Parfumé et bondé

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It's been way, way too long since the last time I met up with a few friends, and I figured we need to catch up again.  Someone suggested that we check out Le Port Parfumé, and since the feedback I heard was generally positive, I figured we might as well give it a try.

Things didn't exactly start on a positive note for us... the five of us were being squeezed onto a smallish, round table clearly meant for no more than 4.  The table was also right by the corridor leading to the bar and the kitchen, so we were in the way of the staff coming in and out of the kitchen.  Not surprisingly, the tables were also very close to each other, so space was definitely at a premium tonight.

We chose our dishes from the board showing the selections of the day.  As we opted for the second seating, it turned out that some of the dishes we wanted were sold out.  We went through 2 rounds of ordering, since we were only informed after finishing our starters that the fish chosen by 3 of us as main course had only 2 portions left.  Sigh...

Baby squid and chorizo omelette - this was OK.  It seemed to me that the eggs themselves were not seasoned, and the chef was relying on the chorizo and squid to provide the flavors.  While the strips of chorizo were certainly tasty, I thought I detected a hint of ammonia in 1 or 2 of the squid...  A little bland for my taste.

Slow cooked lamb spare ribs with peas and garlic confit - this was very, very good.  The lamb was very fatty and lamby, which was just fine by me.  It was also extremely tender and literally falling off the bone.  The peas were cooked in soooo much butter... you could feel it on your lips once it started to get a little cool.  The garlic was a real nice touch, too.

Floating island - this wasn't like any île flottant I had ever seen... The giant iceberg doesn't seem to be "floating" on anything!  But hey, I shouldn't be complaining when a restaurant gives you more than you expected, right?  I looooove soft meringue, and this was really yummy with the crème anglaise.

Fresh baked madeleine with chocolate mousse - well, they were freshly baked and hot, and I did taste the citrus flavors. But I'm not a fan... they were just a little bland...

As we were finishing our meal, it seemed that none of us is too impressed with the food.  No, this isn't a fine dining restaurant.  It's just a bistro.  But I was reminded of what Fungry and Fabulous said about this place: that the food isn't bad, but one can easily find something similar done by another restaurant that is better.

Plus the service was just terrible.  There's no excuse for running out of ingredients for a meat main course on a Saturday night.  The staff didn't know which table were getting which dishes, and the one who put the veal chop down on the table gave it to someone who had ordered fish.  One staff member told us they were out of the floating island while another was able to take the order...  I'm simply gonna echo what has already been said: mediocre food, bad service... What's my incentive for going back?!

A word about wine service: I was warned that they don't have proper glassware, and I should bring my own.  I get that they are a bistro and the tiny glasses are in keeping with this.  When I asked for an additional set of glasses as we switched to reds, I was told that I was welcome to bring as many bottles as I'd like, but I will only get an extra set of glassware when I ordered something off their list.  Fair enough, given that we weren't charged corkage.  I guess if I ever decided to come back, I'll just bring magnums...

2004 Louis Roederer Cristal - pretty ripe on the palate.

1985 Hospices de Beaune Mazis-Chambertin Cuvée Madeleine-Collignon par Bouchard - did not breathe or decant.  Nose of animal, leather, a little smoky, a little stinky.  Palate went downhill after an hour.