Change is a cardinal rule to ensure the sustainability of any food business, here in Singapore. French Boulangerie, Paul does so in a timely manner with Christmas just around the corner, sprucing up its menu offerings to boost the festive mood.
This season, whet your palate with 26 new items on the menu from savoury mains to sweet indulgences. Note that, the menu is available in all PAUL restaurants in Singapore which include 7 locations covering East to West destinations such as Westgate and Changi Airport Terminal 3.
Arriving at the Tanglin Mall outlet on a weekday, we were glad to see the spacious venue surprisingly reserved and quiet, a good secretive location if you're looking at some downtime with your loved one after a hectic day of work. A quick perusal of the menu and after some recommendations from the amicable staff, saw us ordering the new Rosemary Lime Iced Tea ($7.50) and Lemongrass Iced Tea ($7.50) to quench our thirst. The former proves to be a good use of fresh herbs that come in excess in most western kitchens; the punctured rosemary perfuming the beverage with a slightly quirky savoury note, the latter a great drink for those yearning something other than coffee, it's mild sweetened nature pleasing the both of us.
The Salade de la mer ($20.90) comes stuffed with all manner of good things. Fresh ingredients are given a face lift here with an appropriate dressing and very strategic placement in order to improve the opulence of its appearance. Sauteed prawns, mussels, octopus, avocado, grapefruit and slices of red radish come together to render an eclectic mix of taste and textures that I promise will have you rethinking your preference for the traditional Caesar salad.
We were served 2 different Tartines (open-faced sandwich) out of the four new varieties introduced this season. The Tartine dávocat ($19.90) appeals to those who have a deep penchant for all things mayonnaise, the creamy mixture of prawn and egg drapes over lightly toasted country bed and crowned by a silver of ripe avocado. Served with a side of salad, it would be advisable to share this dish amongst friends as it can get a little overbearingly rich after sometime.
Not to be missed is the Tartine boeuf ($19.90), a love story of perfectly grilled sirloin steak with the classic herbed cream cheese spread, caramelised onions and a dash of balsamic glaze. Don't be fooled by it's fuss free appearance, the beef takes centerstage with its heavenly pink center. Not a big fan of the sour-dough like vessel of bread that came across a bit dense and dry without the aid of the cream cheese.
Fresh on the list of mains is the Longe de thon ($29.90), seasoned tuna loin served with roasted vegetables and seasonal cranberry sauce. Personal opinion calls a red light on this dish where I sensed a bit of rushed work in the kitchen with the missing gradation of colors, with the outsides of the fish a tad gray from being forcefully seared on high heat while the insides remain an unnatural pink.
I did not like the Saumon en croute ($29.90) either, the uneven ratio of puff pastry to salmon a bit of a disconcerting issue for me. Also since the salmon was flaked rather than wrapped as a whole slab, the chunks had somewhat dried out in the midst of baking, an problem that couldn't be solved even with the fervent attempts of the accompanying Hollandaise sauce.
Another dish to watch out for is the Confit de Canard ($28.90). This classic dish is done justice here with the slow roasted marinated duck leg heavy on spices and absolutely moist still. Aside from the haphazard placement and pairing of cranberry sauce on the plate, I had no complaints whatsoever and dug into this dish with gusto.
And if it's desserts you're lusting after, the new menu presents the sweet lovers with two new options, the Eclair Paris Brest ($7.50) and the Gaufre avec glace ($13.90); the former is your traditional choux pastry filled with a rich and slightly dense hazelnut praline mousseline cream, the hazelnut rochers with its toasty notes causing quite a clamour on the table; whilst the latter is 'not-quite-your-traditional' waffle with slightly souffled centers served with fresh berries, soft vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of homemade chocolate sauce. As much as the centres looked very raw, fret not, these remain crisp and deliciously crunchy all the way through and I must have ingested more than my daily sugar quota called for.
To be honest, I've never been impressed by Paul's lack lustre display of boulangerie and patisserie items, the clumsy presentation failing to draw me in; however, after this experience, I must admit that their in-house dining options appear a whole lot more appealing and is surely worth a shot; ESPECIALLY with the tantalising inclusion of 26 new items into the menu. Do check them out at any of the 7 outlets.
Fundamentally Flawed dined as a guest of PAUL, thanks to Hsu Lin of Ninemer and Cynthia from PAUL for hosting me!
Paul
Tanglin Mall
#01-16/17
t: 6736 3257
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