A timeless French experience – France-Soir

Mister’s visiting brother had a preference for french food and so we decided to head to France-Soir (11 Toorak Rd, South Yarra) for a nice dinner before he leaves Melbourne. I have to admit that I have very little knowledge about French food. Actually, I don’t remember the last time I had french! So I was looking forward to this meal. But crap! The brutal cold bug had finally caught up with me. My nose. My tastebuds. I felt cheated.

Walking into France-Soir was like going back in time. Old fashion dark wood & brass bar & service counter. French waiters in black & white outfits weaving gracefully through the small & narrow dining area. It has been around for the last 20 odd years and still going strong. A place where more than half the diners are French, it had to be doing something right. It had to be good. Despite my poor state, I could not wait to EAT!

(Please forgive the rather bad images, the place was quite dark and I found it hard to adjust the right settings for the camera)

The French waiter came over and rattled off the specials. His thick French accent made it difficult for us to understand. We decided to order base on gut feel. We started with entrees to share. Lamb brains in caper sauce was shouting out at me. I had to try it. And we were not disappointed. The crunchy exterior melts into the soft, almost cloud like texture. And the sauce was devine. The balsamic vinegar dressing did not over power the lamb brain at all. I could eat the whole plate but I had to share. Damn the sharing! And I could taste despite a blocked nose!

Our next entree – Escargots (Snails) in garlic sauce. We were hoping that it was served in its shell but it came in little white pots instead. The escargots had a nice soft texture and the sauce was mopped up with the free flow of baguette!

I ordered the Veal steak with mushroom cream sauce & Calvados (French apple brandy made in the Normandy). It came with a basket of frenchb fries. How lovely! The thin crisppy fries were a big hit with us. Simple yet done to perfection. The veal was not as tender as I like it to be. However, the sauce was lovely and had a good consistency.

Mister ordered one of the specials. We believe that it was some kind of roast pork on lentils. The serving was very generous. A substantial piece of pork on a bed of green lentils with a turned roasted potato. The pork was cooked very well. The slightly pink meat was tender and juicy. The crispy crackling had a touch of truffle oil. The lentil was a little tough but packed with flavour. A little more sauce will be nice though.

Mister’s brother ordered the half roasted duck with orange sauce. I tried a little piece of the breast with the orange sauce and it was really good. I think this is one of the better dishes on the table. The duck was cooked to perfection. Still pink inside. Very tender and it almost melts in the mouth. The sauce had the right consistency and complimented very well with the duck. Very classic french dish! A definite winner.

The side dish of vegetables were an instant hit as well. Not over-cooked. And vegetables tasted so sweet! I have little enthusiasium for but brussel sprouts but I had 2! It didn’t leave a bitter taste on my palette and it was actually a joy to consume.

Dessert. What do I say about dessert? There were 5 choices to pick from – A soft meringue, creme anglaise, crepes with grand marnier, Tarte tatin (chucky apple tart), creme brulee and caramel custard. We went for the apple tart and the creme brulee which was highly recommended by a friend.

The chucky apple tart was simply delightful. The sides were lined with thinly sliced apples and filled with nice chucky apples and filled with mashed apples. Only a thin flaky crust on the bottom held it all together. Not overly sweet. Perfect! Perfect! I just wish I had nice french vanilla ice cream instead of cream to accompany this dish. Wonderous!

And the creme brulee. It was served in a rather flat and wide dish. Nice burnt sugar crust on top. Nice cracking sound with the teaspoon. I could see many little specks of vanilla beans. Very luxurious on the palette. I was in heaven.

(The photo doesn’t do it any justice at all! You just have to try it.)

The meal was memorable. It was such a sweet ending to this dining experience. Mister’s brother that had just travelled France was impressed and love it as well. France-Soir is such a down to earth french dining experience. Nothing pretentious about the dishes. It was solid. It delivered. It can be remembered. I could appreciate this meal despite my blocked nose and very sore throat. Maybe one of the reasons why it has been successful for such a long time is because it stuck to a belief of serving  dishes that work best and to keep it true to the tradition in some way. Loyal staff, loyal customers. Loyal to beliefs.

Double YUM UP!