THE new seasonal menu is being dished up and with flair at Les Bistronomes.
If this bistro promises anything beyond fab flavours, it’s plating with finesse. This food is so pretty on the plate you feel guilty digging in and disturbing the artwork.
Les Bistronomes is very, very French. By the age of 18, chef Clement Chauvin was slaving away at Pic, a two-Michelin star restaurant in Valence. Then at Nicolas Le Bec in Lyon, also with two Michelin stars. And, eventually, at Gordon Ramsay’s Claridges in London. These are all military-style kitchens where the emphasis is always on perfection. Nothing less than perfection.
Clement opened Les Bistronomes in Braddon with Abel Bariller, a professional French master sommelier and a “Knight of Cognac” (yes, a knight). Although causal and friendly, the bistro offers excellent classic French dishes and other dishes with a modern twist.
The five-course chef’s degustation is a steal for only $50 (available at lunch on Saturdays, and you’d best book).
We started with a dish closely identified with French cuisine – a velvety, smooth chestnut soup, packed with earthy flavour and decorated with caramelised onion, chive crème fraiche and pickled chestnut. It was a perfect start to our dining adventure.
The traditional escargot (with a decadent garlic butter) were stunning and the house-made pork rillettes with crunchy pickles and house-made bread a standout.
The foie gras mousse with dried raspberries and duck gizzard shouldn’t scare you off. Classic French dishes have evolved over centuries and are created with technique entrenched in tradition. This dish is sublime.
The restaurant was kind enough to substitute the next dish, recognising that one of our diners had been at the restaurant for the chef’s degustation the weekend before (that’s how good it is) and keen to let him try something new. And so it was that we travelled to heaven with the braised lamb neck, grilled lamb tenderloin, brussels sprouts and swede purée.
And last, but certainly not least, the creamy crème caramel made its grand entrance “en flame”. It was massive (I couldn’t finish it, although gave it a go) and perfect with a delightful drunken fig at the bottom.
If the five-course degustation isn’t your thing, you can order from the à la carte menu, which has a remarkable bouillabaisse, a ribeye with bone marrow and béarnaise sauce and an out-of-this-world duck à l’orange.
It’s comfortable to get through the five courses, relaxed on the plush chairs with their classic stripes. Exposed bricks feature on one wall as does a large rack stacked with amazing wines. And if you have any questions about wine, Abel is your man. He is a true master and keen to share ideas, knowledge and advice.
Les Bistronomes offers a delicious range of gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian dishes.
Les Bistronomes, corner of Mort and Elouera Streets, Braddon. Call 6248 8119. Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday.
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