Remember the scene in Queen where Kangana Ranaut makes “French toast” and her friend, the French guy remarks “I am French and I have never had this before”? To which she says “Yeh hamare India mein milta hain ( you get this in India)”? Honestly my story would not be much different when it comes to French food. French toast was the most common “French food” that I knew of. Then of course Crepes. It was much later I was introduced to Crème Brulee. That’s it. So when Suprio asked me if I wanted to go to the new French Bistro menu tasting at The Artisan in Sofitel , BKC Mumbai, I was eager.
Sofitel launched the Bistro menu at Artisan in the early part of August. The new Bistro menu includes a variety of authentic French dishes ranging from savory to sweet. The Duck Confit, Brie & Rocket Baguette, Coq-au-vin with Steamed Potatoes and Salad Nicoise are just a few highlights of what the scrumptious menu offers. The menu also features a variety of classic desserts such as Crème Brulée, Profiterole, Mousse au Chocolat and more. Another highlight of the Bistro menu is its Rotisserie style of cooking which will feature the ‘Roast of the Day’. As Chef Manav Koul pointed out, Bistros typically have a short menu and must feature ’Roast of the Day’. Traditionally bistros make use of ingredients produced locally. Here they have tried to source as much as they can locally; however, many ingredients need to be imported to keep the authenticity of the dish intact. And of course being in Mumbai, the bistro doesn’t feature “beef”.
As we sat for dinner, we were served Butternut Squash Parfait with candied walnut. Then followed Vol Au Vent / puff pastry with creamy seafood filling. I loved it. It was interesting how the texture, flavor and taste of the food served before us gradually changed with each course. First slightly bland for our Indian palate and then gradually with each dish served, the flavor grew stronger. The third course was my favorite for the evening. Fish Almandine with beans and lemon garlic butter sauce. It was a beautiful looking dish and tasted just as good. I wanted to opt for one vegetarian main course. Hence I went by Marshneil’s, our hostess for the evening, suggestion. She suggested to try out Crepe Ratatouille and Heirloom tomato sauce and basil. I must say it was a good suggestion. The non-vegetarian course of Coq Au Vin / chicken braised with wine and mushrooms, however was voted the best by everyone at the table. Jarret D’agneau / braised baby lamb with Roquefort Potato puree, I found, was the strongest in flavor among all the dishes of the evening. The lamb was soft and perfectly done. For Fromage, there were Roquefort, Comte and Brie with honey roasted figs. My personal favorite here is Comte.
Even after a meal like this, one should always keep some space for dessert. When it is French dessert, then one must! So we had Crème Brulee, Chocolate Mousse and Profiteroles. I strongly believe that good dessert makes me really happy. In Artisan, the desserts in the new French Bistro menu surely did.
Kudos to the kitchen staff and the service staff for making my first French food experience a memorable one.
Artisan has an All Day Breakfast menu. There is live music in the evenings. Good food and good music, that makes a good evening.
Ratings out of 5:
Food: 4.5 | Ambiance: 4.5 | Service: 4.5 | Overall: 4.5
Meal for two without alcohol: Rs.3000 approx. Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes |
Timing: 12.00 noon – 01.00 am; Malt ‘N’ Jazz’ Evenings every Thursday: 7.00 pm onwards
Wheelchair access: Yes
Address: Sofitel, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400051
Telephone : 022 6117 5000
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. Due judgement and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review, but readers need to consider this review keeping this fact in mind.
