LEBISTROT DE L’OLIVE Interior
LEBISTROT-1
There are not many restaurants in Singapore which offer halal food in these two types of cuisines at the same time- French and Mediterranean.Most of the eaters of halal food in Singapore are familiar with Mediterranean food like falafel, hummus and tabbouleh but French food is still something we only read about, or see on Masterchef. It’s still very rare to find halal French food here and because of that, we can be quite timid in trying out the food. Luckily at Le Bistrot de l’olive, we can ease into French food by having Mediterranean food here also.Le Bistrot De L’Olive might just be the first restaurant in the region to offer both Halal French and Mediterranean Cuisine. The restaurant has quite a classy and comfortable ambience which is suitable for date nights, weddings, business meetings, or company dinners. Just see the pictures![label style=”darkred”]Read till the end to find out how you can get 20% off your bill dining here.[/label]
1. Start with the Soupe À L’oignon
Basically cheesy baked onion soup
SOUPE À L’OIGNON
This is basically cheesy baked onion soup. It’s sweet from the onions, hearty from the meat stock, cheesy because of the cheese melted on top, and filling because of the bread on top of the soup. If you have a small stomach, this will be enough for your french or dinner, or to share between two people. Don’t order this if you don’t like onions! In the traditional (non-halal) French cuisine, some wine will be used to cook this, but the Chef has other alternatives like using grape juice, so that the taste is very similar.[label style=”darkred”]Read till the end to find out how you can get 20% off your bill dining here.[/label]
2. For salad, try the Salade Maraichere Au Chevre Chud Avec Raisins Et Noix, or simply Mesclun salad with toasted goat cheese with walnuts & raisins.
Salade Maraichere Au Chevre Chud Avec Raisins Et Noix Mesclun salad with toasted goat cheese with walnuts & raisins.
The goat cheese melts on the brioche when it’s hot, and the salad is simply refreshing. Definitely try this. It’s simple but the flavours are fresh and you will remember the taste long after you walk out of the restaurant. I still remember it now…
3. For your entree, try Coquilles St-Jacques, which simply means “scallops” in French
Coquilles St-Jacques, which simply means “scallops” in French
The scallop is fresh and firm and went well the the lemon butter sauce. Again the salad that came with this was very fresh, and the plating is just gorgeous isn’t it? It really makes you want to eat. And it’s not too heavy either.The scallops were sitting on a bed of cauliflower mash, boiled and mixed with butter
4. For your main dish, or plats as they say in French, try the Confit de Canne, or just… Duck Confit
Confit de Canard. Halal French Food. Photo taken by halalfoodhunt.com
Duck confit is considered one of the finest French dishes. It is essentially duck that has been cooked by simmering in oil for a while, then preserved in goose fat, so if you’re someone who wants to stay away from fat, choose another dish.Let’s demystify the whole notion of confit. It refers to slowly cooking something in fat so that the fat replaces some of the moisture lost while cooking, and then storing it in the same fat as a means of preservation. The French used to preserve all types of meat in fat. Harmful bacteria can’t thrive in dense fat, so historically, confit didn’t have to be chilled to stay fresh. That said, please refrigerate your duck confit because we no longer live in medieval France.Making confit and getting it to the table takes three steps: One, salting to cure the meat. Two, slow cooking immersed in fat for several hours. And three, reheating or sautéing (depending on how the cooked duck legs are being eaten) the final dish.
5. Or try… Carre’ D’agneau Romarin Avec Haricots Vert, or French cuts rack of lamb with rosemary sauce and fine French beans.
Carre’ D’agneau Romarin Avec Haricots Vert French cuts rack of lamb with rosemary sauce and fine French beans
I’m used to meat which has been cooked until well-done but Shamsydar, our team’s food connoisseur says that meat has to be eaten medium-rare. Which I think is interesting. But I stuck to my duck. Because I rarely eat duck right! It’s not a common thing to eat.
LEBISTROT DELOLIVE SAUMON GRILLE AUX EPINARDS EN SAUCE BEURRE BLANC Grilled salmon with lemon butter sauce, spinach, and squid ink linguine
7. Saumon Grille En Sauce Beurre Blanc, or Salmon in Lemon Butter Sauce
If you can’t stomach the duck, or lamb ribs, stick to this salmon which is pink, flaky and has lemon butter sauce which complements the salmon.
8. For dessert we had Crème brûlée. Something familiar, finally!
LEBISTROT D L’OLVE-12 Creme Brulee
The creme brulee was mixed with vanilla and white chocolate so it was extra creamy and sinful. This was really nice but I couldn’t finish one on my own and so sayang I had to leave it.
7. For drinks, order the Lime Mint and ask for the De L’Olive Special Milkshake
We forgot to take photos of this but I really loved the De L’Olive Special drink. It’s something like ice blended Thai Milk tea.We didn’t try their Mediterranean food that day because the chef was not in (so do call before coming if you really want Mediterranean food) but their hummus, Lebanese kofta kebab, Shikaf Kebab, and especially the kulfi, comes recommended by their owners, Mr Syed, and Mdm Noor who loves Lebanese food.
How to make French food Halal.
Trying French food can be intimidating, but you can be sure that the food tastes good because of the attention to detail by Chef Johan, who has been cooking French food for over 20 years.”As a Muslim I am responsible for making sure whatever is put on the plate is halal for customers to eat. I learnt how to cook french from cooking school here in Singapore, so I know that there is advantage in their cooking. They fry and sizzle pork bacon to extract the smell and flavour, so I use beef brisket to replace. For the sauces they use wine, but I use grape juice,” says Chef Johan who didn’t want to be photographed. Escargot used to be part of the menu but due to the doubtful status of it’s halal status, Chef Johan and the owners of the restaurant decided to take it out.Chef Johan has many French dishes he wants to try to put out but the customers has to come and try it too. So why not get out of your comfort zone and let your taste buds try something new?
Address: 48, Bencoolen Street #01-02, V Hotel Bencoolen, Singapore 189627
Reservations are recommended.
20% OFF your bill when you dine here
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