Baguette - open since 1976!

http://www.baguette.com.au/

It's no secret that I eat out a lot!  Whenever I eat out, I always look to see if I can make my reservations online, I do this because it's convenient but mostly due to some of the great rewards systems out there for booking online.  I recently reached 8000 points with one of the online booking systems, Dimmi, which entitled me to a $50 dollar voucher, sweet!  When the scheme first started, the number of restaurants participating in the voucher scheme were very limited, but lately there has been an increase in the number, with some great restaurants now participating.

I was really happy to see that I could redeem my voucher at Baguette over in Ascot and with no hesitation booked SC and I in for a long overdue visit.  It's amazing to think that Baguette was first built in 1976 (SC was only 1 at the time) and has been so influential in the Brisbane dining scene over this time!  Over the years it has won countless awards and has managed to stay relevant in a time where restaurants come and go fairly quickly.  It has managed to remain a firm favourite in Brisbane and has picked up the LifeStyle Food Channel's award for Australia's favourite French restaurant in 2010, 2011 & 2012.

Baguette is a very French restaurant and owners Francis & Marilyn Domenech have remained true to their vision of providing a timeless experience every time you visit.  I still remember my first visit to Baguette with SC, it was to celebrate our engagement and one of the very first times we had been to a first class restaurant together.  Over the years SC and I had been back a few times, but I must admit it has been over a decade since our last visit.

The menu at Baguette reads like a veritable list of French classics and it's hard to decide on what to order but I eventually settled on Copper pot escargot, vine tomatoes, bell peppers, tarragon, garlic butter and served with side of warm baguette.  I had fond memories of eating escargot in Paris last time I was there and I was hoping to recapture a little of that memory.  For those of you that may not know, escargot are specially farmed and prepared snails and they are delicious when prepared and cooked well.  My escargot were presented in a bed of tomatoes and bell peppers and were cooked expertly.  The escargot were a little chewy and had a slightly earthy taste to them, but were complimented perfectly with the bell pepper and tomatoes, which were sautéed in garlic butter.  This dish was amazing and I would recommend any of you brave enough to try it, you won't be disappointed!

SC went for another traditional French classic with the Duck and smoked ham hock terrine with truffle brioche, pickled mushroom and apple and fig chutney.  The terrine was a lovely combination of duck and ham, which were perfectly balanced.  The duck was fairly subtle but was greatly enhanced by the apple and fig chutney, which was delicious.  The only problem with the terrine was the brioche, which was just a thick slab of slightly over toasted bread.  This would have supported the dish much better if it was thinly sliced and very lightly toasted.  The portion size was also very large and SC did not eat it all.

Looking through the selection of mains, there was no shortage of traditional French fare, but I could not look past the "multi award winning" spring lamb loin cooked to medium rare, on sautéed kipfler potatoes, green beans, blistered heirloom tomatoes, grilled artichokes and finished with an olive tapenade.  With a title like that it was not hard to have high expectations of the dish and I was not disappointed with the plate placed in front of me.  The lamb loin was cooked masterfully and was tender to the touch and lovely and pink to the eye.  This was a very appealing looking and smelling dish and the flavours on the plate matched my every expectation.  The combination of flavours was lovely with a little tomato and olive tapenade to add a little acidity and saltiness to the dish.  I loved it with one exception, the lamb was cold.  I could only imagine how amazing this dish could have been with the lamb at the right temperature.

SC doubled up on the duck and chose the spiced honey roasted duck breast on parsnip puree with sautéed salad of girolles, broad bean, hazelnuts, pear and confit garlic.  Another amazing looking dish with the duck cooked to perfection with crispy well rendered skin and that lovely pink that shows it to be medium rare.  There was a subtle honey flavour to the duck that, in combination with the parsnip puree, was heaven in the mouth.  The hazelnuts provided a lovely bit of crunch texture in the salad that accompanied the dish.  Another very large portion, I was lucky enough to finish off the plate for SC, it was devine!

After two very large duck courses SC decided not to have any dessert, so it was up to me to continue with the meal.  Feeling like something quite light I opted for the soufflé of the day, which was Grand Mariner, an orange flavoured lacquer.  I had really high expectations of receiving an amazing souffle, but of all of the courses this was the one that was the biggest let down.   On first appearances the souffle looked to be perfectly cooked, it had risen nicely and looked just right.  However, once I dug my spoon into the souffle, I could see that it was well undercooked and quite mushy inside.  The flavour was lovely and had a hint of orange but it just needed a few more minutes in the oven.  It was also very very sweet and I think a more savoury ice cream would have suited the souffle better than the vanilla bean ice cream supplied.

I really enjoyed the Baguette experience and on the whole the food was amazing.  The highlight for me was the copper pot escargot, which had a depth of flavour that was so intense that I will remember it forever.  The service on the night was fantastic with really helpful waiters that did not intrude on our dining experience but were there when we needed them.

Baguette looks very different inside than our last visit with lots of black marble and a very intimate feel, with subdued lighting that made it feel very romantic.  One of the reasons that Baguette has been able to stay relevant over the 30 plus years of its existence is its ability to change with the times.  There have been many top chefs and a number of renovations over the years which have helped Baguette remain one of Brisbane's top restaurants.  In some ways it's a shame that it took a free voucher for me to come back to Baguette for a visit and after this night's meal, I can assure you it won't take a voucher for a return visit.

@FoodMeUpScotty

Crispy Baguette roll 

A massive side order of French Fries - they were awesome

As always, there is lovely art on the walls at Baguettes