Le Bouchon Breton (preliminary)

Now come on, surely most of us have seen The Empire Strikes Back. There was a scene early on when Hans Solo found Luke almost frozen to death and he proceeded to slice open a Tauntaun to keep young Skywalker warm. Well the spilling of the contents from that dead animal was uncannily reminiscent of what I had for lunch today.

I stumbled upon Le Bouchon Breton by accident, the intention was to go to Conran’s Boundary but the natural satnav in me failed. Anyway, this is not a review but a preliminary note of my first visit by default.

The dining room is huge and was well populated by the time I turned up at quarter to one. The male staff all greeted and exuberantly exclaimed just about anything in French. The service was friendly enough but gaining attention from the staff can be a hit-or-miss affair. The brasserie atmosphere is something I adore as any stuffiness is immediately dispelled. The piped French pop music buzzing from the tinny sounding speakers can be off-putting.

There were so many familiar sounding goodies on the menu that I thought this might be another Café Rouge outlet, but the fear was soon obliterated.

La Soupe a L’Oignon

The Traditional French Onion Soup with Cider, Croutons and Gruyere Cheese was hearty as expected but not the best I’ve tasted. It didn’t exactly transport me across the channel.

Andouillette Grillee a la graine de moutarde pommes Mousseline

Sorry to sound disgusting, notice those spirally things that are spilling out- yum!

The Strong Flavoured Tripe Sausage Grilled and Served with a Grain Mustard Sauce and Mashed Potatoes was the Tauntaun experience. It was utterly fantastic and yes it was indeed strong flavoured (I do like my offal you see) and the accompanying mash was beautiful. This dish proved so good I’m earmarking a second visit.

Not enough tummy space for desserts, but will do next time. Watch this space.



1st Floor
8 Horner Square
Old Spitalfields Market
London E1 6EW


www.lebouchon.co.uk






Subsequent Visit 25/01/09