La Cuisson - From Hawker to Restaurant

When I heard that La Cuisson began at a humble coffee shop along Queen Street before occupying what was previously Le Bistrot Du Sommelier, I was impressed. We all love a good rag to riches story; how else did American Idol run for 13 seasons. Affordable French food is hard to come by, but with the success of Saveur, I made my reservations at La Cuisson with great hopes. While the restaurant was housed in a cozy space, there was only so much the quaintness could distract the flaws. Perhaps the presumably head waiter (as there was only one staff around) got up from the wrong side of the bed that day, but he would be surprised how welcoming a smile can be at times. I can look past the fact that most of the items I initially ordered were unavailable, but facing the same problem on a second visit is most baffling given that La Cuisson was always empty on both visits.

I settled for the Escargots ($10) that were cooked with a garlic butter and white wine emulsion. Frozen escargots all have the same generic taste and texture; and when drowned with something heavy on the palate such as garlic butter, the supposed “white wine emulsion” served more as an aesthetic description in the menu.

The Pineapple Salad ($12) fared marginally better. While sweet with a good bite, I was not able to tell what difference would putting the fruit through a sous-vide do. The salad was served with a side of chorizo dip, and sprinkled with bits of walnuts that no way complemented the dish.

Moving on to the mains, the Pork Pot Au Feu ($29) renewed my faith in dinner. Wholesome and hearty, the dish consisting of sous-vide pork shoulder and pork sausages atop lentils was comfort food best served during a winter’s cold. Flavours were simple and not too overpowering, and it reminiscences of Granny’s cooking.

We also had the Shoulder Tender 200grams ($28), but it had not fared as well as the pork. The cut of beef was not as tender as I imagined, and was borderline dry. I enjoy my cuts of beef au naturel as it allows the natural flavours to shine through; I was not too pleased with the olive oil and pesto sauce combination that masked everything.

I skipped through desserts, as the restaurant’s selection offered nothing unique. La Cuisson has many areas to improve on to survive the cutthroat F&B business. Joining the big leagues requires more than just a shift in location. Knowing how unforgiving this industry can be, I hope La Cuisson is able to carve out its niche market in time before it’s too late.

La Cuisson Bistro & Wine Bar 44 Prinsep Street Prinsep Place Singapore 188673

Tel: +65 8332 0302

Opening Hours: Tue – Fri: 5pm – 11pm Sat: 10.30am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 11pm Sun: 10.30am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 10.30pm