This newly opened restaurant is helmed by Chef Jean-Charles Dubois, who was previously the head chef of The French Kitchen! I knew I had to go down and try out his new restaurant because the boy and I had a v good experience at TFK during lunch last time when we first started going out haha. So to celebrate our A level results, the best friend and I went for a celebratory dinner at Balzac Brasserie! And boy was it a good choice (:
The interior of the restaurant consists of 2 parts and I personally like the side I was at more! I was seated at the tables like the one in the first pic, with white pretty chairs one would associate with the streets of Paris and a wall of greenery opp me. Felt really relaxed and happy, as if I were really in Paris!
The other part is like the 2nd pic, v pub like? There's a bar inside and high tables + high chairs and normal tables + chairs too haha.
We went on a Friday night and the restaurant wasn't really that full but to avoid disappointment, I'd suggest calling ahead!
Complimentary bread
The 2 "sauces" given to dip are butter w herbs and the other's salmon sth hahaha but its kinda like the tuna chunks you find in cans except this is shredded more thinly! Loved the bread cos it was crusty and rather fluffy + light! Could be a little warmer though. Really love the rustic way it was presented (: The bestie and I finished the salmon one!!
Dubois' Lobster Bisque (Signature) $16
With organic sauteed mini prawns
Having tried the awesome shitzz lobster bisque at TFK, I knew I had to order Chef Dubois' Lobster Bisque here as well and it was v good I think! Not too creamy, certainly able to taste the richness of the seafood, sweeeeeet but not overly so, yum (: The prawns were uh a little too salty for us though :/ You're supposed to eat the prawns and drink the soup at the same time (prawns are really tiny so you'd be able to do that) but I felt that took away some of the flavours of the soup? 4.2/5
Beef Cheek A La Cuillere $26
48 hours of braised wagyu beef cheek, red wine sauce and mashed potato "grand merre"
The best friend ordered this and she proclaimed that it was "the best beef cheeks I ever had in my life"! She said it was so tender and I could tell because she didnt need to use any strength and the meat just came off easily! It smelt so darn goood that I was so tempted to try it!! Cant eat beef cos of my parents' religious belief, but I was really really tempted to try omg. I sat opposite her and I kept smelling the richness of the sauce and the aroma of the meat. Mouth-watering and nose-leading to say the least!! This is definitely a must-try! 5/5
Papilotte $26
Papilotte of sea bass, wild fennel and fresh herbs
At first it was wrapped in that bag and tied at the top w a rubber band, but aft serving it to me on a plate, they snipped the top off w a pair of scissors. The fish was extremely fresh and you can really taste that, the meat, so soft and done just nicely, that makes you feel so happy and light when you eat it! Fennel provides a really nice crunch to the dish, added texture which I liked! The cherry tomatoes were so juicy and popped in your mouth exploding with all the sweet yummy juice!!! This is a light dish that will delight anyone (: 5/5
Dubois' Creme Brulee (Signature) $9
classic style with tahitian vanilla
We both felt that the caramelized sugar layer on top was a tad too thick? It was quite hard to break the top layer and when eating it w the custard, it was too thick so when chewing it was q hard :/ many specs of vanilla in the custard though so they definitely did use vanilla pods (: 3/5
Tart Au Citron $9
Lemon tart with meringue snow
This was different from your usual lemon tart in 3 ways.
1) The meringue isnt like the usual one where its slightly torched and fills up the entire lemon tart. This is kinda "good" for me cos I usually scrap off the meringue anw but this presentation is kinda funny haha. And looks rather weird? Anw, the bestie tried and said this doesnt taste like normal meringue! Not sure what she meant though.
2)The lemon curd is much more tart and sour vs outside ones!! But I welcomed the tartness because it was like eating a sorbet but not as icy? And you'll get used to the sourness soon so yup!
3) The tart crust is more like a v thin layer of butter cookie that crumbles and breaks easily! So it doesnt really feel like you're eating a tart? Kinda gets lost in the lemon curd so you dont really taste it!
Overall, love the tartness of the curd as a palette cleanser and a nice ending to the meal, so for it, I give 4/5
And they present you the bill in a real book! I know some restaurant in Spore presents the bill in a box that looks like a book but this is in an actual French book!!!! Quite interesting I say (: There's no GST if you can see.
Prices are definitely value for money and can be considered cheap for the quality of food you're having, the ambience as well as the good service! The wait staff will always come by and check how things are going but in a friendly and un-intrusive manner. When I was sitting there waiting for the bestie to come back, the manager (I suppose) saw me looking bored and asked me if I was taken care of (: Although water wasnt always refilled for us, we happily refilled it ourselves because we were given a glass bottle of water at our table!
Although I must point out that when we first walked into the restaurant and told this female waitress we wanted a table for 2 and didnt make reservations, she hesitated for quite long and gave the "uhhhh idk if I shld let you sit cos its full hse later" look and then aft awhile led us to our table. And we were a little annoyed cos the restaurant wasnt even full in the end? But this same waitress later happily helped us take pics so guess it was just at that moment only? And bread wasnt served to the table beside us when they sat down and was only given to them when their appetisers arrived so some lapses in service? But nonetheless, I was still impressed by them. Always cheerful, no long waits, extremely friendly and polite and v proud of their chef. And they very well should be! (:
Please give this restaurant a try! Quite sure you wont regret it!!! They have set lunches as well, 2 courses $22++ and 3 courses ones not sure the price though! And mains depends on the daily specials!! Their appetisers are $12-16, mains are $20-$36, desserts are $6-12!
Am definitely going back w the boy for him to try out those awesome beef cheeks!!
Balzac Brasserie
Hotel Rendevous
Lunch: 11.30am onwards think till 2+pm?
Dinner: 6.30-10.30pm
