French

So many years since this "budget French" joint opened, but this starter remains a stalwart signature – capellini tossed with chilli oil and chopped konbu, topped with loads of crispy little sakura ebi.

Pretty solid roast chicken at just $10 near the office that's perfect for a protein-packed lunch. The lasagna – curly tendrils of fettucine baked into a block – was definitely "special", though I still prefer the traditional version.

Tidily Frenched duck leg cooked to juicy perfection, served with spinach, berry compote, mushroom fricassee and roast potatoes.

The first of Chef Stephanie Le Quellec's 6-course dinner tonight was one of my favourites. Love that the scampi was just lightly seared and not too heavily seasoned so that its natural flavour came though beautifully. Mini balls of cucumber, shredded cucumber, and pickled "caviar" made the perfect, refreshing accompaniments here.

Didn't know this place has existed for a year already. Prices aren't cheap, considering its location in a heartland mall, but the food is decent and portions are large.

The cream-based pasta with mushrooms and a sous vide egg, I found lacklustre; faring better was the mac & cheese (from the kids' menu) baked with shredded chicken and mushroom sauce. The duck confit turned out slightly burnt, but the velvety truffle mash made up for it.

Waiting for my ride to a wedding dinner and I'm so, so hungry omg. Can't stop thinking about this creamy mushroom soup with crunchy croutons. There's more cream than mushroom flavour in that bowl, but still tasty and satisfying, anyway.

Perhaps the chef was having an off-day when I was there, because this quite underwhelming. The crackling was spot-on crispy, but that was unfortunately the only part of the pork that lived up to its hype; the flesh itself was overcooked and dry, the fat not melt-in-the-mouth as I remember the previous chef patron's version to be. The piece that I took was also more cartilage than meat, which really didn't make for a pleasant eating experience.

In place of the smashing, creamy potato mousseline that came in Shelter's Suckling Pig 1.0, chunks of pineapple roasted to slightly charred, caramelised perfection serve as a foil to the unctuous pork. The fruit was absolutely delicious and outshone the headliner – the pork itself – through and through. A pity, because I'm not really keen on forking out $35++ for pineapples.

Rhubarb's interpretation of surf n' turf: two pint-sized pillars, each comprising of a seared scallop stacked on a thick disc of pork belly – no idea how they managed to carve it into such a perfectly round stump, but they did. The scallops were cooked just right, but I felt the pork was a tad too tough.

Much love, though, for the crispy sheet of chicken skin (I ♡ chicken skin) and silky cauliflower purée!

A tad disappointed with this duck confit, which was too dry inside and had barely crispy skin. Providing some, but scant, comfort were the lardons and roast potatoes – I can't ever resist spuds and bacon.

Rebranded to present a new menu with a rustic slant, the Southern French dishes at Chez Petit Salut are now better catered for sharing – only selected mains are available in single serving portions. This is one of the starters, a copper saucepan of eggs simmering in a rich sauce of tomatoes and peppers, with slices of onion and chorizo strewn throughout.

I always have high expectations for any duck confit, and this one superseded all of them. At a mere $28, this hulking duck leg is shockingly excellent value with faultlessly crispy and slightly fatty skin concealing succulent flesh that falls right off the bone with minimal effort. And that bed of roasted baby potatoes underneath are the good stuff that my carby dreams are made of. ❤️

The starter to any meal should be thought out just like this. With baubles of Israeli cous cous, pink grapefruit pearls, shredded Norwegian king crab, ikura, and pomelo scooped in crisp lettuce, this colourful dish keeps tastebuds piqued with various degrees of chewy, soft and crunchy textures, and sweet, bittersweet and tangy flavours.