/ Reviews / Fusion
Drawing a Blanc
by Monica Liau
on Friday, January 29, 2010 12:00 AM
The name of new restaurant Bistro Blanc may fool people into dropping in for French fare, but the wary diner should know better by now than to judge a restaurant by its signage. This cozy little eatery is indeed "inspired" by French cooking, although the menu has also found endearing - if sometimes misguided - muses in both Italian and Japanese recipes. The results reflect a rather unfocused and lackadaisical kitchen dabbling in this and that, the random-fire approach creating some delicately beautiful and even whimsical dishes, while many others are so bland they hardly register on the palate.
Aside from the Special Salad (RMB38) - which is delightfully full of fresh greens, briny seafood and smoky bacon - safety lies in the more Japanese-influenced side of the menu. As the center of the restaurant boasts a Zen rock garden - and most of the restaurant ingredients are imported from Hokkaido and Kagoshima - this seems to make sense. The highlight of the menu is the raw beef served with a hot liquid mixture of raw egg and sugar. When the thin pieces of Matyoka beef are dipped in the mixture, they commence cooking, resulting in tender, aromatic meat. Elegant and tasty, it surpasses everything else on offer.
The mushroom and ham pizza (RMB65), however, utterly missed the mark. More accurately described as a type of quiche, the crust was thick, doughy and topped with less-than-fresh farmhouse ingredients. The ending to the meal was equally disappointing. A crème brulee made an appearance on the table but never made an exit, as it turned out to be a lackluster and flabby flan.
Bistro Blanc should reevaluate the focus of its restaurant menu. The Japanese fusion dishes are mostly light, healthy and presented in a thoughtful manner. However, while the kitchen has the capability to put out good dishes, the "western dishes that cater to the masses" approach makes even the good stuff pale in the face of mediocrity.
The Bottom Line: Stick with the Japanese cuisine and your meal may turn out more memorable.
