Bistro La Provence - Vision Gardens

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Posted 2015-10-09 by Jen ⇒ follow

Bistro La Provence on the premises of Vision Gardens is brand new as is the French Chef running it. Born in Normandy, then spending 10 years each in Paris and Provence, he's got 30 years of cooking experience under his belt, not to mention a beautiful French accent that adds to the authenticity.

Owning his own restaurant in Provence for 4 years, he moved to Australia in 2011, but not before living in California, USA in 2009, where he worked as a Corporate Chef. Upon arriving in Australia, he first settled in Perth and worked at Chez Bob, a French Restaurant in Armadale, Western Australia for two years before migrating to our most liveable city 5 years in a row; Melbourne. Falling in love with the Bittern countryside, Bistro La Provence is the result of this romance.

Currently only open for breakfast/brunch and lunch, there are plans to open for dinner in the very near future. Opening hours at this stage at the 2680 Frankston-Flinders Road, Bittern address are, Wednesday to Friday from 10am to 3pm and from 9am to 4pm on the weekends. There's been an intimate little market running on the premises once a month on a Saturday for a few months, and there's one there this Saturday the 10th of October 2015. Why not check it out and get a bite to eat at the brand new Bistro La Provence.

The food is Provencal and Mediterranean style. My girlfriend and I wish we could have eaten more but all we could manage were a couple of delicious French hot chocolates and the L'omelette Provencale and Les Oeufs Benedictine for brunch. Feeling rather indulgent, this was followed by some desserts in the form of the Creme Brulee and the Fondant au chocolat et gianduja.

All this translates to a full bodied not too sweet hot chocolate, Omelette with ratatouille serviced with toast and mesclun and poached eggs on toasted English muffins, baby spinach, grilled bacon and hollandaise sauce. My omelette was light and fluffy even though it was plump and heavy with a filling of diced tomatoes and other secret ingredients I can barely recall because I was busy wolfing it down. My friend was also very happy with her choice and come to think of it, we didn't do much talking at all while we were busy eating the delicious food put in front of us.

Dessert was another matter. I loved my traditional vanilla bean creme brulee and the thin layer of toffee on top cracked the way it should to reveal it's soft custard centre. I nabbed a spoonful of my friend's fondant and that was to die for. The top lightly crusty layer combined with a softer centre of chocolate hazelnut pudding just reminded me of a premium brownie. As if that wasn't enough, we also took home some chocolate filled croissants that were fresh and light and of course delicious.

Other choices aside from ours on the breakfast menu were (each dish is written in both French and English) a selection of a slice of brioche, mini croissant, mini pain au chocolat, baguette, butter, jam and honey on a plate; French toast served with cooked banana and creme fraiche; and sauteed mushrooms, provencale tomato, scrambled eggs, grilled bacon, chorizo, fennel sausage and sourdough toast. A small breakfast menu of five items accompanied by the various teas and coffees.

The lunch menu had traditional onion soup; duck terrine with cornichons and mesclun; snails in garlic and parsley butter; cheese souffle served with green leaves and homemade cured salmon served with dill sauce for entrees.

Mains were beef cheek casserole with red wine, bacon, carrot and tomato; roasted chicken breast served with parsnip mousseline and a choice of mushroom or pepper sauce; rabbit casserole with mustard sauce and vegetables; fish of the day, ratatouille and balsamic, olive oil and tomato sauce; hand mince raw eye fillet steak tartare; scotch or eye fillet 'a la plancha' served with fries and a choice of pepper or mushroom sauce. You can buy extras like Spinach, fries and salads.

Aside from the two desserts you see here, the other two were a dark chocolate mousse and an assortment of sorbets and ice creams of your choice.

This little bistro with its beautiful surrounds has come into play less than a month. There's lots more planned with dinner timeframes kicking in soon. The website is in existence but it's still being built (that's how new it is), hence the best way to stay in touch is via the Facebook page . If you live in the vicinity, you won't have to travel far for a touch of French cuisine. In its relaxing surrounds, you could sit there all day just reading the paper or a favourite book as you stop for a hot drink or a bite to eat in between. Lots of room in the garden allows for a picnic like atmosphere with a bunch of family and friends. A good catch up or tranquil spot for any occasion.