Rustic French dining in a vibrant district.
Situated within the grounds of Wanderlust Hotel, Cocotte serves an array of hearty French countryside cuisine. A restaurant that helms itself with a communal theme, Cocotte has a casual and comfortable setting that is family-friendly and serves as an ideal place for social bonding.
Head Chef Anthony Yeoh claims, “There’s something important about the ritual of coming together for a meal…and the heart and joy of these experiences and memories is in the sharing and serving of food.” I very much endear to Head Chef Anthony’s proposition, and I could sense the camaraderie of the restaurant upon stepping in.
As Cocotte discovers regional wines and rustic dishes of the French countryside, the restaurant introduces the new 5-course wine pairing set menu. Something that’s perfect for the occasion to gather for dinner.
Lillet Blanc on Ice, orange & mint
The welcome aperitif was a cool combination of citrus flavours. Served with a small slice of orange and mint leaf, it gave an delightful refreshing sense which stimulated my taste buds in preparation for the meal.
Soupe au Citrouille
Organic cream of pumpkin soup with walnut oil and rosemary. This cream of pumpkin soup was starchy and not too creamy, I liked it this way. The pumpkin taste was subtle and the broth gave a delightful warmth along with fragrant pieces of walnut.
Yalumba Viognier, Eden Valley, South Australia 2012
Wine pairing was a tinge of tropical fruit flavour. An exotic asian spice with a medium length finish. I felt that it was a good contrast to the sweet flavour of the pumpkin soup.
Assiette de Charcuterie
Homemade duck rillettes and pate de campagne. Duck rillette was delectable when paired with the in-house bread basket, which were fresh from the oven. The latter was wrapped with a thin layer of bacon, adding an extra texture.
Duck rillette was a soft and smooth texture, emitting a pleasant tinge of saltiness well-balanced with the rich buttery taste. It was luscious to the palate.
The pate de campagne was heavenly. A thick piece of terrine that is peppery in taste. It is very rich in flavour and delectable. When dipped in the fresh mustard, the blend of spicy and peppery flavour was a delightful zest.
Agusti Torello Mata Cava Rose Trepat 2012
Rose cava as wine pairing with the charcuterie was a savoury sweet flavour. Something light to go with the richly salted and peppered flavour of the mains.
Salade de Poires et Bleu D’Auvergne
Organic greens, pears and blue cheese with hazelnut-lemon dressing. The citrus lemon flavour was imminent for this dish.
I particularly liked how the pear and blue cheese combined together to form a sweet and savoury flavour, complete with aromatic walnut bits to balance the saltiness. The entire dish was refreshing, cleanses my palate before the arrival of the signature mains.
Grant Burge Benchmark, Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2013
Wine pairing for the salad was a rich, concentrated berry flavour. Medium strength and sweet.
Moules et Palourdes
Live blue mussels and clams steamed in fennel-infused white wine creme sauce and citrus oil. Fennel and white wine was a delightful and fragrant blend of taste. Sauce was sweet, creamy with the right amount of oil.
Mussels were thick and really rich in flavour and content and I loved the taste of it. The fennel white wine creme sauce was a good add-on flavour for the clams, enhancing its fresh seafood taste.
It is my pleasure to introduce you the creamy curry mussels which Cocotte has included into its menu. This flavour pays homage to the restaurant’s neighbourhood — Little India. I was delighted when Head Chef Anthony introduced this new dish to me, heartened at the same time with the idea of infusing a bit of local taste to countryside French cuisine.
Digging into the plate of curry mussels and clams and topping them with the light and powdery curry, I was prepared to taste something good. Not disappointing me at all, this shellfish platter was a delectable with the fragrant curry. I can say that the sauce does make me think of Muthu’s Curry — North Indian curry concocted from aromatic powdered spice.
Cocotte has also launched a ‘Moules Frites Monday’ offer on its menu. Each $35-pot of mussels is good for two to three people, and comes with a basketful of hand-cut duck fat fries, which trust me, got my waistline up a few inches. Makes a good celebration dinner for having combated the Monday blues at work.
In addition to the above two flavours, Cocotte also serves its Moules et Palourdes in the roasted pepper piperade sauce. Diners have three choices of flavours to opt for, for the ‘Moules Frites Monday’ promotion.
Another point worthy of highlight is the new coriander aioli sauce for the fries — another reason for me to come back to Cocotte on a Monday night. Here at Cocotte, I can be spoiled for choices for my favourite moules frites.
Cocotte provides a good coverage of sweet, sour or spicy taste for me to choose from. But do note that Moules Frites Monday is only available for dinner, not part of Cocotte’s lunch menu.
La Manufacture Chablis 2014
A typical Chablis to be drunk on its freshness, this wine pairing for the moules frites was an appropriate sweet richness. A clear aroma which tensed the mouth with its intensity.
Steak au Poivre
As part of this 5-course wine pairing menu, diners have a choice between the previous-mentioned moules et palourdes and the steak au poivre. The latter makes use of premium, grass-fed Cape Grim MBS 2+ 200g onglet steak. Diners have the option to change to a 300g ribeye MBS +12 for a topup. We decided to stick to the hanger steak.
Served medium rare, this lean cut of meat was surprisingly juicy and tender. Draped with peppercorn sauce, the flavour and texture were both luscious to the palate.
I especially love the pepper flavour which was exuded in delightful bursts, along with my delectable chews of the springy steak texture. The standard is up to par.
Chateau L’Ermitage, Listrac-Medoc 2009
Wine pairing for the steak is this rich, ripen blackberry-jam red wine from Bordeaux, France. A glaze of very ripe and supple tannin that forms its rich undertone. Goes marvellously with the grass-fed beef. Brings out the succulence of the meat.
Assiette de Dessert
The dessert platter was a blend of comforting flavours. Made up of sea salt dame blanche, coffee creme brulee as well as mini lavender-flavoured madeleines, I felt that the food items were an awesome mix of sweet and salty flavour highlighted by each of the different ingredients.
Draped with chocolate sauce, the sea salt dame blanche was a delight. I liked that they used normal chocolate sauce and not dark chocolate sauce, as digging into the coffee-flavoured creme brulee at the same time allows for the layers of hard caramel and coffee content to sink in and balance the saltiness.
Wrapping up the entire meal is the sweet piece of tiny lavender madeleines, which cleanses the palate while offering a sweet and calming sensation to the soul.
All in all, I very much enjoyed my dining experience here at Cocotte. And I very much like how the wine pairings are done for each item for this five course meal. Cocotte is able to bring French dining to a relax-one-corner setting, enabling us to delight in hearty French food with our friends and loved ones.
Expected damage: $118++ per pax with wine pairing; $78++ without wine
