/ Reviews / French
Food Talks
by Ruth Waldron
on Friday, May 20, 2011 12:00 AM
Residents of Shanghai are not easily impressed and many would say that there's not much in the way of new restaurants with something different or interesting on offer - enter Lingo Bistrot.
Tucked away in Ciro's Plaza, near People's Square, it's a little off the beaten track but don't let that thwart you. Lingo is a marriage of cultures with an educational twist. The restaurant doubles up as an informal but organised venue for English classes, where a roster of teachers instruct in small, enclosed booths at the rear of the space, while the wine bar and dining tables cater to an international crowd with a taste for authentic French cuisine.
The menu is broad and very good value, offering such delights as a mixed plate of French pate, pork terrine and rabbit terrine with crunchy bread at RMB65, homemade tuna pate with tomato at RMB28, Foie Gras Maison with onion and black olive jam at RMB45, and - for the true gourmand - the French Style Snails are a buttery treat at RMB24. All the portions are generous and authentic. Managing Director Lionel Baudoux takes pride in the fact that all the recipes are 100 percent French and the prices low.
With a background in wine, Baudoux has extensive knowledge when it comes to solid vintages. He doesn't keep a regular wine list but buys in end-of-line cases of good wines at discounted prices, selling them for RMB100, RMB150 and RMB200.
Luncheon is available a la carte or as a set menu; the latter is priced at RMB58 for two courses or RMB68 for three courses. Both are generous and full of delicious options. Dinner is slightly different, with sets from the "Menu Plaisir" (RMB98 for two courses; RMB118 for three) and the "Menu Gourmet" (RMB118 for two courses; RMB148 for three).
There are numerous house specialities but two stand-outs are the Lingo Chicken Poulard (RMB94), which is a large serving of tender chicken breast smothered in sumptuous creamy goose foie gras sauce and black truffle, and the Fondue (RMB118). This fondue is unique in that the melted cheese is served in a rustic, hollowed-out loaf of bread, accompanied by Parma ham, gherkins and roast potatoes.
A gourmand's surprise, though in a somewhat uninspiring location.
