La Petite Cuisine at Upper Thomson

I hardly eat out these days, especially at fine dining establishments. The prices that are being charged these days are bordering on madness, and I don't blame it on the owners either.

Rentals have skyrocketed to a ridiculous rate that most owners these days have to cover that aspect, and that means food prices have to go up as well. Well, blame it on you know who.

Thankfully, there are still some places scattered around town that offer reasonable prices for a romantic night out. And La Petite happens to be one of them.

Located at the heart of Upper Thomson Road, and a stone's throw away from Ice Edge, it was actually recommended by Damien from Ice Edge himself for me to go there, and Pauline and I headed there one Saturday afternoon, not sure of what to expect.

The first thing to strike you is that unlike a posh French fine dining restaurant, this place was more akin to a quaint French cafe with homey decor and picnic tabletops. The menu was simple and straightforward, and the prices really looked good.

Broccoli Soup

We started off with a couple of soups that were add-ons for the main courses, and frankly, they were rather disappointing. My broccoli soup was thin and had only some scant taste of broccoli. It was not really an auspicious start, though the service was quite impeccable.

Potato Soup

Pauline's potato soup fared worse. It was rather bland in fact, and I have always preferred my potato soup to be mixed with leek and like it creamy and thick. There was neither.

Beef Bourguignon

I was more satisfied with the mains though. The beef bourguignon was well cooked, though it felt it lacked a little balance as the acid from the wine came through quite sharply. I would have think a touch of caramelized onions would have given it a more sweetness which would have been perfect.

The pasta on the side was a bit jarring though, and seemed rather inappropriate for such a classic French dish, but I assumed it was to cater to local tastes. Would have preferred to have a good bread or nicely flavored buttered rice to accompany the beef, which were tender enough.

Salad with Duck Confit

The warm salad duck confit was certainly the best dish of the day, and it was delicious. Nicely shredded pieces of duck garnished with some salad greens sounded simple enough, but the combination of flavors and the duck sauce was evenly balanced and the meaty flavored sauce had just enough sweetness.

All in all, having a full meal like this for 2 did not even break $50, which says a lot for the affordability of this place, considering they are cooking some classic French fare here. And despite the disappointment of the soups, the mains were of a certain standard and certainly not food you can get in your normal cafe.

I would like to see the chef make some effort to offer a more consistent menu and also not to pander to local tastes. Outside of the expensive French restaurants you find in the central area, it is quite comforting to see classic homecooked French food in the neighbourhoods.

La Petite Cuisine
227 Upper Thomson