It's been a fortnight of non-stop eating. I don't know whether it's because I've started this Food & Dining Blog that's led to want to try out new places, or the eating that's leading to all these posts on this site.
Another foodie girlfriend had organised dinner with a few of mates on Tues evening at a fairly new place called "Chez Patrick" in Soho. I'd never heard of the place but was excited to be continuing my eating frenzy by trying out another restaurant.
Food: This little place serves beautiful nouvelle french food in a small cosy white washed restaurant. I was a little surprised by the small size of the menu: one can either opt for 3 or 4 courses choosing from the selection of appetizer, mains, cheese plate and dessert.
Once I saw the foei gras on the appetizer on the menu, my heart was set. I know I know, I just don't seem to be able to resist this melt in the mouth decadent dish whenever it appears in the menu. Its a dish where I actually really appreciate it when the restaurants are not particularly creative with it. Just serve me the (hopefully A grade) foie gras, pan fried with a bit of salt and pepper with the inside still pink and soft, served with cooked[apple/pear/fig/any other fruit] with a drizzle of sweet and tangy/balasmic sauce. That's exactly how Chez Patrick served the foie gras (good grade - soft with none of those stringy bits), and I loved it. My girlfriend opted for frog legs with a garlic and fennel sauce which she thought was not too bad.
The mains came with three choices: duck, fish or veal. I immediately dismissed the fish, having had it for lunch that day. I was tempted to opt for the veal which came with the foie gras raviolli but decided it might be overkill to have foie gras for both lunch and dinner. Instead, I ordered the duck breast with "munster" sauce. Now I have to admit, I love my brie, cheddar and parmesan and that new olive cheese the deli lady recommended to me a few weeks ago, but my knowledge of cheese ends just about there! Upon our query, the waitress replied that it's a "strong smelling" cheese ... hence cheese lovers would really enjoy this dish.
When my main came, I was a little taken a back by the drowning of my duck breast in a pungent cheese sauce. On the bright side, the dish came with some very cute little "marbles" of squash, zuchinni and other vegs and a delicious potato gratin. I'm not sure I made opted for the poorer choice after trying my girlfriend's veal, which was a little on the tough side.
Service: On the whole, I wasn't really impressed by the service. Chef Patrick did the lovely by coming out to say hello to us personally, but the service from the waiters was not up to par. I felt a slight sense of nose in the air from the waiters. But more specific gripes include: Given our obvious lack of familiarity with the munter cheese, I would have expected the waitress to give more warning. The waiter also did not understand the difference between ice-cream or sorbet. Perhaps I am being a little harsh but when I'm paying this much for the food, I tend to expect more! That said, a new place always takes some time to settle down ... I wouldn't write it off complete yet.
Ambience: This restaurant is located in Peel Street Soho, just past Hollywood Road. Although it's filled with white, white doors, white walls, white dining chairs, the lighting, paintings and furnishings give the restaurant a very cosy feel.
Price: Pricey, $499 for 3 courses (including a small pre-dinner taster). The owners of the Malaysian restaurant were much amused when they asked about my views on the
Rating: 3 stars (yes NN, I agree with you!)
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