Petrichor Social Restaurant & Bar

When I heard that Jules Bistro was closing at the end of 2023, it marked the end of its run in Gastown since 2007.  I had made a visit way back 2010 and then again in 2022, which would almost bookend their years in existence.   Not long after it closed, a new French restaurant, Petrichor, opened up in March 2024 in its place.  French native chef/owner Luc Duval offers up a slice of Southern French cuisine in a remodelled dining space that is inviting and quaint.

We arrived in time for happy hour and decided to get some cocktails for only $10.00.  Yes, that is correct, any of their cocktails are only $10.00 during happy hour!  We had From Mexico with Love and the Grenoble Sour.  I liked both but preferred the former as it had more pop in the form of lime, blueberry syrup and ginger beer.   The sour was much more subtle and the sweetness of pineapple juice.  

Also, we went for the Crab Croquettes for $15.00, also on the happy hour menu.  This came in a trio of crab cakes that were topped with saffron aioli and sat on a bed of spring mix.  These crab cakes were on the lighter side with an airiness inside.  Hence, it wasn't exactly packed with crab, but especially for the price, there was a sufficient amount that was fluffy.  Outside was uniformly crispy and the aromatics from the aioli was impactful.

Next, we had the House Brioche served with brown butter for $12.00.  This featured a whole brioche charred on the grill.  It had a lightly crisp exterior with some nutty smokiness from the char.  On the inside, it was super fluffy and steaming warm.  Presented as streaks on the plate, the whipped butter was super creamy and amplified in terms of tasting like butter.  Naturally, being brown butter, it was nutty and sweet.  There was minimal salt added to it, which meant the aforementioned flavours were more pronounced.

Onto the regular items, we decided to go for the Coquilles St. Jacques for $38.50.  Plated with 3 whole scallops on the shell, it was dressed in its classic bechamel with carrots, leeks and bread crumbs.  There was some piped potato puree on the perimeter of the shell.  I thought this was prepared quite nicely as the scallop was plump and still bouncy.  It was super sweet and had a concentrated scallop flavour where the brininess really came through.  The bechamel was creamy with sweetness from the veggies, but could've used more salt.  On the side, there was a salad and grilled herb brioche.

We also decided on the Creamy Sausage Ragu Pappardelle with sage, dijon mustard and confit onion-infused cream.  This was also quite good with al dente ribbons of pasta that were not clumpy.  There was enough cream sauce to keep things fluid without drowning the pasta at the same time.  Flavours were rather subtle with the meatiness of the sausage being the dominant texture and taste.  I could get a bit of the sweet onion as well as the background with the earthy herbal taste of sage.  

Lastly, we shared the 32 oz. Dry Aged Bone-in Ribeye.  We asked for this to be prepared medium (since my dining partner prefers it this way).  It came out more-or-less medium with some medium-rare portions (that I personally prefer).  The meat was nicely crusted and just salted enough.  The meat was full of umami and a bit of mustiness due to the dry aging.  Great flavour and super tender.  It didn't look like a lot, but we didn't finish it.

 

We had a choice of 2 sides to go with the steak as well as a herb butter.  Our choice of sides included the Pommes Dauphine and the Roasted Butternut Squash.  Those crispy little potato pillows were so delicious.  Beautifully salted, they were like a little snack.  The roasted butternut squash was caramelized and sweet.  They were soft, but not mushy.  Overall, we enjoyed the meal at Petrichor and it did bring me back to Southern France.  Only thing missing was a version of socca!  The place is cute and the happy hour is a good value.  Would come back.

The Good:

- Cute and quaint

- Solid eats

- Happy hour is a good value, especially the cocktails

The Bad:

- Some dishes could use more salt

Tableau Bar Bistro

So this isn't the first time that I have dined at Tableau Bar Bistro.  In fact, Viv has been here for brunch on many occasions (too bad she doesn't take pictures and blog about it...).  This time around, it was for my mom's birthday as she enjoys French food.  Good thing too as I've been meaning to do another post since the last time was over 10 years ago.  I've always liked Tableau because their food is solid and best of all, reasonably-priced.  So this particular blog post is actually an amalgamation of 2 separate visits done within a month of each other.  I think we tried almost everything on the menu!

So one of their most grandiose items on the menu is the Eiffel Tower consisting of 2 tiers including the Seafood Tower.  This featured Westcoast oysters, mussels escabeche, prawns, scallops, tuna rillette and snow crab legs.  We found the oysters to be shucked properly without any shell fragments.  There was a considerable amount of sweet liquor in the oysters.  Mussels were tender and briny with good acidity from the escabeche.  Large with a meaty snap, the prawns were also sweet while the snow crab legs were okay (I'm personally not a fan of snow crab legs).  Wasn't in love with the tuna rillette as it was far too salty, even when we picked out the capers.

The other tier featured a host of their other appies including the pâté, steak tartare, foie gras terrine and truffle frites.  For $20.00 more, I find this setup a fantastic value as most of the items were the same size at the a la carte order.   Really enjoyed this platter as the pâté was meaty and full of great texture.  There was a variety of natural meat flavours complimented by the aromatics of the seasoning.  We thought the tartare was excellent where the texture was buttery and tender.  Seasoning was just right where a slight background acidity kept things bright while the quail's egg added a certain silkiness.  The small piece of foie gras terrine was sinful being buttery with a big hit of sweet wine.

Now you might be wondering why I didn't make a comment about the Scallop Crudo in the seafood tower...  Well, it is because on a previous visit, I had ordered it separately.   Seemingly simple with diced apple & jalapeño, lemon and olive oil, this was so subtle and delicious.  Now if you got more of the jalapeño, it was not as mild, but for me, I kept that to a minimum to allow the sweet buttery scallops to shine.  The lemon apple added the necessary acidity to compliment the sweetness.

Something more rich was the Mushrooms on Toast featuring roasted mushrooms, Madeira jus and La Sauvagine on toasted sourdough.  Although the bread was quite stiff, it was necessary as the moisture soaked into it.  There was so much umaminess in this from the mushrooms, buttery cheese (which was earthy as well) and truffle on top.  Now the whole thing was pretty rich though and best to be shared.

To compliment the Eiffel Tower, we added the Demi Baguette with whipped onion butter.  Yes, we understood that a whole baguette might've been overkill given that we all had our mains still, but it was necessary so we could finish up the tartare, foie gras terrine and pâté.  Having some bread with these items made it more enjoyable than scooping a chunk of terrine into our mouths.  Restaurants never include enough vessels (whether it be chips, crostinis, blinis or bread) for these items.  This was a good baguette where it was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.

So for my main, I decided to try the Corned Beef Shortrib with house sauerkraut, pickle, 1000 island dressing and a side of salad.  Essentially, this ate like a drier form of corned beef.  Not that it wasn't tender though as there were buttery elements too.  In the end, I had to use the dressing to add moisture.  Loved the sauerkraut on the side as it was crunchy and only tangy enough that it wasn't too sour.

Viv decided to go for her ol' standby being the Moules Frites featuring Totten Inlet mussels, white wine, saffron and dijon.  These medium-sized mussels yielded plump morsels inside that were buttery and full of umami brininess.  There was a fair amount of them where not one was closed.  The broth was a little on the saltier side, but was still delicious and aromatic.  Perfect for dipping the crispy frites into.

Surprisingly, my son did not go for the burger or a steak.  Rather, he had the Ragoût de Boeuf with braised beef & pork ragu, garganelli pasta, herbs and grana padano.  Although this wasn't the largest portion, it was rich and creamy.  The meat sauce was tender with plenty of body and deep meat flavours.  There was just enough of it to caress each piece of al dente pasta.  He happily ate this up, really solid.

My daughter went for the Canard featuring 2 thick slices of breast, beets, poached rhubarb and foie gras jus.  She really enjoyed the duck as it was cooked beautifully and was generally tender with natural duck flavour.  The skin could've been rendered more as it was rather flabby.  Rich and mild, the jus complimented the duck well.  The juices from the beets and rhubarb made its way into the jus adding some sweetness.

Interestingly, it was my dad who ordered Le Burger sporting a 6oz freshly made-to-order beef patty, La Sauvagine, bacon, caramelized onions, dijon and frites.  Thick and juicy, the patty was cooked to medium.  It was a bit salty, but there was no doubt of the natural meat flavours.  With a perfectly toasted brioche bun, the burger ate very well, especially with the thick cut bacon which was quite meaty.  Frites on the side were plentiful and crispy.

Predictably, my mom had the 10oz Striploin with mushroom & peppercorn jus, arugula salad and frites.  We felt the steak was more rare than the requested medium-rare, but it was still tender and plenty moist.  Maybe it could've used a more aggressive sear on the outside though.  It was lightly seasoned where the woodsy peppery jus did all the heavy lifting.  Nice addition of the arugula as it provided a peppery brightness.

On a previous visit, I had tried the Hanger Steak with arugula salad and red wine jus.  Now this was perfectly medium-rare and salted.  In my mind, this was as tender as the striploin with more natural meat flavour.  Loved the silky and glossy red wine jus where the reduced flavours were intense and full of umaminess.  Once again, the side of arugula salad added brightness and tang.  This also included a side of frites.

Probably my favourite main dish at Tableau has to be the Halibut in a lemon & caper butter beurre blanc with a spring onion tarte tartin on the side.  The fairly large piece of halibut was perfectly prepared being delicate and flaky.  This speaks to the freshness of the fish.  The beurre blanc was mildly rich with a creaminess that was balanced in terms of acidity and saltiness.  Lots of fresh parsley and dill (as well as croutons) completed the dish.

In addition to the side of frites (white truffle and parm in this case) and the spring onion tart tartin, I had also ordered the Roasted Brussels Sprouts as well.  These were still firm and dressed with sherry and bacon lardons.  I thought this was merely acceptable as the flavours were a bit flat and the sprouts could've used more charring from the roasting.  Lardons were meaty and delicious though.  As the for the tart tartin, it was creamy and naturally sweet.

Onto dessert, the best one on the menu has to be the Butterscotch Pot de Crème with Tonka bean caramel and maldon salt.  Okay, normally I'm not into butterscotch due to it being generally quite sweet.  However, this dessert was purposefully sweet while not going overboard.  This was super rich and creamy with the unmistakable deep sweetness of brown sugar.  The maldon salt only served to heighten the already strong flavours.

I wasn't really into the Banana Bread Pudding though.  Too bad really as most of the components were excellent including the brûléed sliced bananas on top.  They were just ripe enough and featured a smoky and sweet crunchy top.  The macerated raisins provided pops of sweetness, yet the actual bread pudding was dry and overly stiff.  If it had been more moist and pudding-like, this would've been a winner.

The other dessert was the largest in the Profiteroles with brown butter ice cream, pecans and bourbon maple syrup.  Now if you thought this was sweet, you are completely right.  Creamy and rich, the ice cream was nutty and aromatic.  The syrup only added more sugar to an already sweet ice cream.  Choux pastry was on point being crispy on the outside and airy on the inside.  So as you can see, we have nearly tried everything on the menu.  From this sample size, I'm confident to reiterate how solid the food here is at Tableau.  Add in good service and reasonable pricing, this is a place you can visit often.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Reasonable pricing
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- Parking in the area can be a challenge
- It can be loud in there, but I personally love the lively atmosphere

Les Faux Bourgeois (Part Deux)

It's been over a year since we last visited Les Faux Bourgeois. During that time, the place has emerged from being a little French bistro located in an odd location to one of Vancouver's dining destinations. A combination of good food and reasonable prices, it is no wonder that Les Faux has claimed a spot on many top-10 lists. With so many accolades, the place is very popular and there is nearly no chance of getting a table as a walk-in. Thus, much like last year, I had to make a reservation far in advance. The main reason for the re-visit was due to Elaine's birthday. She had not tried Les Faux before and despite my hesitation to do too many repeats, I was more than happy to oblige since I really like the place.

Les Faux fits into the same category of reasonably-priced French restaurants such as Salade de Fruits, Bistrot Bistro, Twisted Fork, Pied-à-Terre, Mistral, Jules and La Brasserie. Unlike Le Crocodile, one can dine at these places and have money left over for important things like fuel and Loonies for parking. Good thing that Les Faux is located where it is, no pay meters to be found! As mentioned, the place is small while being quaint. With that being said, if you do decide to stay a bit longer, the seats are not all that comfortable and you are really close to the next table. As for our table, it was nowhere near the window; thus I had to use my flash. Costanza originally thought they had reserved a window seat for us; however, I reminded him that I'm really not all that important! In fact, I think Aaron McArther and Elanie Yong got the best seats at the back. Yah, being on TV has its advantages. Actually, Aaron and I have played hockey a few times together. Maybe I should've played the "I know this local celebrity" card...

Anyways, we decided to split 3 appetizers starting with the Calamari with tarragon aioli. Sure, not really a "French" dish per se; yet it was on the daily specials and it sounded good. In reality, it was good. It was fried perfectly with a crispy, non-oily coating. The squid itself was tender while not being mushy. Although the squid was flavourful on its own, the tarragon aioli was a nice mild-tasting accent. The only thing I would've liked to see was maybe some acidity in the mayo. Although the Moules et Frites was not really an appetizer, we ordered it as such. Advertised as a spicy charred tomato & scallion broth, it was very tomatoey; but not really all that spicy. Lots of fresh chunky tomatoes provided freshness and the charring added depth. Curiously, big plump mussels were mixed in with small, emancipated ones. I guess it is the luck of the draw... The frites were pretty good. Very crisp, well-seasoned and not oily. A tad on the starchy side; but very good nonetheless. Our last appie was the classic Escargots. Served atop 3 croutons, the escargots were not very flavourful. I would go as far as calling them bland. Sure, there was enough butter and some garlic; but the whole dish seemed to be missing salt. Moreover, I found the snails themselves to be on the rubbery side.

When it came time to order our mains, Elaine and Costanza took my suggestions based on my last visit. Hence, Costanza had the Steak Frites. Originally, he wanted his steak medium; but both the server and I convinced him to have it medium rare. You see, in this version, they were using a hanger steak, which is the meat directly above the diaphragm. It is very flavourful; but can be tough if overcooked. It turned out to be a good decision since it was perfect and as tender as it could be. Laced in a full-bodied and well-balanced red wine shallot jus, there was no shortage of flavour. The same wonderful frites took up the rest of the plate. Too bad Costanza had his fill from the Moules et Frites. No matter, I just ate all the frites he couldn't handle! Elaine opted for what I had last time which was the Duck Confit. In a noticeably smaller portion than last time, the confit was just as good though. Tender, well-seasoned meat with a crispy skin, this is one of my personal favourite versions of this dish in Vancouver (with Pied-à-Terre being a close 2nd).

Viv ended up with one of the specials for the night. Good thing we had the earlier seating because the Veal Chop sold out shortly afterwards. The generous portion of veal was cooked perfectly. I found it to be tender and full of meat flavour. Accompanied by chantrelles and chive mashed potatoes, this was a hearty meal that Viv could not finish. I had the other featured item on the specials board being the Pot-au-Feu. Now, if you are totally confused why there is a chicken breast in the picture, I don't blame you. Normally, this dish is made of beef. And honestly, I wish it were beef since the entire thing was bland. Sure, it isn't supposed to be a flavour explosion, I get that. However, a little salt would've done wonders. Despite this, the chicken was still decently moist for white meat.

For dessert, we all shared the Vanilla Creme Brulee and Chocolate Gateau. With a beautifully torched hard sugar top, it had all the earmarks of a great brulee. We found it to be a bit too sweet and the custard to be a bit thin. But overall, it was fine. As for the Chocolate Cake, it was more of a ganache than anything. The sweetness was quite muted and the dark chocolate was able to shine with the desired bitterness. After it was all said and done, Elaine and Costanza remarked that the meal was pretty solid all around. For the prices they charge, it is no wonder Les Faux remain popular as ever. Sure, Le Croc is better; but that is really comparing apples to oranges. If you have a craving for French food on any ol' day, Les Faux certainly fits the bill.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Generally well-executed food
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- Tight dining room
- Hard to get a reservation

Jules Casual French Bistro

By virtue of being a team in good standing in our hockey league, once again we were presented with money to spend at the Thirsty Penguin located upstairs at the rink. Okay, I have nothing against the place. After all, it serves a purpose. It provides food for people who are already there for hockey, watching hockey, skating, watching skating and the sort. For me, there is much better food found elsewhere for the price. So when Gadget Girl wanted the whole team upstairs to share in the free food, I respectfully declined. Hey, I need to eat something different! I'm a team player, I swear! Ultimately, this is one of those rare times I did not eat with my team on a Friday. So what's the alternative? How about eating with fellow bloggers instead? I quickly suggested the idea to some and the result was Kim, Anita, Darina and Whipping Girl joining me for dinner at Jules Casual French Bistro. Although there is "casual" in the name, Jules is far from unsophisticated. In fact, the ambiance and clientele exuded a homey elegance. With piano music in the background, energetic chatter and mood lighting, Darina and I were already liking the place. However, the luminescently-challenged room played havoc on my picture-taking. I pleaded to use my flash; but everyone agreed not to. In the end, it was a good decision because the seating arrangements are quite close. I'm sure our dining neighbours would not appreciate a side of blinding light with their Steak Frites...

On the topic of Steak Frites, that is one of the options in the Table H'ote menu which includes a starter salad and dessert as well. Darina opted for this and the steak was alright. More cooked than I would've liked, it did have decent flavour from the herb butter. I wasn't a huge fan of the frites. They were mostly stuck together and resembled the ones I could get at the Stanley Park Concession. My point is they were crispy; but nothing else set them apart. For my starter, I had the Lobster & Shrimp Bisque. There was definitely a strong lobster essence; but it was somewhat overwhelmed by a level of spiciness that I have never seen in a bisque. If this was named something else, I would've been fine with it. Furthermore, it was quite thin. For my main, I went with the Seared Pork Chop with Dijon cream, braised Savoy cabbage and honey glazed carrots. Being a double cut pork chop, this probably took a while to cook; thus our food took longer than expected. However, it was beautifully executed with a nice sear on both sides and barely (and I mean barely) cooked centre. Thus, the meat was still quite most. The luxurious Dijon cream provided an smooth accent to the otherwise modestly-seasoned chop. I was on the fence in regards to the cabbage and carrots. On one hand, it was deliciously sweet; yet on the other, it was mushy. Yes, that is braised veggies for you; but it ain't my personal favourite texture.

Kim went for both of the daily specials starting with the Gazpacho. As stated by our server, the ingredients were lightly blended. For me, I found it to be quite bland. Cold tomato soup is what I got. Maybe we were expecting more spice? Then again, I'm biased since cold soups are not my favourite. Both Whipping Girl and Kim had Moules et Frites, albeit with different broths. Whipping Girl had the classic version with white wine, garlic and parsley while Kim went for the special which was a spicy tomato broth. The mussels weren't bad, quite plump and sweet. If I had to choose a broth, the tomato one was better. The white wine version looked cloudy and was a one-note flavour while the tomato broth tasted as it was described. The accompanying frites were somewhat stuck together and it did not change my mind about them.

Anita started with the had the Cocktail de Crevettes et Salade d’Avocat (Prawn & Avocado Salad) to start. I sampled the salad portion of the dish and it was very mild. I guess it in that way, the avocado was allowed to shine. For me, I would've preferred a bit more acid. Anita remarked that the prawns were cooked perfectly. For her main, she had the Duck Confit and I didn't get a chance to sample it. From all accounts, it was good. By the time desserts rolled around, the restaurant had pretty much cleared out. Finally, we could use the flash! See how much better the pictures are? For my dessert, I went for their daily feature which was Mixed Berries with peppercorn ice wine. Although it was very slight, I did get the peppercorn with a muted sweetness from the syrup and it added a "je ne sais quoi" dimension to the dessert. As you can see, the berries were vibrant, fresh and sweet.

Whipping Girl chose the classic Creme Brulee. The torched sugar topping was both hard and a brilliant caramel brown. That was perfect. We weren't so fond of the custard though. It tasted alright, not overly sweet. Not a big deal since the sugar on top provided all the sweetness it needed. What we didn't enjoy was the thin custard. It needed to be slightly thicker. Otherwise, this was okay. Kim ended up with the Pear Clafoutis, which incidentally is named incorrectly. Kim and Darina were discussing that is should really be a Flaugnarde since it was made without cherries. Whatever the case, this version was cakey rather than than custardy. Are those even words??? It was very light tasting and I didn't get much pear. Bottom line is that it wasn't bad nor great. Anita had the Melting Chocolate Cake with ice cream. Uh... When it arrived, it looked more like an overcooked burger patty than anything. However, it tasted much better than it looked. It was moist, not overly sweet other than the caramel sauce. Hey it was a decent dessert. Just think of it as similar to a molten chocolate cake.

As part of her Table H'ote menu, Darina had the Chocolate Terrine. It was very rich texturally and not too sweet. It had a definite dark chocolate bitterness to it and all-in-all a pleasant dessert. In general, the food at Jules Casual French Bistro is decent. Nothing outstanding; but I wasn't expecting as much. Considering that it is located in Downtown, the prices they charge are quite reasonable. Not much is over $20.00 and if it is, there is a good reason for it. In fact, the pricing is roughly the same you'd pay at a number of the popular chain restaurants. Sure, there were some misses with the things we ordered; but nothing is ever perfect, especially with food. Jules would not be my first option for French food in Vancouver, with the likes of Les Faux Bourgeois, Salade de Fruits, Mistral and Pied-a-terre. Furthermore, there is L'abattoir a few blocks down, albeit at a higher price point. Therefore, if you wanted some French fare in Gastown and still have money left over for some late-night partying, Jules does the job.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Okay portions
- Generally decent food

The Bad:
- Decent food; but there are better options
- Food came out a bit slow

Bistrot Bistro

*Restaurant now closed*

Alright, I must admit. I can be a little twisted and demented at times. No, no, not serial killer demented, more like twisted humour (well, maybe a serial eater). As such, I felt it would be a great idea to celebrate Easter. You might think that would mean going to church or do an Easter egg hunt with the kiddies. Nope. Didn't do either. Rather, my great idea was to eat the Easter bunny itself... Okay, if I've offended or turned you completely off, you can stop reading now. No, not that person in the bunny suit at the local mall handing out chocolate eggs. Instead, I was thinking along the lines of dining on rabbit at a restaurant. I bounced this idea off Kim and he being equally twisted agreed to join me. Mijune and Darina rounded out our dining party. Now with the main dish settled, we needed to find a place that actually serves rabbit. I really didn't do a lot of searching to tell you the truth. I've always had my eye on Bistrot Bistro and one look at their online menu yielded our desired protein. In fact, Darina really likes Bistrot Bistro and changed her plans to make it for dinner. That in itself is a fine vote of confidence for the place. I ended up arriving a tad early and was able to snag a parking spot right in front of another restaurant that I like - Dae Bak Bon Ga. In fact, there are several really good restaurants nearby on 4th Ave.

Whenever a bunch of like-minded individuals meet, it's always chit chat and we never really get to ordering. It took us awhile since we wanted to make sure there were no duplicate dishes. Hey, we want to try as many different things as possible. This is probably the best way to get a read on a restaurant. We started off sharing the Baguette with Tapenade. Presented on a long wooden board, the crusty baguette was huge. I'm not sure if the portion of tapenade was enough for so much bread. Despite a nice olive flavour, the tapenade would've benefited from more salt. It would've kicked up the flavour quotient a few notches. For myself, I had to try the Warm Caramelized Onion Maplewood Smoked Bacon Gruyere Tart. Hey, its got bacon! However, I didn't get a real sense of bacon in the tart since the sweetness of the onions was the dominant flavour. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. I just wanted more bacon. Darina got the Escargots in Butter Garlic and for $6.00, we felt that there were a good amount of snails. Although we could see the butter and the garlic, the dish wasn't all that flavourful. It was pleasant to eat; yet lack enough impact. It probably also needed a bit of salt.

For my main, I went for the Lamb Shank with Spiced Apricots in Tomato White Wine. For me, I thought the meat was tender and had that slightly gelatinous/fattiness that is associated with braised lamb shank. Everyone else thought that the meat could've been braised a bit longer. In hindsight, I agree; yet the meat was far from being tough. I thought the sauce was "gentle" and was definitely a bystander to the gaminess of the lamb. This was not necessarily a bad thing since I like a strong lamb flavour. The one apricot was integral since it added a necessary sweetness. For my side dish, I added the Bacon Brussels Spouts. Hey, I love bacon! Fortunately, there was more bacon flavour here than the tart. In fact, there were nice gems of fatty bacon hidden between the soft; yet not mushy sprouts. I believe either balsamic or red wine was used in the preparation of this dish.

Mijune went for another dish I was considering - Duck Confit Macaroni & Cheese. To me, that sounded really good. Somehow by the description, we were thinking that the duck would be in the mac 'n cheese, not on top of it. It could be that this was a way to retain the moisture and texture of the duck without drying it out. However, we felt that there needed to be actual duck flavour in the mac 'n cheese itself (maybe even use the duck fat itself in place of butter as suggested by Kim). As for the macaroni itself, it was a little on the softer side (not a big deal in this case). Personally, I liked the flavour of the mac 'n cheese; but Mijune would've liked more cheese itself.

For her side dish, she went for the Braised Squash with Pearl Onions and Raisins. Interesting that she'd order this since the last time I had dinner with Mijune, she was expressing her disgust over the pureed squash at East is East. Well, this version is much better since the squash remained in whole pieces which were braised in a curry sauce. I liked this quite a bit since there was a nice marriage of sweetness from the squash and raisins with the slight spiciness of the curry.

It seems that I order lamb all the time, which is quite predictable. Well, somehow it seemed obvious that Darina would pick the Mussels with White Wine, Shallots and Parsley (she had it the last time we dined at La Brasserie). She added a side of Pomme Frites as well. The mussels were plump and fresh; yet there was a slight bitter aftertaste. Darina suggested that the wine may have not been cooked off enough. Whatever the case, we didn't think it detracted from the taste too much. As for the frites, they were outstanding. Resembling shoestring fries, they were crispy all the way through while maintaining a nice potato-ness. The side of house-made mayo provided a nice smooth addition to the crispy fries.

Now here comes the main event! The Easter bunny! I know, it's sick... Anyways, Kim ordered the Rabbit Cooked in 2 Mustards, White Wine and Cream. By far, we felt that this was the most successful dish. And it's not because we were going for the twisted Easter theme either! First of all, the rabbit (similar to chicken, everything does taste like chicken eh?) was tender and moist. Yet, the star of the show was the sauce. I thought it was delicately well-balanced. It was flavourful, with only hints of wine and mustard (not even sure if I tasted that much of it honestly). It was creamy without being heavy. In fact, we poured it on top of the remaining mac 'n cheese and it was fantastic!

For his side, he went for the ever reliable Ratatouille. Full of the usual ingredients such as zucchini, peppers, eggplant, onions and tomatoes. For me, this was alright. Nothing against it per se, other than everything being quite mushy. I guess it was nothing exciting compared to other dishes. So solid ratatouille; but lost in the mix of everything else. At this point we were decently full from our meal. After all, the portions were quite good for the price. However, we were dining with Mijune, the queen of desserts. In fact, she already had the dessert menu sitting near her throughout the meal. Yah, she knows her priorities! Thus, we carefully planned out what desserts to order so we got to try a good variety. Wait, scratch that. In reality, Mijune just ordered the desserts for us and we took whatever was chosen.

Arriving on a large plate were 2 decently-sized Profiteroles with Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce. The profiteroles themselves were a desirable texture of a slight crustiness on the outside and airy tenderness on the inside. Although the ice cream sandwiched within them was pleasant tasting, it was a tad on the icy side. The chocolate sauce had a nice consistency and was indeed very chocolaty; yet it was a bit too sweet. Despite this, we felt the profiteroles were the hands down favourite of all the desserts we sampled.

Impressively served table side from an extremely large mixing bowl, Kim's Chocolate Mousse ended up to be a very big portion. Look at the picture. That is easily 2-3 times larger than any other portion served at similar restaurants. Quite chocolaty with a slight bitter aftertaste, which is a good thing, the mousse was a tad sweet; yet not overly sweet. Kim tried to finish it all; but alas, it was a bit too much. Maybe Mijune would done better... As for my dessert, Mijune "helped" me order the Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. Its appearance was quite appealing. One tap on the top with my spoon yielded the much desired hard caramelized sugar coating. Breaking into the custard and it was not exactly what I was envisioning. For me, I personally like my creme brulee to be a bit thicker. This was slightly runny. Despite this, we all thought it tasted quite good with a level of creaminess and understated sweetness (although the sugar topping provided plenty of sweetness). Although we could see the vanilla bean on the bottom, it didn't provide the "punch" we were looking for.

Darina ended up with the Lemon Tart which was served with berry compote and whipped cream. I thought that the lemon filling was a nice balance of tart and sweet. There was a good amount of buttery tart shell which was thick; yet easy to eat. It helped temper the tartness of the lemon which helped bring further balance. The desserts were a nice way to end a generally pleasant meal. The service was solid throughout the meal, although it was inevitable that they'd figure out what we were doing. It's hard to keep 2 DSLR's discreet in a small bistro! Also, thanks to the understanding couple beside us who had to put up with our picture taking as well. For the level of pricing combined with the overall food quality, Bistrot Bistro offers incredible value. In general, the food is well-portioned, properly prepared and made with care. Despite not taking advantage of the prix fixe menu (at an incredible $26.00), we still made it out of there with all the food we ate at $42.00 each inclusive. For a restaurant in trendy Kits, with solid service and great food, it's indeed a winner.

The Good:
- Very reasonably-priced
- Generally well-prepared food
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Being a small bistro, seating is naturally tight
- If you want sides, it's an extra cost