good rustic french cooking at this lovely restaurant hidden away in little india. I’ve been here once before, nearly 5 years ago – and it was memorable for both the food and its decor: it’s done up all industrial-like in a boutique hotel, a far-cry from the more raucous atmosphere typical in this neighborhood.
this return was painstakingly arranged – it’s no easy thing to convince ol’-school parents that there is good fine-dining to be found in the slightly dodgy little india enclave – and I’m pretty darn glad the effort was worth it. the cooking is still expert, the place enduringly gorgeous – a good meal in all.
this place holds a special bit of nostalgia: it’s one of my first few forays into fine-dining without the parents – and seems to have marked that part of my brain that decided I could actually be turning into an adult, somehow. you know you’re a little food-obsessed when meals denote turning points in your life.
we started off with a basket of warm bread – crusty french loaves with soft innards, which were a fortuitous stomach-lining during the wait for
the grilled squid and roasted cauliflower salad of baby spinach. this was tasty, especially that golden-ed cauliflower, even if the spinach portion was slightly paltry – and the anemic cephalopod could have done with a bit more color. this took far too long though: my dad did a game of foosball with the sis before this came.
we had time after that to watch a bit of prancercise before the mains – but these were rather worth the wait. the grilled pork chop was moist and porky – it can so easily dry out – a thick slab of pig alongside beautifully wrinkled roast taters and a large keropok-type bit of crackling. great textures, good meat.
the pièce de résistance was their signature roast chicken,
which was tender and glistening, and came with a fantastically browned skin alongside
very well-done accouterments: properly charred sprouting broccoli, proper fries, and a dish of good ol’ gravy. my only complain is that this was a very petit poulet – don’t they let chickens grow up any longer? – much more akin to a spring chicken.
the beef bourgignon was very good – a reasonable portion of beef over creamy mash. that sauce was something lovely – beefy and umami and properly thickened, I think this was the best dish that night.
the short of the perambulating long, is that the overall experience is lovely – good food in pleasant settings. but to be picky: the prices are rather high (with portions smaller than I remembered, though that’s the way things are heading on our tiny island), and while service is attentive, food-to-table times need to be abbreviated. and while very good – the food isn’t mindblowingly spectacular.
it’s very rustic french – simple flavors with cooking that makes the most of the ingredients. there is also something very nice (and sadly rare these days) about getting precisely what you ordered off a menu – no flowery nonsense or vague liberal hippie descriptions. great for dates and good-friend gatherings – and I’m glad to say it’s still rather deserving of the rosy-nostalgia-tinted glasses I view it with.
Cocotte
Wanderlust Hotel
2 Dickson Road
Singapore 209494
tel +65 6298 1188
$$$: two mains + one small chicken + one app = 一百六十
Looks delicious! I’ll be in Singapore next week! Where do you think is the best place to stay? xx
THAT’S AWESOME! have you got a food itinerary all planned? I suggest looking at boutique hotels in Singapore – they give you better bang for your buck (and accommodation here is pretty expensive!). area-wise you’ll do fine as long as you stay in a place near an MRT (aka the train) station, as singapore is pretty small.
how long will you be here?
I totally don’t have a food itinerary all planned yet! Though I suspect I will be relying heavily on your blog for that! Any hotel recommendations? We are trying to budget as we have a week in Hong Kong afterwards that we think is going to be quite an expensive affair. Going to be in Singapore from the 18th until the 21st
xx
I’ve been wrecking my
and my friends’minds, and we don’t really have a recommendation :( hotels are crazy expensive in singapore – so you’re likely better off trying with a hotel booking site! the only advice I feel equipped to give is not to worry too much about whether your hotel is close to town or not: the country’s pretty tiny and it’s about an hour plus at most to anywhere.I can help more with food than with hotels, unfortunately. I hope you have fun when you come – and let me know which places you actually try!
We have a hotel! Woohoo!! On Middle road, is that good? Or is that a really long road?
I’ve been stalking your site constantly for food places :) xx
middle road is long – but you made a fantastic choice with location! it’s pretty close to chinatown and bugis (both of which are swarming with food choices!)
does look very good!
it’s well worth a visit, even if just to see how pretty the place is!
beautiful pictures and yummy :)
thank you, and yes it really was!
What a feast! Love the beef bourgignon.