le creuset style dining.

i’ve always liked the le creuset pots and pans, with their colorful hues and deep warm tones really elevating the visual impact of the food served. plus, it reallys brings about a french influence to the presentation, so its too bad it’s so darn expensive. lol.

anyways, tuesday this week was pig out night it seems, as the motley bunch of us headed down to bistro du vin, part of the les amis group, for a sumptuous dinner. semi-tucked away on the back end of the side of shaw center, bistro du vin almost seems like the poor cousin next to fine establishments like le strada and les amis, and that’s saying alot. bistro du vin feels authentically french, with fuss-free simple bistro decorations bathed in warm lighting. you see the typical french posters, flimsy-looking wooden chairs and the signature red and white checkered napkins and it does feel like you have been transported somewhere to another world. (of cos, without the cold, it just doesnt cut it as much. lol) let’s get to the food.

saucisson and iberico ham – $26

yummy! it’s not as overwhelmingly salty as italian parma ham, but every bit as savoury and tasty. iberico ham, of cos originates from spain and comes from pigs that are fed from only acorns during the last few periods of their lives. talk about being fattened up for the slaughter! …ok, kinda not a good imagery for dining, but boy, the taste of the ham is really something, and paired with freshly baked baguette pieces, this was pretty divine.

sauteed mushrooms – $4

sauteed butter mushrooms with chunks of bacon! feels like something a jolly french mom would serve to her famished kids after a day of hard work.

duck leg confit, served with puy lentils stewed with bacon – $26

delicious stuff. the duck leg is fantastic, crispy on the outside but juicy and imbued with all the duck flavors within. and mind you, i didn’t know what puy lentils where, they just looked and tasted like sauerkraut. i was so eager to eat the duck i forgot to pair the sauerkraut and bacon together with the duck to try the combination of flavors, but overall, i think even the french should approve of this rendition of their classic dish. (well, i saw french-looking people eating this)

strawberry mascarpone, meringue and vanilla ice cream ($14)

mind you, after such fantastic dishes, i was expecting the dessert to be out of this world, considering that the french are also known for their sweet stuff. but hmm, i wasn’t too impressed with this offering – somehow the flavors of the mascarpone and vanilla were too similar that they kind of clashed whereas the meringue bits and the strawberries were just kinda there. there wasn’t a harmony in flavors in my opinion.

all in all, a yummy, sufficiently authentic french restaurant that is worth a visit, or say, for the celebration of sorts. but yeah, it does take a toll on your wallet, so be warned. 7.5/10

Bistro Du Vin |   1 scotts road, #02-12 | french, fine dining