One of our final date nights before lockdown occurred was at the highly popular Haig Road Bistro at Auchenflower. Being situated a short while from nearby shopping complexes in the heart of suburbia, I was a little surprised at how popular it was, scoring one of the last tables of the evening as it filled up.
Service was very friendly and warm, albeit busy as there were only two staff for the whole restaurant. Menus were provided and comprised of classic french fare as you would expect. It reminded me a bit of my experience at the acclaimed montrachet.
Drinks came right after we put down our order. I had the house merlot, a soft fruity blend which I liked, he had the sweet and refreshing pear cider.
Given how popular the bistro was, it was within expectation that food took a bit longer to arrive. Starting off with the Souffle au Chevre, this was served extremely hot, straight out of the oven. The texture was light and fluffy but the taste was rich and decadent with a strong savoury and creamy texture to the cheese. I liked the addition of chives on top for extra flavour.
Our other starter was the Saumon Tarte Flambee topped with salmon, spanish onion, capers and rocket. From reading the description, I was anticipating something along the lines of a pizza, however this turned out to be a lot lighter and less dough-y with the base more like a crisp biscuit than bread. I liked the freshness of the salmon which always goes well with sharp onions and capers, it was a good entree for our heavier mains.
First of our two mains was the Canard Roti, oven roasted duck with braised cabbage, spaetzle, cranberries and port wine jus. I enjoyed the heartiness of the duck, the meat was firm without being overly hard. It absorbed the wine jus well and. Balanced well with the spaetzle and cabbage, it was a very warming dish.
Not one to skip a good steak, this was the Eye Fillet with cafe de paris, red wine jus and bistro potatoes. Thick cut but perfectly lean, the meat was tender and cooked to leave a perfectly red centre. It was a little unusual to have cafe de paris and red wine jus served together but it made for a fairly tasty combination. The potatoes were baked quite thoroughly which made it a little dry, but this was easily alleviated with the addition of sauce.
Always ordering a side of green leaf salad, this was soft and fresh, doused in a light french vinaigrette, I liked how the addition of spanish onions gave it a spicy kick.
Already extremely full but wanting to try out the desserts, we had the Orgy of Berries to share. Comprising of Mascarpone, Seasonal Berries and Pavlova, it was reminiscent of the traditional Eton Mess, of which I am a huge fan. The tart berries contrasted the sweet pavlova whilst the marscapone added an element of creaminess which we thoroughly enjoyed. Definitely a wonderful date night and we will be pleased to come back soon after the lockdown is over.
Price Range: $70 - $80pp
Taste: 8.5/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 7/10
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