Dec 1, Noontime at Claude’s Le Café de Ville where I was greeted with warm smiles and eager service crews. Claude’s is a well-known French restaurant in the city which started in 1996. I can still remember the first branch they had across the street from the one we see today, I will never forget how perfect their steak was with a bottle of red wine. Did I relieve the memory or not?
When I found my seat (I was a bit late) the manager immediately came to my table, graciously helped me place the table napkin on my lap and asked me if I wanted a glass of wine. I had white because: A. I don’t want to feel sleepy, and B. I have to keep my composure. Yes, I’m a huge fan of red wine but it easily gets me a little lightheaded, so not today! Haha. Not to worry, the white wine still complimented my steak flawlessly. Well enough about steaks, this time we will be sampling Chef Claude’s new potato based creations which will be added in their menu soon.
We had a 7 course tasting menu and I will lay down my thoughts to every dish that was served excluding the 1st one, the “Bread, Butter, Salsa”which basically composed of a French bread, rolled butter, and salsa.
Chili Potato Cheese with Shrimps
The deep-fried stuffed potato and cheese was excellent! It went well with the sweet-chili saucewith minced herbs and spices. YUM! I recommend slicing a piece of shrimp, followed by the deep-fried stuffing and thank the heavens! You’ll surely crave for it sooner than you expect. If you like food that bursts rich flavors in your mouth, then you got to try this one.
Creamy Onion Potato Veloute
I’m not really fond of soups. It was truly creamy! In fact it came too creamy for my liking. I had a hard time appreciating it as a soup as it kind of resembles a gravy. The taste was good though, rich and tasty, but the consistency wasn’t that fulfilling. It would probably be better to lessen the thickness of the soup. 🙂
SaladeMadayawe
Very refreshing and unique. The potato added a more palatable twist to a regular salad. Non-veggie lovers will surely like it as well. I’m not a fan of the mangoes. Its addition to the salade was excellent but it would still be perfect without it. I do love mangoes but it didn’t blend well for me. Drop in some sweet oranges and I’m all aboard!
Pepper Steak in Hash Brown
Yes, Yes, Yes! The steak was done perfectly and I highly commend the quality of themeat they’re serving. That is what I admire most in Claude’s le café de ville, excellent quality ingredients that is truly a value for the money. Vegetables were perfectly blanched too.
Potato Cheese Souffle
The soufflé was precisely baked, you can tell by how it puffed up evenly on the rim. However, I think it needed a little more flavor, maybe a little more salt? Or cheese? A smaller serving size would be preferable also.
Potato Durian Pie a la Mode
Perfect! I really loved the pie. It tasted like a traditional durian pie but had an outstanding texture. Most durian pies are soft, sometimes you even get to have chunks of durian meat in it. This one is compact, chewy, and just right. The potato and durian blend was incredibly satisfying! It was a surprise that I gobbled up the entire pie considering the fact that I’m not a dessert fellow. JGood job!
Did I relieve my expectations with Claude’s le Café de Ville? For now I have to say, yes! The service was above average, not too excellent for I had to call the attention of the waitresses whenever I need a new utensil or a water refill. I appreciate service crews that are mindful of their guests’ actions. Overall, I would still be recommending Claude’s to my friends and family. Excellent food, relaxing ambiance, and will surely be a memorable gastronomical experience to everyone.
