Bistro du Vin

Shop 1D, G/F, Davis Street, Kennedy Town, Western District

Date of visit : 12 Jan 2013 (Sat) noon

No. of diners : 2

Average cost per head : $360
Food quality : 8.5/10
Environment : 8/10
Service : 7/10
Value-for-money : 8.5/10
Overall rating : 8.3/10

Converted from a once popular chinese dessert shop Xiao Tian Gu (小甜谷), the bistro du vin landed on a location which is better for a bistro in the Kennedy Town.

Visited on a Saturday for lunch and found that lunch sets were not available at weekends. With a size of 2 diners, the following dishes were ordered :

a)  Baby squid a la plancha ($130) - 8/10

This dish was not a standing item on the menu. Fresh squids from local market were simply fried with olive oil, salt and parsley. The squids were tender and fresh, good to go with a glass of white.

b) Cheesy onion soup ($75) - 7.5/10

Quite a large portion and won't have room for other dishes if you finish the soup all by yourself. The soup is delivered hot and rich. Generous spread of gruyere cheese. Don't know if the sweetness came from the onion itself or sugar was added, the soup was a bit too sweet to me.

c) Crispy suckling pig confit, choucroute (leg $220) - 9/10

This is one of the most popular dishes. You can order the belly portion ($200) or the leg portion which is more meaty. The piglet was beautifully cooked and well deserved its name "crispy". The pork was first slow cooked that kept the moisture in the meat, and then grilled outside to make the skin crispy. The choucroute on side did neutralise part of the pig's fat.  However, the sauce that came with the dish seemed redundant as it was quite blend. Anyway, at this price for a French piglet is value for money. Highly recommended.

d) Grand Marnière soufflé, vanille ice cream ($75) - 8/10

I am not a big fan of soufflé but when you saw almost one every two tables had ordered this dessert, you just couldn't resist. Many of the dishes are served in Le Creuset cast iron pots which do not only look good but are also practical in keeping the temperature of the food including this soufflé. Timing was well controlled that made the soufflé rose beautifully and sat well on the small pot. Although extra shot of Grand Mariner was demanded for the dessert, to our disappointment, not even extra shot was added, I couldn't taste any of the liquor.

House wine is at around $60 to $75 per glass or $350 per bottle. As corkage is free, highly suggest you BYOB (however, they only serve one type of glasses if you bring mixed wine but that's fair enough as compared to those who charge for corkage).

Q : When will I go again?
A : For friends of a group size 4 - 6, casual dinner

Q: What will I next order?
A : Crispy pig will be a re-order item. Rabbit leg in white sauce, slow cook lamb shank.

02.2013