A La Bouffe Bar & Bistro
268 Toorak Road, South Yarra
03 8592 4661
French, Seafood, Steak, Vegetarian
$$$
Food
- Cassoulet a la Jacky
- Steak Frites
The Good
The highlight of the meal was probably the complimentary bread. It was extremely fresh and aromatic with a nice crunchy crust. Having spread on a generous amount of butter, I couldn’t help but say yes when the waitress asked if I wanted more.
The Mediocre
The mains overall were far more ordinary than expected.
The steak, while cooked perfectly to medium and tasted of quality beef, was not without faults. There was a fair amount of tendons and gristle within, and there was an absence of marbling. This was saved by the delicious butter filled with herbs.
The fries were fresh and crunchy, straight out of the dryer. However it is not dissimilar from fries you can easily get from McDonald’s.
Cassoulet was a tad disappointing. I was expecting a soupy, hearty casserole type dish as one would get in France. Unfortunately their version turned out rather dry and lacked any sauce. All the meats were on the dry and tough side given the fact that they should’ve been slow cook to juicy and succulent. The sausage was oddly extremely tough and chewy. While the duck leg was nicely cooked and still maintained relatively soft, it was completely unseasoned and did not inhibit any of the flavours within the slow cook.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
Overall a fairly ordinary French meal that didn’t have any outstanding components. Though it should be noted nothing was bad per se, just unspectacular and lacks creativity.
While the flavours and cooking left much to be desired, this was compensated by the extremely friendly (though inefficient) service.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Not likely. It’s far too ordinary taste-wise to warrant this kind of price tag. At the same price range, there are much better steaks just up the road at Squire’s Loft. There are also more spectacular French restaurant in the surrounds, namely France Soir and Chez Olivier, all at a similar price.