How many times have I booked for dinner at Bistro Guillaume and cancelled? More or less, 4. I know! It's embarrassing. But finally, I made it. After the Concert from my subject would mean that I just came from the Andre Rieu Concert at Rod Laver Arena. And should I say that it was one of the highlights of my trip. The concert was fun and exciting, but I digress. Topic at hand: Food. Cuisine: French.
Bistro Guillaume has the staples of French food: terrines, snails and sweetbreads are always good signs. I was starving tonight because I forgot to eat lunch and went straight to the concert and afterwards, I was weak at the knees.
After ordering a French white, an amuse bouche came over, two pieces of croquettes with parmesan and pimiento dressing. The croquettes were rich and creamy inside with that good crunch from the outside crumb. I didn't care much for the pimiento dressing, though. But it was a good try.
Entree: Crystal Bay prawn cocktail. This one was delightful and fresh. The dressing was similar to the thousand island dressing I know but with much flair. There are 3 key ingredients: prawns, sliced avocadoes and the shredded lettuce. I noticed that the prawns were a bit tired but when I bit into them, they were still fresh and plump. I think it must have been the way they were deveined.
Main: Pan-seared Kingfish with white asparagus, peas and kipfler potatoes. A simple and clean dish. One of the highlights of this dish is definitely the white asparagus. It was sweet and tender, much much better than the regular green asparagus, though not bad. White asparagus tend to give off a more delicate and muted flavor, less nutty and sweeter. Very flavorful when cooked in butter. The potatoes were a bit dry for me and not the fluffy types that I'm used to. It's rustic with none of the melt-in-your-mouth feel. The fish was cooked just right, but as I ate it, I got the feeling that it's a bit dry and not supple enough.
Dessert: Tarte au Citron. I wouldn't dare to pass a French tart and true enough, the tart was sublime. I loved the light tanginess of that citrus custard that didn't make me wince at every bite I took. And did I mention the crust? That crust. I could eat that crust by itself. Crumbly and buttery, it was immaculate. The best tart crust I've had, hands-down. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the waiter smiled when I took a bite of the tart and sighed with delight.
Another thing that matters a lot to me, especially at a five-star restaurant, is the service. The waiters were curt but informative. They were quick to give suggestions with no signs of awkwardness. They know how to leave their guests alone to enjoy the food and to only come forward when required. As I walked out, two servers (the one who waited my table and the one who took my reservation) opened the heavy wooden doors of Bistro Guillaume to bid me farewell. They made me feel special from start to finish. Merci!
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