Bouillon République

Tipped off by one of my French friends, we made a reservation for Bouillon République that was within walking distance of our hotel.  A bouillon in France is a traditional expansive restaurant that serves up French cuisine at reasonable prices.  That is exactly what Bouillon République is known for since it opened in 2021 in the former home of Chez Jenny.  After a brief wait, we were seated in a very traditional-looking dining room that was bustling with activity.

We ended up ordering a good amount of food beginning with the Eggs with Mayonnaise and Farmhouse Pâté with toast and gherkin.  I thought the eggs were quite good where the whites were not rubbery while the mayonnaise was creamy, light and well-seasoned.  The pâté was a little dense, but was definitely meaty and also well-seasoned.  We definitely got some natural pork flavour and aroma.  The toast wasn't really toasted, so it was somewhat lukewarm and bready.

We also got the Pickled Herring with French potato salad and also the classic Escargots in parsley butter.  Served cold, the pickled herring was tender and flaky with the unmistakable fishiness.  It had a good tang to it while the potatoes underneath were tender and delicate.  As for the snails, they were soft and completely seasoned by the rich seasoned butter.  Of course we dipped some bread into this.

For our mains, I went for the Boeuf Bourguignon with smoked bacon and pasta.  This was pretty good with tender nuggets of beef with a rich cooked down red wine sauce.  The sweetness of the onions were present while the meatiness of the bacon and beef came through.  Viv went for the Sea Bream Fillet atop ratatouille.  The fish itself was slightly overdone, but wasn't dry.  It was mildly-seasoned, but the tangy and sweet ratatouille added plenty of impact to the dish.

My daughter went for the 1/2 Caramelized Ham Hock & Fries.  This was quite good as the ham hock was tender and shred easily off the bone.  Naturally, it was salty with some sweetness.  The side of fries were crispy and served hot.  My son didn't stray from the usual, having the Steak Frites with a shallot sauce.  This steak was cooked to medium-rare and was somewhat chewy, but still wasn't difficult to eat.  It was nicely seared while the aroma from the shallot sauce was a good compliment.

Finally, we ended with the Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Tart.  Similarly with all of the food we had, these desserts were solid.  The mousse was light and chocolatey while being purposefully sweet.   As for the tart, the shell was firm with an appealing crunch.  The custard was semi-sweet while the strawberries were ripe.  Overall, the food at Bouillon République wasn't amazing, but it was good.  Considering the price, it did the job and we went away happy and satisfied.

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Inexpensive

- Lots of choice

The Bad:

- Don't expect the most amazing food

- Service is good, but hurried