not bad at all, Monday, 27 August 2007
We were a bit reluctant to visit this place as we heard some time ago that this place is not what one would expect from a so-called French restaurant since the French chef has been replaced by an Asian chef.
But one has to try itself before judging it...so there we go!
The ambiance of the la carte restaurant is really nice. There is ample space between the dining tables so you can have dinner quietly and quite privately. Although the pianist was not a real Chopin the music created a classical, romantic atmosphere. In the restaurant the lights are changing colours. Not too much and not bothering at all but it contributed to a romantic touch.
The wine list showed many wines (also Italian....) and for not too much RMB's you could find a good wine of your choice.
Both of us did not have an appetizer/salad but a soup. The Kenyan tomato soup was not impressive. It tasted more like a tinned soup than like fresh Kenyan tomatoes. The French Onion Truffle soup tasted like it was diluted with water and you could find a few little pieces of onions. The bread accompanied the soup was not very fresh.
As main dish we both had a Angus Tenderloin steak. After our soup-experience we did not expect too much from it but we were mistaken. The steak as well as the served sauce was very tasteful. It came with one small piece of carrot, one piece of broccoli and one mushroom so for the 'big eater' it is recommended to have an appetizer / salad.
We paid for the steak about 120 RMB's.
For a change (and because of the lack of a side dish) we both ordered a dessert. And this was really a surprise! I had an Apple Strudle which came with peach mousse and my partner had Chocolate Mousse which came with a huge wafer and several puffs. It reminded me more of an art project than a dessert and they tasted delicious. The cappucino was good as well.
By the way, they also have various 8-course menus which I would like to try another time.
All in all, I can recommend this place for having a good Western diner in a nice ambiance but I would not classify this as a typical French restaurant (advantage compared to a real French restaurant; prices are more reasonable).
Nice detail: when we were walking outside the restaurant we heard lovely French music playing..... no, it was not bad at all!