I have not, until recently, been to Brasserie Gavroche helmed by Chef Frédéric Colin who was born and brought up in Paris. According to the website, its cuisine is "timeless – classic dishes prepared from the heart". Located along Tras Street with Café & Bar Gavroche and Fleur De Sel, the place had a rustic shop front atypical of a French restaurant. As I opened the weather-beaten door and stepped in, was struck by the contrast. While there was still an old world charm about it, the interiors however exuded Paris ambience. A wide mirror spanned one side, with old photos in gold frames on white walls. Below which were red cushioned bench seats paired with wooden tables and chairs with backrest, some with armrest too. Old-fashioned red and white napkins were neatly folded and placed, together with glassware and metal cutleries, on white table cloths. Combined with the mosaic tiled floor and framed-up menu, it oozed the laid-back feel of a French brasserie.
Atypical of the usual French finds in Singapore (and maybe Paris too), we were first served with gougère – small cheese choux pastries that my dining companion gave the thumbs up. This was followed by sourdough baguette that I could neither rave about nor fault. Appetiser was shredded king crab and raw-tasting green beans in fromage blanc vinaigrette for my dining companion and for me, burgundy snails baked in their shell with parsley and garlic butter. Plumper than others I have tried, they were a tad salty and difficult to remove as the shells (not contained within holes in a casserole like how others served this dish) moved around. For mains, my dining companion had succulent roasted scallops with Jerusalem artichoke and parsnip purée in parsley jus. My savoury shredded duck confit with crushed potatoes and bacon gratinated atop was a heavenly combination, which definitely tasted better than it looked and was reminiscent of home-cooked comfort food.
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