After quarantine and a very busy holiday season, I am back with one of my favourite SJ restaurants. A classic French Bistro with occasional menu "twists".
I am back! We have had a couple of months of take-out, quarantine, medical travel, and family visiting that has seriously hampered out food addiction. NB is on the verge of Red again so we are going to try and hit a few places that have changed menu items, or places we have not been to in a while.
East Coast bistro offers a Saturday Bakery which we have enjoyed a few times, and some new, exciting menu items!
Without further adieu, here it is!
Initial Re-entry into food:
We ordered a couple of small plates to ease ourselves in. The one pictured above is Crispy Peanut Pork. I feel like I should respect the salad a little bit. Red Cabbage and Bean sprouts are delicious and crunchy. But the PORK! Thin cut and very crisp, it was drizzled with an amazing peanut sauce. I use the word drizzle very purposefully. It was like they made the best sauce in the world then gave you just enough to love it, but not enough to satisfy completely. What a power move!
Next up was one of the daily specials. We rarely order specials but this one was very good. Fruit, olives, goat cheese, herbs and a light vinaigrette. If tart acid foods aren't your thing, then skip this. However, with the right drink pairing, this was quite nice. Probably just overshadowed by the peanut pork.
The stuff we really want! We went with some very safe, very classic, options for our mains. Duck Confit, and Scallop and Prawn Linguine.
The Linguine was really good. The scallops were seared perfectly, the prawns were big. the pasta didn't overwhelm the other ingredients. The addition of pork sausage really made this something interesting. A high-end classic.
Duck! Duck is my favourite and it is very hard to find in Saint John. Previous to today I had only seen it on the menu at Decimal 81. I almost always see Crispy duck breast, but this is Duck Confit. This is as classic as it gets. This is as French as France itself. Confit is a cooking technique where the food is completely submerged in fat and slow-cooked until tender. Duck confit is cured in salt, herbs, and spices for a few days before it is cooked. Its time intensive and indulgent. After that process, it is also roasted to arm the meat and crisp the skin. And this skin was CRISP. The meat was juicy and tender, and, as all cured meat, deliciously salty. The accompaniments were also decisions, pureed parsnip, braised red cabbage, and dijon mustard jus all complemented each other well. Dessert Sorry to disappoint but we forgot to take a picture of the Gateau Basque. This was an almond-based cake with a custard filling. Another classic French dish that did not disappoint.
TL;DR
Overall rating: 7.5/10 Amazing classic french food, with occasionally menu twists and creative dishes. Sorry for the decimal usage. This is an awesome restaurant, second only to Port City Royal in SJ
Why you should go there: This is the classic "Fancy Date Night" spot. Take someone special, have some nice drinks and high-end food. Adventurous eaters will find something that satisfies, and the pickier among us will be happy to.
Price Point: $$-$$$ Prices vary, sometimes widely. Starters range from $5-$15, mains from $19-$31 Desserts from $8-$10. You can get out of there without blowing your rent, but you can also sink your budget if you want.
Atmosphere: Classy, relaxed, on the quiet side. French Bistro
Food Style: Classic French Cuisine, with occasionally Italian and Asian inspired dishes. Also very reliable for some picky eater stables like burgers, poutine, and salads.
Comments