Amazing night out with friends @ Bistro du Vin

French “bistros” serve affordable home style dishes, and are more casual and down to earth compare to the brasseries. The bistros are more suitable for a group of friends than a romantic table-for-two. The exceptional food served at Piccolo gave me much confidence in Bistro du Vin as they were owned by the same boss. My friends and I could not wait to see if this bistro could remind me of my happy days in Paris.

I missed the Baguette in Paris

We started with a cold cut platter that consisted of pork pâté, duck sausage, and duck rillettes. I was happy and relieved to find that the pâté and duck sausage were not as oily as I thought they would be. The texture of pâté resembled terrine, though, and it was difficult to spread it on bread. As for the duck sausage and rillettes, it would be better the duck flavour was stronger. The smooth and soft rillettes was the best among the three, just more herbs and seasonings would bring it to perfection.

 

 Bone marrow with escargots was a classic combination. I did not spend much time taking pictures this time as they taste better before getting cold, perhaps more so than other dishes. It seems that the dish would be even better if the bone marrow were cooked for a bit longer so that its fat, which was perfect for toasts, could be melted more thoroughly. Still, the dish was finished by the party within five minutes. I was lucky to have a fair share of it. 

The marrow did not melt

 The blood sausages at Bistro were shipped directly from France. Its taste was pretty light and the dish could be finished by one without feeling too full. The seasonings of the potatoes and sauerkrauts were tuned down to match the sausage, I suppose? This showed the chef’s attention to detail.

 

Before having the main dishes, we had an onion soup. I can still recall its sweet and cheesy taste.

We picked an easy drinking Beaujolais for the main dishes. 

I really liked the squids served that night. I opted for the bouillabaisse but it was not available. Instead, the chef offered fresh squids from local market and suggested that they would be nice to be stir fried with herbs and garlic. It is difficult to go wrong with fresh ingredients. It was indeed a dish cooked with heart!

Another bright spot of the night was the braised beef cheek that was so tender that it could melt in my mouth. Hardly a beef-eater I am, but I still ate lump after lump...

Two near-misses followed the impressive beef cheek, however. The crispy suckling pig confit was a twist of the classic French duck leg confit, but the “crispy” pig skin failed to live up to its name. The lamb shrank was slightly overcooked.

 

Mash and sauerkraut were also served with the main dishes. The sauerkraut was rich in flavour; the mash was rather plain but still good with the sauce. 

We had a plate of nice madeleine which were moist inside and had crispy crusts. Their butter taste was just right to allow me to indulge in it without feeling too guilty. The souffle and French apple tart were also worth trying. The latter brought a fresh end to this lovely meal. 

 

 

So we had a number of well-executed French classic dishes. Though not as impressive as the pizzas at the Piccolo's, the dishes were all decent. A little fine tuning would bring it them to yet another level. The chef's style also suits me well as I don't like too heavy taste. I would definitely come back to try the bouillabaisse.

Bistro du Vin

Shop 1D, Davis Street, Kennedy Town, Western District

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Hiding in the world of Coffee @ Rabbithole Coffee and Roaster

Rabbithole has become my recent favourite. Great coffee, nice people, cosy environment, what more can I ask? Whenever I was at the Mid-levels, I could not help dropping by and had a coffee break.

First encounters with cafes are always crucial - just like the first date. Rabbithole certainly left a good impression on me by a splendid cup of flat white. As Gabbi the barrister recommended, I picked Nicaragua, one of my favourite beans for milk coffee. Its nutty taste blended perfectly with the milk and had a nice hint of chocolate finish. The espresso base was by no means overwhelmed by the milk and the froth was decent. During another visit I had a flat white with Sumatra Permata Gayo. The honey sweetness of Gayo bean was perhaps a bit too weak, as it failed to balance the cherry taste.

  

  

Rabbithole also offered good Cappuccino. This time, I picked Guatemala, better than Gayo but hardly able to challenge the position of Nicaragua in my heart. Apart from the single-origin, Rabbithole had its own blend. I tried a blend no.3 latte. My taste buds were embraced with a distinctive sweetness. Acidity came out only when the cup was half finished, but not much there. This blend was sweet and straightforward but perhaps lacked a bit of complexity. After all, I prefer those single-origins.

The milk foam here was generally nice, but that was not its trump card. Ice-drip and espresso were the gems that you should go for at Rabbithole. Ice-drip takes about 6 hours to make; compare it with the glorious Chinese soups. Barista usually picks sweet or fruity beans to make it and a good cup of ice-drip is more like wine than coffee. Rabbithole offered Honduras ice-drip the day I visited. It was a nice pick. Honduras bean is round-bodied and sweet. Using it for ice-drip can highlight its sweetness. I really loved its winery and smooth texture as well as the honey sweetness. I also tried the Honduras hand drip but was not as much impressed.

Espresso is the soul of a cafe. The basics are always difficult to be brought to perfection. Good espresso machine is only a beginning. You need a barrister who had thorough knowledge of stuffs from the characteristics of different beans to the correct extent of extraction. Above all, he/she had to do it right every time. So, lots of knowledge and hard effort behind every cup of coffee.

 

 Before the rich crema disappeared, I finished the espresso even though it was late at night. Its bright and well-balanced taste and its fruitiness all had me conquered. You certainly want one after a day of hectic work.

 

After trying the ice-drip, hand drip, espresso and milk coffee here, I cannot help but fall in love with Rabbithole. Apart from the decent coffee served here, I love the open kitchen style which allows customers to watch the whole brewing process and the poignant smell of freshly ground coffee that fills the room. Before I can have my own hideout, I bet I will stay inside this rabbithole!

Rabbithole Coffee and Roaster

 2/F, 26 Cochrane Street, Central

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