Fatien - Bar A Vin

Fatien Bar A Vin is the sister outlet to La Maison Fatien which has long been one of my favourite outlets to dine in. I haven't had a chance to visit their sister outlet until last Friday when the name of this place suddenly popped up in my head, as an option for good French food without needing a reservation. I was working late and as such, forgot to make the requisite reservations. But it wasn't an issue, since Fatien Bar A Vin was relatively empty on a Friday night. I guess not many people know about the place for now, which is a shame because the food is amazingly good - but whether I'd want more people to know about it - till the point where I'll have to make a reservation? I would say yes because I want them to succeed - their food is great at an affordable price point that it would be a shame if it had to shut because of a lack of traffic. Hence, promoting the restaurant via this blog is one of the ways to help them in a little way.

At Fatien Bar A Vin, you get fantastic food at an affordable price point. The food is typical bistro fare, to be accompanied by a myriad of wines, many of which are offered by the glass. From their house Fatien label in Burgundy, I had several delicious wines, most notably a Beaune which was fruity, aromatic and full of cherry softness.

 

Indeed, the food was excellent. We started of with a rilette of 3 kinds, accompanied by crusty bread, the 3 kinds being salmon, pork and duck. It was an extremely generous portion for SGD18 - almost a never-ending supply. The pearl onions and gherkins were a nice touch too. The salmon with dill was up to scratch and so was the duck and pork, with added texture from some gelatinous bits. Overall: 8/10

What was really good was the Onglet Steak, which was just fabulous. The beef was really very beefy and flavourful - well seasoned. It was very tender as well, and accompanied by the most authentic rough-cut pommes frites and a shallot confit of caramelized shallots. This is one of those dishes that transports you back to Paris or Burgundy where one would sit by the sidewalk cafes, savouring steaks over a glass of wine. (8.75/10) It came with tomatoes on the vine which were ridiculously sweet. Amazing stuff.

The dessert was again very good - apple tarte tatin, excellent in execution, caramelised with the puff pastry having good crisp texture. (8/10)

Overall, Fatien Bar A Vin comes highly recommended especially considering the value. Very good!