Diner’S Diary | Bistro du Vin serves up lighter fare amid the summer heat
A chilled seasonal soup, foie gras with some added crunch, miso salmon, and Yuen Long pigeon cooked sous vide are among the summer specials at Kennedy Town restaurant
Bistro du Vin in Kennedy Town is best known for classic French dishes such as bouillabaisse, suckling pig confit, homemade duck rillettes, and escargots. But amid the summer heat, owner Randy See has come up with some lighter dishes.
In addition, the restaurant is offering a two-course lunch for HK$118, or three courses for HK$128.
On the à la carte lunch menu until August 31 is a chilled cucumber and apple soup (HK$60) – refreshing if you’ve just walked from the MTR station in the midday sun.
Taking his cue from Parisian bistros, the Singaporean restaurateur is serving a squid with squid ink risotto (HK$210). It’s a little bit salty. And See offers his own take on pan-fried foie gras (HK$200), by sprinkling crushed dragées - candy-covered almonds – over the fried goose liver, giving it some crunch. The accompanying slices of pickled ginger with vinegar and ketchup, which look rather like rose petals, help cut the richness of the dish.
For main courses, one option is miso-coated salmon with caramelised turnip (HK$210) – light and healthy, if not quite French. The miso paste seems on the thin side, but the Norwegian salmon is perfectly cooked. Another choice is slow-cooked pigeon on a bed of spaetzle pasta (HK$210). The pigeon is sourced from Yuen Long, and the meat is tender and juicy, having been cooked sous vide. However, the spaetzle is overseasoned, with too much black pepper.
