End of February means that it's Dr L's birthday. Since the end of last year, we've had cravings for some good French food. Unfortunately, our favourite, La Cache a Vin had closed for an extended period over the holiday season and only reopened recently, making it just the right timing for his annual celebrations. Being only open on weekdays, we made a reservation to go on the day of his birthday, after work was over.
It was quite a hike to get up to Spring Hill and I was very glad that the air conditioning was strong. We had a seat near the back of the restaurant. The moody subterranean vibes were very cool and added to the ambiance.
We were provided the menu fairly quickly and we loved the free flowing sparkling which was provided complimentary. Options on the menu were very traditional and it was quite hard for us to decide what we wanted to order.
Starting off with drinks, we had the Manhattan and Cosmopolitan. He liked the sweeter option with its fruity cranberry tones and sharp citrus bite from the lime. Having enjoyed several Manhattans now, the whiskey was smooth and smokey, providing for a drink that was definitely strong.
All of our food came very promptly, his entree was the Souffle a la Oignon et Gruyere. Decadent and rich in flavour but light and fluffy in texture, it was a warming and inviting way for him to start the meal. He enjoyed it so much that he mopped up all the cheese sauce with our complimentary bread and said this was the best course of the meal.
My choice of entree was without a doubt the Steak Tartare which was served with brioche. Seasoning wasn't as strong as other places and there was a notable lack of vinegar-y zing to the dish, but the beef was very fresh and there were a lot of textures to the dish which really made it stand out. The brioche that it came with was also toasted to a crisp, which was very enjoyable.
Not wanting to miss out on their selections of wine, we had two glasses of Shiraz to go with our mains. This was far more mellow and softer than our usual, which Dr L liked.
His choice of main was the Roti d'Agneau, a roasted lamb with lemon thyme gnocchi and caramelised fennel because loves lamb above all meats. It was cooked a light pink. Trying some myself, it was very lean and tender without the gamey taste that often accompanies lamb. The gnocchi was fairly soft and not as robust as others I've had and the fennel was also roasted quite well and soaked up a lot of the juices, making it a very delightful main.
My main was the Filet de Boeuf with home made french fries, green salad and pepper sauce. I had my fillet cooked rare and it was definitely rare with a deep red interior but a nice caramelised exterior. The meat was flavoursome and complemented the creamy pepper sauce quite well. Added chips enabled me to completely finish off the sauce and the greens were fresh and the dressing was well mixed through. This was without a doubt the highlight of my meal.
Rounding off with desserts, he had the Tarte Tatin whilst I had the Dacquoise a la Noisette et Mange Blanc. He liked the simplicity of he Tarte Tatin with warm soft apple and the contrast of light vanilla ice cream. My Dacquoise was more complex with a melody of textures and that highlighted the various nuts that comprised this dessert. Overall we had a fantastic time and can't wait to come back for another celebration.
Price Range: $100 - $120pp
Taste: 8.5/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 8/10
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