Bistro du Vin

   Bistro du Vin
   1 Scotts Road
   #02-12 Shaw Centre
   For reservations: 67337763
   $60-90 per pax (without wine)
   French
   Unpretentious, semi-formal with large servings
   Good service


     I've decided to make the effort and try my best to capture food moments, considering it has always been a dream of mine to be a food critic. However, as my general threshold for good food is set so low, I will likely be considered as non-discerning.

   M was saying we had not had a dinner just the two of us in ages, which was true - so she made reservations at Bistro du Vin and we had a lovely thursday dinner together. As the restaurant was largely decked in red with white snowflakes, it had a lovely christmas feel about it. I usually go with my regular foie gras and duck confit combination at French restaurants, but Bistro du Vin had a beautiful blackboard in the middle of the restaurant with all the daily specials.

   My heart skipped when I saw it had bouillabaisse with lobster! It's a provencal fish stew originating from Marseille. The first and last time I ate the dish was in Marseille! I loved it, ZM hated it - which really captures the essence of bouillabaisse - which is incredibly fishy and solely, completely, overwhelmingly, for hard core seafood lovers. This is the real fishy deal - just a soft spot for crustaceans would not cut it.

   M ordered beef cheeks with mashed potatoes. It was such a huge hearty serving that half an hour into it, she remarked, "it still looks untouched".

  All the food was generally good with such generous servings that we wondered if the restaurant might want to consider cutting a little back, so that diners can actually long for that little bit more, instead of feeling too heavy.

  But, the best dish was definitely the pan-seared foie gras with eggplant.

  It's incredibly tasty and incredibly value for money considering the price and the size. M and I agreed that we would share the foie gras next time as a starter, because we were left with no room for dessert.

  At the end of it all, with a heavy belly, we reminisced about our backpacking through Europe three years ago. When we did not have much money and were always hungry after each meal. But, although we were always hungry, I like to think our hearts were full. We laughed and laughed. Friends, indeed, are the greatest seasoning in life.