Le Bistrot du Sommelier, Armenian Street

I did it... I finally made it back to Le Bistrot du Sommelier!

KW and I were deciding where to go for my birthday meal and naturally, all the fine dining places made it to our list but all I really wanted was a good piece of steak. As a result, we rounded up some of our friends to partake in the meat fest at Le Bistrot du Sommelier for lunch on one fine Saturday.

After Bar-Roque and Bistecca, I was itching to head back to this much-loved bistro to see if their Cote du Boeuf still lived up the grand standards set during my 2011 visit. I hope my next visit isn;t three years in the making...

Given that they specialize in rillettes and pates, we went for the duck rillette for our starter and it was really enjoyable, paired with rustic baguette and pickled cornichons.

Not the most artisanal or refined loaf around but it suited our meal and the provincial vibe of the restaurant just fine.

We also had the Panache of Seafood, made up of scallops, scampis and mussels dressed in a light creamy seaweed butter sauce. The dish is a lot smaller than it looks but it was pretty filling, given the likelihood of more baguette-dunking action.

What stole the show was the 1kg, boneless Cote du Boeuf, medium rare. Superbly tender, replete with caramelized crust and unctous fats; even the well-done ends were incredible. Oh man, I can end my twenties in peace!

The sweetness of the beef was well-matched by the accompanying caramelised shallots and garlic confit. By the done, we were close to done with the mains, you could tell some of us were getting uncomfortably full and the conversation took on a slower pace. 

The gratin was a little pot of buttery, creamy carb goodness, the side salad was crisp and refreshing but it was second fiddle to everything else on the table - I swear it existed just to make us feel better about all the animal fat we were ingesting. 

We also ordered the Norweign salmon, pan-fried crisp but a tad dry. The steamed asparagus were a couple of minutes overdone too but the mash was just lovely and of course, buttery smooth.

And of course, there is always room for dessert. Naturally. Without a doubt. Duh.

From a lingering memory, I had my mind and gut set on the profiteroles. What we had were two giant choux buns (bigger than my kids’ fist pumps) filled with vanilla ice cream, bathed in warm chocolate sauce and a smattering of sliced almonds for some crunch. Just incredible!

The crème brulee bore a lovely aroma from the fresh vanilla beans but it could have been a tad more molten-y and the caramelized crust “a little thicker” (KW’s words). But we could be just nitpicking, given the highs of this meal was just sky-high.

It was such an exquisite meal, filled with much chatter and I am really glad I got to share it with some of my closest friends. I definitely also need to thank KW for the very generous treat (and Bimba Y Lola treat just hours before).