After failing for two weeks trying to meet a friend who recently got engaged, we finally agreed to jungle some meetings around and set up a date for lunch on a Friday. She let me choose the restaurant after I rejected more than ten from her… and my choice was Franchesco's. But at the last minute, I really craved for Le Crocodile's pear tart! Plus, both of us have been here for dinner on separate occasions and agreed the food along with the service was great.
Walking in, we were asked if we had reservations despite the not very busy restaurant. Two of the staff spoke amongst each other "no reservations" and we were seated by the corner after a few minutes, but not turned down. In general, I never understand why some restaurants try to appear more busier than they are. Guests are spending a good amount of time and can clearly see how busy the restaurant will be. However, Le Crocodile is busier during dinner and I do recommend reservations for then.
Le Crocodile is a simple, classic, white linen tablecloth restaurant and the atmosphere is casual as well as relaxing. There are plenty of tables and the dining room is spacious, no tight seating arrangements here. I never realized how big the restaurant was until this visit too.
HOT WATER ($4.50).
Before ordering a cup of hot water, our server informed me there would be a charge. I thought perhaps the charge would be $2.00 or so, but not $4.50. Why would I not spend more on an actual drink then? Right, because I only drink hot water or juice. After some googling, apparently some restaurants charge for hot water since people have asked for honey, lemon and sugar. Furthermore, some people even bring their own tea bags LOL. I cannot even imagine or have seen a cheap Asian do that, and I just wanted plain hot water.
Do I think the charge is a bit high? Yes, because we also ordered Evian ($8.50). But what kind of bugged me the most is that our server did not even pour the hot water… On my previous visit for dinner here, we were not charged for hot water and my cup was never empty. Never empty. This time, our server did not even bother pouring my water once or asking if I needed more. Did I not pay for this? He did pour the still water though… and at least honey is offered despite not needing any. Perhaps I should have sampled the honey to see if it quality honey or generic.
AMUSE BOUCHE, DUNGENESS CRAB, FENNEL AND BASIL.
Our lunch started off with a rich and creamy tart. The filing tastes smooth, packed with flavour, and the crab meat is finely shredded. I preferred this one over the foie gras tart, but Le Crocodile bakes amazing tarts and one of the better ones I have had.
TABLE BREAD, MULTIGRAIN AND SOURDOUGH WITH BUTTER.
The table bread has a soft crumb and the crust is chewy as well as crusty. As for the butter, the slices are at a room temperature and is easy to spread.
FETTUCCINE PASTA, SERVED WITH SAUTEED LOBSTER MEAT, VEGETABLE BRUNOISE, OLIVE OIL AND TOMATO FONDUE ($25.00).
I tried really hard not to order the rack of lamb again and settled for the lobster fettuccine. The pasta is a touch past al dente which is not a big deal to me, but I personally prefer thicker fettuccine more. As for the broth, it is a very light refreshing summer broth and includes beets, green bean, lemon as well as carrot. As for the lobster, the meat tastes bouncy and the natural flavour is there. But I found the flavour a bit boring after a few bites and would have preferred a buttery flavour (my friend thinks it is because I have lobster too much though). Also, I find the portion size very big but my friend thinks it is average.
HALIBUT WITH TAGLIATELLE PASTA, CHERRY TOMATO, PRAWN TEMPURA AND SAFFRON ($31.95).
My friend ordered the halibut and the portion is big, compared to many West Coast cuisine restaurants. The tagliatelle is perfectly cooked and the sauce resembles beurre blanc, which can be considered similar (minus the wine) to hollandaise. The sauce tastes buttery and slightly sweet, but the butteriness is a bit too heavy. As for the prawn tempura, the tiger prawns are lightly coated (better than the lobster tempura) and tastes meaty as well as bouncy.
Moving to the halibut, it is cooked to a medium rare which I am not a fan of. I like my halibut to be just cooked and opaque, although my friend felt it was fine. The halibut tastes tender, has a simple seasoning and a nice natural flavour. I really enjoyed the simple seasoning. The both of us also enjoyed the tomato relish, which is not too sweet and has a nice tartness.
SHOESTRING FRIES.
We received an order of shoestring fries, which are perfectly crispy.
PALETTE CLEANSER, HOUSE CANTALOUPE SORBET.
The sorbet has a rich cantaloupe flavour along with a nice tartness, and is not too icy (there were only two ice chunks).
WARM ALSATIAN STYLED APPLE TART WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM ($10.50).
I was really looking forward to dessert but unfortunately, the restaurant does not offer the pear tart for lunch! I was pretty disappointed and we chose the apple tart instead. When the tart arrived, I was expecting the Alsatian styled variation with thin slices of apple on the top… but meh. The tart has a smooth creamy egg filling and a buttery crust. The slices of apple are soft, not mushy, and kept its shape. As for the ice cream, the flavour is very light and there is no hint of vanilla bean. The ice cream is also a tad icy. The highlight is definitely the crust.
After finishing the meal, Le Crocodile's signature chocolates were served. Although surprisingly, the chocolates taste old. We both agreed that the chocolates on our previous visits for dinner tasted fresh and much better. There is no nice snap and the chocolates are a tad soft.
TOTAL: $84.45 + TIP $12.55 = $97.00.
Lunch at Le Crocodile was underwhelming, especially when compared to our previous experiences for dinner. Our server was just…. unenthusiastic and not welcoming. However, he did explain the daily menu and the treats from the kitchen. As for the food, the portions are good but we found the dishes only average or slightly above. I highly recommend having dinner here over lunch, although if this was my first visit here, I would not revisit. The professional and welcoming staff at Le Crocodile on my previous visit is a big reason for why I chose to return.
POSITIVES
- Good portions
- Great tarts (4/5)
- Amuse bouche, palette cleaners and chocolates
NEGATIVES
- $4.50 for hot water
- Our server was not friendly
- Lunch is not comparable to the service during dinner
LITTLE THINGS
- Dinner post on Le Crocodile [here]
- Recommendations: Mushroom soup, lobster bisque, bone marrow, rack of lamb and pear tart
Food: 3/5
Service: 2.5/5
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