Le Bistrot

Address 2 Stadium Walk #01-03 Singapore Indoor Stadium Singapore 397691

Telephone 6447 0018

He is Chinese educated, studied language and literature and speaks impeccable English with a light nasal accent. He worked as teacher, sold books and was even a session pianist, doing anything the regular Singaporean odd jobber would take on.

All, just to buy time and earn enough bucks to pursue his dream job, to sell French makan. So he packed up and headed for the legendary French cooking school Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 2003.

Nine months in the school didn’t teach him much. It was well-instructed rote learning on how to cook French makan. But living there taught him more. He observed how folks there lived and ate, what their expectations were and that it was “an experience beyond reproach,” said Mr Lee Chin Sin, the 30 year old boyish chef fronting Le Bistrot restaurant, a little seven tabled dugout in the heart of ah-pek Joo Chiat Road. He set up this simplest form of a French eatery with his same-age pal Thaddeus Yeo in September 2004.

“Only reasons we are here are because we got a good deal for the space and I’ve got just about enough confidence to sell bistro fare,” admitted Chin Sin, “nine months isn’t a lot of time for learning extensive French food culture”. His little menu has no more than 15 items including daily specials.

But the makan is robust and unpretentiously French bistro fare. The portions and presentations are not small and chi-chi, and the prices are a steal.

Take his off-menu beef cheeks. It is lovingly stewed till it’s about to wither then he brews it in red wine sauce. He leaves just enough fats to blend smoothly with the soft cartilage and collagen that holds the juicy meat. He plunks it on a plate and sprinkles some obligatory greens beside it. You won’t mark it for presentation but will love it for the texture, taste and experience.

“I just want to cook simple French bistro makan well. Nothing overly fanciful. It was like the experience I had eating in the well regarded Taillevent Restaurant in Paris, nothing spectacular and every item was predictable, but done very well.”

Which explains his French onion soup. An unselfish portion of mozzarella cheese sitting atop a full bodied bowl of sweetly caramelized onion soup. It was so hearty and French kampong style that I had to chew my way through the soup. Definitely not for the faint hearted.

Operating a French eatery in Joo Chiat definitely attracts the faint hearted and feint French food experts. “We’ve got people questioning us on the un-authentic use of olive oils in our food, believing only the Italians do so. Some also criticize when they don’t see foie gras and truffles in the menu.” observed Thaddeus, who handles customer service. He was once ticked off by a diner who complained about the heavy onion soup, claiming that it was no where near the “authentic’ version she had in pizza chain restaurants.

But those wannabe local French foodies are the ones who appreciate the childhood food culture experience that Chin Sin introduced to his menu…offals. This kway chap loving chef has soft tripe in tomato sauce, gizzards with salad and roasted potatoes his starter menu. He even has stewed pig head terrine medallions, stuff that need to be washed down with a simple glass of white chardonnay. The ones who have “experienced Michelin stars”, shun the spare parts.

But the blue plate customers’ favourite is the confit of duck. It is simple culinary art when this preserved poultry comes looking dry but tasting moist inside. Two huge duck legs are served with potatoes and a mustard sauce. I had trouble finishing it, especially after the onion soup. But I could not let good food go to waste, and I persevered with dessert.

It wasn’t difficult to polish off the mixed platter of nougat ice cream and lemon tart. The nougat was rich but not overly sweet and the tart was a refreshing tangy finale to this solid bistro makan.

But the best thing they served me, was the bill for my three course dinner, $36 for any starter, main and dessert or specials of the day. It was the lightest thing on the menu.