La Cantine @ Asia Square

La Cantine by Bruno Menard was next on the agenda to try, more so after the dazzling burgers that he is capable of. Reviews mentioned that there was a selection of burgers available at La Cantine too so that made me all the more interested to complete trying them.

specials

The place is quaint and detached from the rest of Asia Square, definitely considered a hideaway as compared to the rowdy The Exchange and Bar Bank + Bistro. Even Extra Virgin Pizza was more happening than La Cantine. 

cool

All posh.

interior

I love the décor – classy yet artistic with chickens hanging from the ceiling and mismatched chairs.

table

Well posh did not apply to cutlery too.

cabinet

Corners like these are major love.

menu

Service varies from server to server but they are particularly pesky about wine. One exceptional waitress and definitely persistent one, made sure she came by every 5 minutes or so to check on our wine orders, even after much badgering and the order for truffle fries was made she got desperate and dropped the idea of us ordering by the bottle and offered us wine by glasses. After repeated attempts, she still did not give up and ended up ignoring us for most part of the meal. Yes, she was flitting from table to table like a butterfly, showering attention only on tables that bothered enough to make the order. Personally, it’s a huge service faux pas – I do not want to be coerced into ordering and two, it was incessant. 

fries

And that, is the story for the truffle fries order. It was not great, just like and made’s. The first whiffs were great and it just nose dived. Ordinary fries in fact.

fry

Meh-dinary.

bread

Bread took eternity to arrive and we had to request. It was just sour dough bread with butter, none too great either. The crusts were extra hard, for some reason. Refills were not offered either.

tray

Escargots ($20)
Garlic Parsley, bellotta jamon butter

escargot

Deshelled escargots which came at the expense of a lack of flavour, I somehow think that cooking escargots with shells helps lock in the flavour quite a bit. Miniscule portions with matching flavours.

ravioli

“Royan” Cheese Ravioli ($10)

Usually priced at $10 each, we were given two portions together with the steak order. Creamy, cheesy and well loved around the table. French do their pastas well, I say it again.

tray

Grain fed ribs of beef ($138)
Caramelized onion, mushroom, ravioli gration and homemade BBQ sauce

Slightly under a kilo of meat, the doneness was predetermined by the chefs and it was a perfect recommendation for us. Meaty, succulent and absolutely satisfying. The doneness was just right, without being too bloody and hard to chew. Portions are recommended for 4 but it would suit 2 carnivores just right.

The service left us little to desire from the dessert menu – not quite related but it dampened the mood quite a bit. Their famed molten caramel pudding is possibly the only relation to and made .

La Cantine
Asia Square

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