almost foie gras-level like richness to the soup stock. Zee best so far!

Black Angus Beef Steak
What can I say, its top grade quality, fresh and a sizeable portion...take note that the I had requested the steak to be split to two to be shared between me and DBF. What you see on the plate is just half of the actual portion....What a Killer ! The doneness is just right and the chef has used a simple slightly peppery sauce so as to not overpower the flavours of the wonderful black angus. Juicy!

Others Tasted

Appetizer Platter
Consisting of pickled olives, char-grilled eggplant and char-grilled peppers. I am definitely all for the char-grilled items which go so well with the aged semilion we were having. The smokey flavours filled up for the lack of oak components on the semilion.

Desserts
Can't remember the name of the ice cream cake dessert at the background but it had very crunchy bits of nuts or caramelised cereal...not sure.. but decently fulfilling. What I recommend all to try is the cheese platter....a very good selection (including the all time favourite stinky blue cheese) served with honey and jam, which I strongly urge all of you to dip your cheese in! The explosion of stinky salty cheese coated with syrupy sweet honey / jam will make you understand why angmohs like to always order sweet and sour.

Comments

Overall, the whole dining experience here is as good as a balanced wine. The ambience is cozy yet french cafe chic with enough glitz factor to impress your date. Friendly and attentive staff, very good appetizers, mains and desserts all at a very fair price. Good location next to the waterfront. Easy to find (it's the indoor stadium for goodness sake!) and easy to find parking. I will be back for more.

Wine Pairings

1993 McWilliams Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon, Hunter Valley
WADA rated 88+pts
Beautiful yellow gold reminding me of a good sauternes. Lovely nose of mushrooms and damp tropical rainforest floor. Some orange peel rounding it off with wet stones, margarine and almonds. Focused beam of freshly-squeezed extract of lemons mixed into perrier mineral water. Faultless purity and cleanliness. Finishes with a tingling zing on the tongue reminiscent of popping candy.

2000 La Grange Neuve de Figeac, St Emilion Grand Cru

2nd Label of Figeac

WADA rated 83 pts

Dark purple red. Green capsicum with some spice notes framed by good oak and firm structure. It got progressively sweeter with notes of cherries. Ripe black cherries provide a gentle lusciousness on the palate, exhibiting the terroir of St Emilion. A bordeaux blend that new world drinkers can enjoy. Textbook in approach with hints of new world forwardness.

2006 Venus La Universal Dido, Montsant, Spain
WADA rated 80+pts
Smells of mamee noodle snack with smack of raspberries and blueberries. Sweet nose. A pretty forward simple drinking style. Supposedly old world but too new world in approach.

We were also recommended a glass of the following sherry. Pretty cognac flavoured with some sweetness.