Taratata Bistrot

In an enclave boasting one of the world's best restaurants (Restaurant André) and some of the city's dining hotspots (Ember, Oso Ristorante, Absinthe and Majestic Restaurant), the 10-month-old Taratata Bistrot stands out for several reasons. Chief among them are its delectable regional French cuisine dished up with wonderful service.

Chef-owners Phillip Nouzillat and Bertrand Raguin have converted what was formerly a Chinese eatery into an elegant French bistro that oozes quiet charm. Red banquettes and dark wood tables fill the high-ceilinged space, while classy images of France adorn the white walls.

The food and wine menus are confident and straightforward. The former offers a good selection of French sips and demi-bouteille (half bottles), while the food menu proffers rustic French dishes including classics such as steak tartare, Provencal tripe, and homemade rillettes, terrines and pates.

We started with a Chateau La Tour de By, an unpretentious, easy-drinking Medoc recommended by the restaurant's sweet and gracious manager Eliza, to enjoy with our meat-centric dishes. The cassolette of escargots with mushrooms was served first and won us over on first bite. Six plump, tender snails bathed in a savoury sauce that had the necessary flavour nuances just right. We mopped up the remaining juices with petite slices of homemade brioche.

The Mediterranean-style seafood broth bearing fresh cod, mussel and prawn arrived piping hot in a lidded French-style soup bowl, with mustard aioli on the side for that necessary but subtle flavour lift. Save for its slight powdery mouthfeel, it was a pretty enjoyable dish.

The tasting portion of steak tartare impressed us with its generous serving but taste-wise, it suffered from a slightly heavy hand with the seasoning. (The chef graciously removed the item from our bill).

The duck confit with white bean ragout and assiette of mushrooms turned out to be one of the best we've had. The crisp skin crackled invitingly and gave way to richly flavoured meat. The tender haricot beans were moist from soaking up the earthy mushroom juices and were a beautiful accompaniment to the duck.

The crispy oven-baked pork trotter came in the form of a neatly plated mound - seared bacon wrapped around a tidy heap of pulled pork trotter and topped with a crisp, smoky crown of crackling pork skin and mushroom fricassée. The accompanying potato mash was smooth and velvety, though given the richness of the main, perhaps boiled or roasted potatoes might have been a better alternative to the mash. The palate cleanser of mango sorbet that arrived soon after was a thoughtful and welcome ‘pause' to our hearty meal.

The beef bourguignon didn't disappoint. A gentleman's portion (read: generous) of fork-tender beef was cooked with pork belly and button mushrooms in an intensely flavoured and silky red wine sauce. We appreciated that the carrots were thinly sliced and carefully garnished over the meat, rather than simply tossed into the meaty stew.

Happily stuffed, we soldiered on to dessert - the classic crème brûlée with vanilla ice cream. We weren't let down.

In all, Taratata Bistrot delivers with its holy trinity of good food, professional service and charming ambience. There are also good value weekday set lunches priced at $28 and $32 (for two and three courses, respectively), and late night dining till 1am on Saturday. Would we return? Most definitely.

35A Keong Saik Road, 6221 4506