La Cantoche

We came here as as group of 5 for dinner on a weeknight. We were the only ones there, except a bit later where another couple joined us. The place is a bit hidden off the main road, easily missed.
Upon entering, the place has a bit of a street/​arty feel. It had a little merchandise at the front. The first floor looked a bit like a bar/​place where you can have some casual bites, the upstairs had a bit more table seating.
We shared an appetizer with small salads of beetroot, carrot, and a mixed leaf salad. We also had some fried calamari and fish fillet, nothing that really stood out.
The mains, however, was superb. My friends had the beef cheek pie, the duck, and I had the leg of lamb. I only had a bite of the beef check pie, but you can tell that this is definitely the kind of pie you want when you want a bit of comfort and warmth. The beef was so tender and the crusty crunch at the top really topped it (no pun intended) really nicely. Now, the duck was probably some of the best that I’ve ever had. On the outside it looks just like your usual Chinese roast duck. However, on closer inspection, you can see that it’s cooked a medium well, just a tad bit red in the center — but the magic was when you bit into it. Unlike some of the Chinese roast duck you get where it can be a bit dry or chewy, this one was super tender. Definitely a real treat.
My leg of lamb was also the kind of thing you wanted to eat when you want some warm comfort food. Paired with the homemade mash potato, it was just heaven — the meat fell right off the bone as it should. The only complaint I have is that it didn’t have enough sauce with it to really get saucy with the gravy. I had to use the sauce sparingly to make sure every last bit of my lamb had some moistness in it before forking it into my mouth.
For dessert, we had the homemade ice cream — something that’s really rare for any restaurant to have, so must try. I have to say, I wasn’t all impressed with the taste though. It definitely had the nougat flavor, and the presentation was artistic and curious, but for something called «ice cream», it really lacked the creamy flavor that one would crave when ordering ice cream. The texture tasted more like shaved ice cream, it kind of crumbles and melts as soon as it enters your mouth. Not too sweet, so perhaps a great option if you were to have it all to yourself.
The other dessert we shared was the tart du jour, which was the tarte tartan. The portion was tiny, and felt that there was barely any pie there, but the apple was so tender and perfect blend of tart and sweet and cinnamon. The ice cream that was served with it though! Now THAT was definitely the creamy ice cream dream you dream of when you order ice cream. I wonder where that came from, maybe also homemade? I think it was a honey caramel flavor with a little crunch in it.
All as going swimmingly until the bill came. Now, we only had bottled water to share for three, and three glasses of wine total, along with the appetizer to share, and two dessert to share, and the bill came out to $ 450 each. Definitely on the expensive side, and totally unexpected. (My main was about $ 250)
I would definitely recommend this place for some solid comfort food that doesn’t make you feel guilty afterwards. Just watch what you order so there’s no surprises at the bill ;) (At least that’s my tip for myself next time) I would’ve given this place a 4-​stars, minus 1 for the value for money.

Amazing place. Great atmosphere, fantastic food and friendly service. This is my go to place in the city. Try the «Karloucha» cocktail: so good !

I had a drink here called the karloucha and it blew my mind. The food is amazing too. What does karloucha mean though?

It is not easy to spot this French ‘canteen’ if you stroll around Hollywood road. The gem packed the lane with Happy Hour expat crowd on some unusual busy days. The easy-​going vibe comes along with its French-​Chinese founder. Parisian does not only demonstrate sophistication dude.
The deco reminds me more of Willamsburg’s graffiti. But true, that bold color spray still carries some Pompidou characteristics. And a map of Paris, the massive circles, appears when you walk up to the second story of the restaurant.
When in France I attempt to avoid those white table cloth but squeeze in the homemade heavens. Here they serve comfort food in its Frenchie way. We all agreed to come back after our appetizer of the Goat Cheese Spring Roll. I am used to the Ducth deep fry style, their approach here is way softer and lighter. Despite the strong, heavy taste of goat cheese, the crispy roll skin complimented the melt cheese. The sliced duck in the jar also surprised me. I heart duck in all ways. Duck confit is at the bottom of list that I am happy they chose the marinated duck slices here. Stuffed in a jar just made it far more chic. My main went for the barramundi, which is quite plain. Quite a big piece though. Laying on that funny paper but the juice can not enlighten the freshness of the fish. And my friend’s Cordon Bleu is a thum-​up. Perfectly melting cheese, quality ham. And most important, cook through. The feast ended with a M&M ice-​cream. I won’t comment on that. I will leave that for you.
I defiantly need to go back to this secret place for some new season menu. I know they can probably do better with other fish that barramundi. And the effort they spent to be innovative is rare and should be highly appreciated. Head up, I am excited to drop by sometime soon.