Cocotte

It is rare that I have dinner in a restaurant and come out satisfied with every dish I chose to eat. When this rarely happens, I come out with a long lasting feeling of fulfillment. That was the case with Cocotte, which I was lucky enough to try last night, since my friends did their homework far in advance with the booking. It seems to be incredibly popular these days, and reservations need to be made 1 to 2 weeks in advance.

Pork Rillette

The restaurant is located within Wanderlust, a new boutique hotel opened by the owner of the Majestic Hotel. Located within the little India neighborhood, the building with its sophisticated lighting really stands out.

Breaded pig's trotters

The interior design reminded me of London for some reason. The dining room is integrated with the hotel reception and it is modern, cool and creatively decorated. It really doesn't feel like any other restaurant/bar I have been to in Singapore. There is a generous distance between the tables so the restaurant never feels overcrowded, and the kitchen is open concept.

Deep fried tripe

We ordered quite a few items from the menu to get a good feel of the Chef's repertoire. The food style is rustic/traditional French, and a few dishes came highly recommended by the waiter. We started with the deep fried tripe, which I didn't try since I have never been a fan of pig's intestines. The pig's trotters were mainly composed of lumps of fat, made into crispy patties and served with a rocket salad. Very tasty, although a bit too fat for one person to have it all. We shared one piece each amongst the 4 of us and that felt just right.

Pork's Collar

The roast pork collar was served with a generous amount of mustard and at first sight I thought it would overwhelm the dish. Despite my first impression, the sauce didn't suffocate the pork and all the ingredients came together very nicely. The slightly bitter Brussels sprouts, the crunchy almonds, the crushed potatoes and the juicy pork with the added tang from the creamy mustard sauce.

Braised beef ribs in white wine

Even more outstanding was the braised beef in white wine. The meat was succulent and rich and fell off the bone. This was the most appreciated dish out of all.

Pan-seared seabass

There was something special about this pan seared seabass: the fish. It didn't taste anything like the regular seabass you have in Singapore. This really brought back memories of eating fish in Italy. Below the crispy skin, the white flesh was incredibly juicy and released that subtle sea flavour that reminded me of the Mediterranean. We didn't ask the question, but we suppose the fish was actually imported. The fennel, potatoes and a few oven dried tomatoes added rustic flavour and textures to this simple dish.

Pissaladierre

This classic French savoury pastry is made from a crumbly-dough, reduced onions, anchovies and olives. This is a classic combination of flavours also found in Italian cooking. I liked the dish, although I would recommend sharing it with people, since you will probably find that 1 or 2 slices will be sufficient to stimulate your appetite at the start of the meal.

The citron tart was well presented, but I wouldn't judge it since I never like lemony desserts. I can just say that everybody else enjoyed a little taste of it.

On the other hand, I had most of the apple tart tartin, which was topped with a scoop of smooth vanilla ice cream (removed before taking the picture). The dough was crumbly and thin, topped with chunks of cooked apple. I always prefer non-fruity flavours on my desserts, so this wasn't my favourite dessert, but it was well put together.

I was very impressed with Cocotte. Every detail has been taken care of: setting, comfort, service, flavour, presentation. I will definitely go back to have the beef ribs again and also to try some of their other dishes. The Poulet Roti seems incredibly popular, so much that it was no longer available that night, so I will probably reserve it prior to my next visit.

In terms of classic French food, this restaurant is currently on top of my list, together with Bistrot du Sommelier.

Cocotte
2 Dickson Road, Wanderlust Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6298 1188