I have personally disrespected chicken on restaurant menus for far too long, snubbing chicken in favour of beef, lamb, pork or fish. However, due to Little French Bistro being in soft launch and most of their entrées being unavailable, I settled upon the Coq au Vin ($22.40 before additional 10% service charge). Yes, I was humbled by this humble protein, and I now rep Birb Gang.⠀
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A whole chicken leg is braised in a cognac & wine concoction, resulting in chicken that’s marvellously moist and tender. The alcohol in the cognac & wine has cooked off, leaving behind an incredibly aromatic reduction that’s been fortified with garlic, onions and mushrooms. The sauce is incredibly delicious thanks to it being slowly reduced over several hours, interspersed with the spice of the black peppers.⠀
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I kid you not, Little French Fusion’s Coq au Vin is the first chicken I’ve ever had that separated clean from the bone while retaining a good texture. The delicious reduction flavours the chicken amazingly, turning the pedestrian protein into a fabulously flavourful affair. The baby carrots & mushrooms provide a nice interlude between the savoury, peppery unctuousness of the chicken. The breadcrumbed & cheesy mashed pommes purée was quite pleasant, but it really didn’t need to be separated from the chicken & veg. Instead, it would’ve benefited greatly from being muddled with that stellar sauce, but it’s a minor issue that didn’t really spoil the dish.⠀
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Little French Fusion may be just a two day old (at time of writing) little French restaurant, but it’s destined to be a humongous hit if they can maintain the standards they set with this Coq au Vin.