In Masion Blanche owner Remi Joffre and Chef Bruno Serre have created a little slice of southern France in the heart of Bangkok. The restaurant is relatively new and relatively small, seating approximately 25 downstairs and a similar number on the floor above, but this only adds to the intimate feel. You know you’re on to something good when many of the patrons around you are animated Frenchmen enjoying a convivial meal over a glass or two of vino.
While some of the dish names on the main menu at Maison Blanche may seem a bit of a mouthful (there is also tapas for those wanting toothsome nibbles at the bar/terrace out front), rest assured this is contemporary home-style French cooking its best. Of course, that is not to say it is uncomplicated or lacking sophistication. Far from it.
We begin our visit at the bar with a pre-dinner mango mojito. The outlet has a good list of wonderfully refreshing cocktails (B220- 290) in addition to local beers and a well-considered choice of mainly French and Chilean wines served by the glass and bottle.
Our first dish of the day is a signature offering. Egg cocotte royal (B390), a melange of egg white, truffle paste and foie gras baked in an oven, is a surprise. It is served with a raw egg on top and mouillettes mini bread sticks with truffle oil. Despite sounding heavy and looking a little like a refined porridge, it is surprisingly light and smooth in texture and not at all overly rich.
The same can be said for our next dish, succulently tender pan-fried duck breast cooked to a rosy hue. It comes with a choice of grand veneur dressing (B440) or a Girolles mushroom sauce (B540). Girolles mushrooms are hard to find and are flown out to the restaurant from France on a weekly basis, hence the higher price.
To finish off we try a dish with a slightly Asian twist. Tuna Tataki (B460) is served with a unique wasabi and citrusinfused ice cream which not only provides a refreshing ‘zing’ but also an interesting cold counterpoint to the heat of the beautifully seared tuna.
In addition to the main menu, Masion Blanche offers a popular 2- and 3-course set lunch (B390 and B480 respectively) and a daily specials board. Already a hit with Bangkok’s Gallic community and gastronomes of all stripes, this is one restaurant that is surely here to stay.
Maison Blanche
38 Narathiwat Soi 2 | 0 2634 7939
maisonblanchebkk.com | 11.30am-2pm, 6.30pm-11pm
