Cigalon

I was looking for a cozy, cute dinner place that is still not over booming, and walkable from the area I stayed. I also wanted some place that do tasting menu so I can try several items at once, without having to think too much myself. And I got suggested with this place. It was a weekday night, I booked in advanced just to be sure but there were only 2-3 tables occupied. The server quickly seated me, and was very welcoming. I didn’t feel like alcohol, and she got me non-alcohol rosé instead. I settled for the 5-course menu, and chose the pork belly as the main based on her suggestion for popular item. I first got some bread with olives spread, and it was the best restaurant bread I have had. The ciabatta was buttery, crunchy with thin skin, chewy and tangy. I could eat it just by itself. Soon, the white asparagus got served. It’s very refreshing if I had to find 1 word to describe it. The asparagus was fresh and soft, and went nicely with very bright oil and crunch baby gems. Next, I got the veal terrine. I was surprised to see it serve in this form, thinly sliced and mixed like a salad. The tonnato sauce added the creaminess. It was just a bit salty that I had to pair with the bread - which got me quite full at this point. Then comes the main dish. The carrot was so soft and jammy that it was melting and almost have the texture of sweet potatoes, which I loved. The pork gave me divided opinions, though. The skin was as the name said - crunchy. I know it was roasted slowly by how melty and buttery the fat was. It goes well with the salsa verde, which was made with parsley. The meat also had the right bounciness to it. But here is the improvement point - the other end of the pork belly was dry and hard. I couldn’t cut or bite through and had to left it. Before dessert was the cheese. And I was so surprised to see it come out as big as a meal of a German guy. It supposed to be some afternoon snack, and could be consumed over a whole hour when chatting with my girlfriends on a patio with wine, not as the second last item in a course. I still don’t know if it’s a cultural thing here? Maybe it’s to buy time for dessert preparation haha? In the end I could only finish half and wrapped home half. But what they say is true about the dessert stomach. As soon as the dessert plate was out, my belly reset. Presentation was stunning. And taste was better. The strawberry sorbet was so smooth and creamy when my spoon cut through. And the flavor delivered a strong punch, caught me off guard. Strawberry was so sweet, mixed with jam or compote. They were served on cream, sprinkled with pistachio and crushed meringue. A spoon of everything together delivered a harmony in sweet, sour, creaminess and crunchiness. Overall, it was nothing of traditionally French. And it was a fun eat, I would say. I will be laughing about the cheese and dreaming about the dessert for a while. (4 stars for the dry pork)