[Sponsored] French is a classic go-to for a special meal out, with its hearty mains, decadent pastries and sensual wines. And this month is an especially good time to get your Gallic food fix. The Voilah! French Food Festival has teamed up with some of the city’s best French restaurants for special deals and value-for-money set menus until Jun 21. Here is your to-eat list.
31 Bar & Kitchen
Savory Delights
Camembert
Not as pungent as blue cheese and not as mild as brie, this soft and creamy cheese is pleasantly funky, great for our warmer climes and delicious with charcuterie.
Where to get it: La Petite Boutique specializes in French breads, wines, cheeses and groceries, and has a 10% discount on special cheese until Jun 21.
Confit de Canard
A juicy duck leg, slow cooked in its own fat—need we say more? The best versions have a perfectly crispy skin.
Where to get it: Gourmet Plus is doing a four-course set menu for $88, and confit de canard aside, it also comes with a Roquefort cheese salad, chicken consommé, crêpes suzette, as well as glass of wine.
Tartiflette
This dish from Savoie is made with potatoes, reblochon cheese, lardons and onions, and usually baked in a pan.
Where to get it: &Made Burger Sentosa has a special Tartiflette burger ($18) stuffed with juicy patties and oozing with cheese and onions.
Ratatouille
The dish that melted the evil food critic’s heart in the film of the same name is a rustic French stew from Provence, made with vegetables like zucchini, eggplant and bell peppers.
Where to get it: Contemporary, convivial French bistro 31 Bar & Kitchen is doing a three-course French set dinner ($50) with escargot stew, boeuf bourguignon with mash and ratatouille and finished with crème brûlée or profiterole.
Suburbia
Sweet Treats
Croissant
Layering pastry and butter, rolling it out thin before the butter melts and then baking creates the lovely, flaky layers in the croissant, which is just as good with sweet jam as it is with savory hams.
Where to get it: Fourth-generation baker Gontran Cherrier heads the kitchen at Tiong Bahru Bakery where he uses fancy French flour and butter. And for the Voilah! French Food Festival, you can get a free drink when you buy three pastries like croissants, kouign amman and éclair.
Crêpe
One of the few dishes that has equally delicious sweet and savory iterations, the crêpe is equal parts brunch food and after-dinner treat. The best versions are made with buckwheat flour.
Where to get it: Entre-Nous Crêperie specializes in Brittany-style crêpes, while Ô Comptoir fuses local and French flavors for some offbeat creations. Get 15% off a la carte menu items at Entre-Nous Crêperie and a free cider for every savory crêpe at Ô Comptoir until Jun 21.
Mille-feuille
Literally meaning thousand leaves, this decadent dessert involves layers of puff pastry with vanilla custard in between.
Where to get it: Sentosa’s Suburbia does a mean rendition of the mille-feuille, part of its special five-course menu ($50) with dishes like tuna tartare, braised veal cheek and cream of roasted pumpkin.
La Maison du Whisky
Apéritifs & Digestifs
Bordeaux
A complex blend of grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, red wines from the legendary Bordeaux region are full-bodied, rounded and best when aged.
Where to get it: Napoleon Wine Bar has several great wines by the glass, but their Bordeaux selection is especially strong. You can even take a Bordeaux masterclass ($148/person). And if you prefer Champagne, that other French elixir, there’s 30% off Perrier-Jouët bottles.
Cognac
This spirit is distilled from white wine grapes and barrel-aged. It can only be called Cognac if it is produced under a certain set of rules. It’s got a pretty strong 40% alcohol volume, making it great as a digestif.
Where to get it: Try it as part of a four spirit tasting at La Maison du Whisky for $20. It also includes Calvados, Armagnac and whiskey.
Sauvignon Blanc
White wine lovers know this grape varietal for its crisp, fresh and mineral bouquet. The New Zealand versions are famous for their fruit-forwardness, but subtler palates will prefer the French versions made in Sancerre.
Where to get it: Asia Wine Network is known for its multitude of wines. Until Jun 21, they’re doing free tastings of several French wines.
The Voilah! French Food Festival is organized by the Institut Français Singapour and the French Embassy, in collaboration with the French Institute of Commerce, runs until Jun 21. For more info, click here.
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