Le Cuisson

The 3^rd part of the affordable french food series (1^st was here and 2^nd was here is none other than Le Cuisson, a hawker stall in Holland Drive near Buona Vista MRT, selling French food at a really good deal. The chef used to be work under DB Bistro at MBS and you know that the quality of the food here will not go too wrong.
I added $ 1 for the additional Truffled Oil for the $ 8 Mushroom Cream Pasta. It was one of the best pasta ever had in Singapore, no joke. The portion is generous and not too dry. We poked the runny egg and mixed everything up like Rojak. The taste was so good that it even convinced those who don’t really like western food. Highly recommend this dish. plus the oil :)
The beef ragout with ravioli was not available and thus we went for the Angus Hampshire Beef with Crushed Potatoes, Confit Shallots and Garlic ($ 18). The chef shared with us that it was medium rare but we felt that perhaps the fire was inconsistent as half was overdoned and tough while the remaining meat was still pinkish. The mash potato was undeniably as good as DB bistro, Saveur and many other places:)

French food in a hawker setting, unpretentious storefront and down to earth blokes as chefs, everything looks pretty much promising. I parked myself under the fan and waited earnestly for my food to be served.
The food is priced reasonably and by that i mean cheap (for French food that is). There are about 6 mains to choose from. I understand that the chefs introduce special dishes every now and then depending on the availability of ingredients. Prices range from $ 8 (Mushroom Penne) to $ 29 (Blackmore Wagyu Steak) and that obviously made our pockets very happy as well. Was just kinda disappointed because they don’t do duck confit. That’s a MUST HAVE at any decent French stall. :((
For starters, we had the Foie Gras Terrine ($ 12) — slow cooked Foie Gras, toasted focaccia with orange reduction. Should have gone for pan seared but i was lured by the focaccia (what was i thinking?!). Anyway, it was nicely cooked and sprinkled with sea salt flakes. The orange reduction is like a fresh marmalade jam and the citrus helped mask some of the gamey taste of the liver. Don’t expect too much of the foie gras, you get what you pay for. It’s passable, not particularly creamy or buttery.
The Coq Au Vin ($ 12) was quite a delight. Red wine braised chicken, bacon, mushrooms with roast vegetables, served with focaccia. I was expecting a stew when i ordered this. Nonetheless, the meat separated from the bone easily but the meat wasn’t particularly tender. Some parts were a little dry. The sauce was nicely done though and the remnants of the alcohol was still lingering in the meat. The sauce had just the right amount of bitterness and a hint of tartness of the wine but it was mostly sweet and full bodied. The bread however was a little stale. Of course i do not expect them to be baking it fresh daily but it fell short.
S had the grilled 150 Day Grain Fed Australian Angus Steak for $ 14 and it was served with a Mesclun salad, pomme purée and green peppercorn sauce. The meat is done medium (no other options) but it was really juicy, tender and flavorful. Could tell that the pomme purée was painstakingly made with love. Buttery smooth but it maintained a little bit of coarseness (so that you know it’s not made from instant mix!). Such a steal.
Most of their patrons obviously went to the coffeeshop with a purpose. It’s in an older estate after all and most people would go for the zi char or Hainanese curry rice (looks really yummy btw!) if they didn’t know about the place. Highly recommended for cheap French food. You gotta have the steak for sure.