Budget French cooking at Bouillon

NEW RESTAURANT Bouillon Gavroche #01-16/17 Mandarin Gallery 333A Orchard Road Singapore 238897 Tel: 8522-0998  Open daily: 11.30 am to 11 pm

[SINGAPORE] We don’t know whether to be happy or sad to eat at a place like Bouillon. On the one hand, we’re going: “Yay, French food that doesn’t break the bank!” On the other hand, we ask ourselves: “Does my S$26 beef bourguignon not cover the cost of something better than macaroni?”

We get it. Bouillon – the budget version of Brasserie Gavroche – is a sign of the times. It caters to belt-tighteners looking for a bargain, or those who still subscribe to the fairy tale that you can get more for less.

And that’s how you get the bourguignon – hunks of beef cheek braised to a melting-soft texture with a sharp pungence of red wine, served over an incongruous bed of tasteless macaroni as if no one budgeted for better pasta. Would mashed potatoes really have cost too much?

Maybe we’re a little sore that Bouillon has taken over from our previous budget favourite La D’Oro – which served classy S$38 three-course set lunches with care and quality, in discreet surroundings.

Now, Bouillon has opened up the space and decorated it with fire engine-red banquettes and colourful posters, serving up a no-fail formula of low prices and hefty portions. Which, in itself, is not a bad thing.

It’s only when you keep adding the qualifier “for the price” that you start wondering why you’re really there.

While the prices are low at face value, they do add up. A three-course meal easily tips over S$40 – enough for a proper set lunch at Bistro du Vin. Of course, Bouillon has the edge in that you get these prices all day.

As loud French “music” blasts overhead – we involuntarily join in the Gallic version of the Muppets’ Mah Na Mah Na at one point – we dig into the likes of duck rillette (S$12) and egg mimosa (S$6). 

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The shredded duck meat is a good-sized portion with a hit of green peppercorn. It’s pleasant enough with wedges of baguette that start off warm, but harden quickly. Eggs mimosa taste as described – hard-boiled egg whites stuffed with yolks softened with mayonnaise.

The deep-fried camembert (S$14) is a palm-sized disc of melted cheese with a crusty exterior that almost wins us over, except for the intensely tart dressing of the side salad.

Mains range from S$16 to S$28, and yes, the portions are generous. Salmon ratatouille (S$24) is your best bet.

A large fillet is pan-fried till still pink and underdone in the middle so it comes apart in thick, buttery flakes. Chunky wedges of eggplant stewed with tomatoes help to fill your veggie quota. It’s not the prettiest, but it’s healthy and satisfying.

Parmentier de canard (S$22) is heavy-going but again, it’s designed to fill you up. A casserole of shredded duck meat layered with mashed potatoes and bread crumbs is zapped in a very hot oven till it looks like a savoury fruit cobbler. It gets repetitive after a few mouthfuls.

Dessert is predictable, although we take a shine to the crispy profiterole filled with vanilla soft serve and drizzled with chocolate sauce. The ice cream isn’t creamy enough, but it’s soft serve so it can do no wrong.

Instead, we find fault with the not-hot-enough, not-so-flaky apple tart (S$8). The creme brulee (S$10), meanwhile, has an attractively spotted burnt sugar crust and cold custard underneath.

Go in with no expectations and Bouillon will serve you no lies. What you see is what you get – a fair transaction of good prices and acceptable food that does not try to impress.

Service is friendly, and the ambience is generic but welcoming. If you need a break from fancy dining or your usual neighbourhood haunts, Bouillon steps up to the plate. For the price, that is.

Rating: 6