Blowing the French Horn at Toots Brasserie

This is an overdue post. Sorry for withholding the best-kept set lunch gem of a secret in the city for too long. The lion and his colleagues, who work in the vicinity, have graced the cosy archways of this restaurant in a hotel a couple of times for team lunches. But let's start off with breakfast, shall we? Yes siree, the lions were planning to sleep in late on a weekday public holiday morning when Mr Business Times called to summon them to Toots Brasserie for a sunrise fuel up.

The Sultan Hotel, spanning 10 conservation shophouses,
is a glorious tribute to Singapore's colourful colonial
past with wide arcs, tall columns and beautiful
shuttered windows.

A part of the fabric of Singapore's rich heritage.

Natural Curtains

Heading past the narrow wood-panelled walkway to... ... 

Toots Brasserie. Veteran Chef Jason Wong is at the helm
and has cut his teeth in the kitchens of restaurants
like Au Petit Salute. He promises an authentic,
good old-fashioned delivery of French cuisine.

Love the wood-carved monogram.

Look out for the decorative steel cast horns on the wall representing
the name of the establishment. The love of jazz certainly runs deep
in the veins of one of the investors who also owns Sultan Jazz Club
that sits above the restaurant.

Lovely fresh flowers.

Sitting under an arch - stately but cosy interior with rustic dark teak
furniture, earth-toned banquettes and carpeted mosaic tiled flooring.

Breakfast at Toot Brasserie is rather straight forward.
You get to choose how your eggs are done,
along with some sides and the rest are a buffet spread. 

The flaky and buttery croissants are a must-try at the breakfast
buffet spread apart from the the other french rolls.
When the lions were there, the in-house pastry chef
was previously from Joel Robuchon Singapore.

Parma Ham and Cheese.

Sunny side up eggs done with runny centres. Good for
dipping bread in!

Poached Eggs.

Cuchi's Egg Benedict came out a little weird that day though.
The egg itself had the consistency and look of a chwee kueh!

Scrambled Eggs.

Coffee was decent; don't expect your gourmet-style cuppa.

The semi-buffet breakfast spread was good value at $13.80++ given that there were other items like breakfast cereals (didn't manage to get pictures of that) and you get to start your day in a colonial setting. The lion also had a chat with Chef Jason and he encouraged them to try their dinner and lunch menus. Being supportive of home-grown chefs, the lion returned with colleagues for lunch.

Freshly baked baguette made in-house.

In the afternoon, Toots offers an a la carte menu on top of 2 types of set lunches: the (normal) 3-course lunch set menu priced at $18++ and a 3-course executive set lunch for $28 nett. Thank goodness that he came with a rowdy bunch of colleagues so that he could see some of the decadent spread of choices.

Executive Set Appetiser: Oven-baked Burgundy snails in
homemade garlic butter and herb sauce.

Normal Set Lunch Appetiser: Farrner's Soup (soup of the day).

Executive Set Appetiser: Smoked ham on melon served with fresh fig salad and
walnut dressing. The play on sweet and salty was evident here.

Executive Set: Provencale-style Braised Spanish Pork Ribs in
white wine. Hearty and tender.

Executive Set: Toots Beef Minute with garden vegetables and mash potatoes.
The beef minute was well done and slightly chewy.
Mash potatoes complemented it well by being the creamy neutral base
to the beef's savoury saltiness.

Set Lunch: Coq Au Vin aka braised chicken in red wine.
Ordered by the big boss of the group, he gave it a thumbs up
for being juicy and succulent.

Executive Set Lunch: Warm dark chocolate Valrhona cake with mix berries.
Normal Set Lunch Desset comes with a delectable Creme Brulee with a
scoop of citrus sorbet. Not too shabby as well!

This has got to be one of the most inexpensive set lunches in town for French cuisine in such a fine setting, bar none. We would recommend that you pay a little more for the executive set lunch. No regrets.

Here is our review for Toots Brasserie:

Food Quality: 8.0 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 8.0 pawprints out of 10

Toots Brasserie

101 Jalan Sultan,
The Sultan Hotel

Singapore 199002

Cocooning at Cocotte

Sorry for the delayed postings as Cute Cute and Cuchi had a vacation in United Kingdom. More of their adventures in English lands later down the road. Meanwhile, just before they flew off to London, the Lions managed to sneak a bite at Cocotte Communal restaurant.

Located inside Wanderlust hotel, Cocotte also adopts a retro interior decor just like the hotel. In fact, it models after the 70s French feel and serves up rustic French communal food.

Feeling cosy and nostalgic (Cuchi is into French things), Lions and their friends, Coconut and Kermit, got to ordering food to share.

French Onion Soup Sandwich
The French Onion Soup Sandwich was great. Sweet, sour and savory, the sandwich was so good that the pack ordered another one to share.

Pan Fried Sea Bass
Fish was done very well, the skin crispy and the fish tender. The vegetables that went along with the dish were also a good complement to the main.

Hot Smoked Salmon Sandwich
Cute Cute felt that it should be an egg and salmon sandwich instead due to the large amount of scrambled egg on the sandwich. Overall, it was a good sandwich but the Lions' choice still went to the French Onion Soup Sandwich.

Unfortunately, the Lions had forgotten what sandwich this was, but it looked and tasted good. :)

Shredded Pork Confit Sandwich
Another classic from Cocotte, worth trying.

Lemon Curd Tart
Ladies who love sweet sour treats will love this dessert

Cafe Latte

Apple Tart

 

The Lions had a wonderful time at Cocotte. Good food and a lovely atmosphere added to the enjoyment. Do check out their pastry section as it changes with time.

Here is our review for Cocotte: 

 

Food Quality: 8.0 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 8.0 pawprints out of 10

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address:

Cocotte

2 Dickson Road

Singapore 209494

Tel No : 6298 1188

http://restaurantcocotte.com/

Creating a Stir at The French Ladle

After having brunch at Sunset Way, the two Lions decided to explore the quiet Pandan Valley estate. They stumbled upon a nondescript French restaurant and decided to send Tuffy Lion to check the place out for dinner. Apparently, this little new restaurant (seating capacity: 6 tables!) serves honest, home-cooked French food in a cosy and casual setting suitable for large family gatherings, catch-up sessions with friends and oh yes, they do serve brunch on weekends as well. 

The French Ladle reminded Tuffy Lion of unpretentious restaurants like Bather's at Sunset Way with an inviting setting not unlike a friend's home. 

Miss Elegant Kitty doing pilates on the grass.
Ooooo look at her stretch ... ....

Meow! Follow me on the yellow brick road
to food heaven.

Simple and rustic interior with warm colours
and homely touches. 

Unpretentious set-up that beckons you in.

Sky Juice is available, just help yourself to it!

But what's French food without French Reds?!
A glass, please!

A husband-and-wife team. Husband cooks
though. Lol. This skeletal team who seamlessly
delivers the fine food is
complemented by a friend who serves and
does the PR and BD.

Ahh.... complimentary bread basket.
Tuffy Lion found the French Bordeaux
surprisingly good! Delicately tannic,
and smooth.

Escargots in Olive Oil and Parsley.
A little on the chewy side was Tuffy's
feedback to the chef. He preferred it tender and
juicy.

Cream of Celeriac Soup won Tuffy over with
its subtle and earthy flavours.

Layered Cabbage and Bacon in Chicken Broth.
This was an interesting dish despite the fact that the
broth was too mild and flavour too delicate
to balance the strong taste of bacon.

This humble mashed potato in a cute mini cocotte
was highly recommended and it did not disappoint.
Texture was velvety smooth even after the single sieve.

The very popular Confit de Canard was not available
that night so Tuffy decided to indulge in the
Cassoulet of slow-cooked duck leg, pork belly and sausage.
Very hearty but according to
The French Ladle, they were toying with the idea of removing
this dish altogether as not many locals could appreciate it
and many dedicated hours of preparation goes into it.

A happy Tuffy enjoying this casual French dining
experience. 

Wait! This ain't over till dessert is served!
A home-made molten chocolate cake
with a dollop of ice-cream. Pretty good!

Overall, it was a satisfying meal in a comfortable, homely environment. Food was simple, straight-forward and good. The lions believe that this new restaurant will be doing quick fine-tuning to some dishes after the feedback and they will be back for brunch and dinner (mmm coq au vin... ...) again. Service was warm and excellent. And most importantly, with no service charge and GST, prices are certainly more affordable than most casual French restaurants in town. Not bad for a local boy trying his hand at French cuisine. Oh yes and reservations are a must! It was full-house that Sunday night.

Here is our review for The French Ladle:

Food Quality: 7.0 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 8.0 pawprints out of 10

Specials that you should try: Soup du Jour, Confit de Canard, Confit de Porc, Chou au four et au bacon

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address:

The French Ladle

2 Pandan Valley Condominium,
  #01-206

Singapore 597626
Tel: 6467 7505