While sipping on a glass of Côtes-du-Rhône, you can be entertained by a chanteuse, who this evening is the spectre of France’s most famous female singer, Édith Piaf. The menu offers one starter, 3 small, sharing sized mains, and three deserts, meaning that you can try everything, much to the satisfaction of this Bon Vivant, and you don’t have to feel too bad about forgetting half the French you learned in school.
Next we tucked in to a sharing platter of the 3 mains – Lyon sausage on a bed of black lentils in red wine sauce, fish dumplings in lobster sauce and a creamy veal stew with carrots, mushrooms and rice. The sausage was delicious, and perfectly complemented by the lentils, but there just wasn’t enough of it. The Cod Quenelle was soft and light, and tasted strongly like lobster but with a nicer texture, and the veal stew was wonderfully creamy. Between the two, it was an meal that didn’t leave either of us too full, which was lucky considering the quality of the desserts.
Brasserie Joel’s new menu is an excellent introduction to the regional cuisines of France, and a worthy destination for those looking to discover new favourites. When it comes to Cuisine et Chansons, I have no regrets. Well, maybe just the Chartreuse.