A SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS WEBSITE
by Debbie Yong
Singapore, 19 March, 2012 Bistro Du Vin Long tainted in Singapore as snooty food involving barely-there portions and more cutlery than is necessary, French cuisine is currently undergoing a renaissance after its recent rebranding as affordable, rusticated classics served in a laid-back environment. And amid the piping-hot French bistronomy fever comes the second outlet of Bistro Du Vin, the casual dining arm of the Les Amis group. Last month, Les Amis replicated their boisterous bistro concept in the form of a 65-seater along Zion Road. Fortunately, the group knew not to fix things when they ain't broke. Almost everything at the Zion Road offshoot is a carbon copy of the three-year-old Shaw Centre original outlet. The few differences lay in the winelists, which bistro director Philippe Pau says has been expanded in the new branch to feature more unusual offerings from lesser known regions and smaller vineyards, and the eateries' physical layout. At Zion Road, the dining room is an elongated space as opposed to Shaw Centre's perfect square, which helps to mitigate the jarring level of chatter when a full-house packs in at lunch. Diners who want to converse at non-shouting levels at peak hours (because while the French may shrug the din off as authentic bistro charm, to most Singaporeans it's noise) can opt for tables in the sheltered outdoor patio facing Great World City shopping centre. The menus at both outlets are exactly the same, and decked out with the obligatory French bistro staples such as onion soup, pan-seared foie gras, duck confit and coq au vin. Once a designated chef for the Zion Road outlet comes on board in a few months, each branch will run its own set of daily specials, comprising more inventive takes such as veal head terrine and Hokkaido scallops with seaweed butter. Food-wise, the veal blanquette ($33) and beef cheek braised in red wine ($33) steal the show. The former conforms to every stereotype about French food being decadent and buttery - but its flawlessly smooth texture sets the standard and is well worth putting off thoughts of the gym for to polish off every drop. The beef cheek is so tender it crumbles when forked and the red wine reduction infuses a sweet, almost chocolatey flavour. Most notable among the starters were the foie gras ($26), pan-seared sparingly to a still-gooey texture but in slabs so large they bordered on ethically disturbing; and an ultra-rustic take on onion soup ($26), served encrusted with a thick layer of bread and baked cheese. The menu is not without some kinks, which seem unacceptable considering they occurred in the execution of classic dishes rather than new creations: The chicken thighs in the coq au vin ($33), for example, tasted as dry as breast meat, and the suckling pig confit ($42) tipped the scales too far over the salty side. A lighter hand was used on the desserts - a relief after the very flavour-intense main dishes. The creme brulee ($9) had a less eggy taste than usual versions and was presented in a wide and very shallow dish and had a good custard:crust ratio given how enjoyable the sliver of caramelised sugar was. The little disc of a chocolate fondant ($10) seemed unimpressive at first but given how rich it is, turned out to be just the right serving size. The bistro's highlight is perhaps in its service, led by eager-to-please restaurant manager Irwin Tan and Mr Pau, a charmingly energetic Frenchman who deserves a stand-up platform to call his own. Bistro du Vin's genuine desire to make you feel at home, coupled with comfort cooking and an unpretentious if somewhat noisy atmosphere, makes it a place you could easily return to daily. But maybe with a few gym sessions pencilled in in between. Bistro Du Vin 56 Zion Road Singapore 247781 Tel: 6836-6313 Rating: 7/10
56 Zion Road
But for now, resident chef Dalton Fong presides over the specials menu that runs concurrently at both places.
