The ambience of Soufflé S’il Vous Plait is simple and welcoming. The staff is warm and courteous. The menu is detailed and varied. You can have a look at the menu at the entrance itself – just like a roadside bistro in Paris.
If you are overwhelmed by some of the names on the menu, just feel free to say that you need help to select and you will have the Chef and Co-owner Vidit Aren at your table to guide you. His friendly persona eases your nerves as he helps you choose after understanding your taste.
When Chef Aren decided to branch out on his own, he chose to be his own self — Focused, innovative, classy, and friendly. Soufflé S’il Vous Plait is an extension of Chef Aren. While the name is French, it is not a fancy and super expensive restaurant. It’s a friendly neighbourhood bistro that serves authentic French dishes alongside a burger and a pasta.
Soufflé S’il Vous Plait sources everything from India — meat, fish, vegetables, cheese… Only French cream is imported.
Liver Parfait
Chef Aren boasts of curing his ham and duck in-house and rightfully so. He serves one of the most delectable Duck Prosciutto in the town. Next on my table is the Liver Parfait — Chef Aren’s version of Liver Pate that’s made in-house and served with pickled caper leaves. The pate’s texture is complimented by the caper leaves that are sharp and crunchy. The leaves come from the farm he sources his capers from and the pickle is his brainchild.
Ash Coated Chevre
Ash Coated Chevre cheese is a special course, which is not actually on the menu. Little sharp, and is perfectly washed by the Chabilis. You should surely request for their cheese menu if you decide to drink wine from their wine list. Their cocktails are also good and worth a shot.
The Camembert Souffle is to kill for. The cheese is baked just right to be scooped with the melba toast that they serve with it. The homemade sourdough is an equally good accompaniment. But do try to scoop it with a spoon and have it straight to get the real taste – perfectly creamy and nutty.
Boef Tartare is served with Prawn Wafers and French Fries. The mince is the right texture and not over-cooked. When scooped with prawns wafer, it leaves a mildly salted taste on the palate that’s relished.
Boef Tartare
My starters end with Prawns A La Pancha. The prawns are tossed in red pepper coulis with black olives, cherry tomatoes, and garlic chips. Lightly tossed and perfectly cooked. However, the tomatoes kind of don’t blend well with the coulis with both trying to overpower each other and not complimenting the prawns.
The main course is Sea Bass A la Marseillaise served with shaved fennel, fennel compote and crème le pastis. The best part of this plated, cooked impeccably, fish is that the skin is nice and crisp… not chewy and soft like most restaurants have. Fennel coulis serves as the perfect bed for this fish. For the ones with a red meat fettish, Ham & Cheese Croque Monsieur — the classic French sandwich with pork ham and covered with Emmental cheese — is a must. The sandwich is covered with cheese and baked/flamed leaving the cheese a little burnt and tasty. This also adds to the taste of the bread and ham inside. The combination is flavoursome.
Plant Patty & Portobello Burger
The vegetarian dish that finds way to the table is Plant Patty & Portobello Burger that has a soy protein patty with mushrooms layered with Emmental cheese, oven-dried tomato and the most amazing mustard sauce. If you love your blue cheese, then go for Creamy Polenta & Blue Cheese that’s served with button mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, and oven-dried tomatoes. The Green Asparagus Risotto is also an interesting option that comes with roasted beetroot.
Dessert choice is limited. But delicious. If you are a chocolate lover, remember to order the Chocolate Soufflé with your mains as it takes 20 minutes to make it. If you are a mango fan, visit while the season is on to have the Mango Sorbet.
Soufflé S’il Vous Plait is another feather in Riyaaz Amlani’s cap thanks to Chef and Co-owner Vidit Aren.
Price for two: Rs 3,500
