Bouchon French Cafe and Creperie, Kingsland

Herald rating: 16/20

Looking back, my sixth visit to Bouchon, the restaurant in Kingsland where the waiters have thick French accents and the chef is a glorious black woman, was the most boring. And it was not the restaurant's fault.

They did their best to entice me with a specials' board headed by onion soup and a menu spiked with delicacies including cassoulet, cervelles, escargots and every possible permutation of crepe you could imagine. And I, after a week of erratic, flu-like symptoms, stubbornly opted for plain steak and salad — then spent the rest of the night nicking snails, brains and ravioli from other peoples' plates.

Luckily there were seven of us for dinner this cold Tuesday night, so the grazing was excellent. And although the maitre d' had warned that the restaurant was full, and insisted we arrive at 6.30 to avoid the rush, the service was excellent. Over the evening we tested everything from the plainest offerings, to the soup and pork on the specials' board, to the creme brulee and chai latte, and were well pleased.

The escargots, which we pressed on two novices, were delicious — not in the slightest bit rubbery but oily and garlicy and served with authentic shell grippers, which not only made the job easier, but memorable, too, as the odd shell scooted across the gingham tablecloth.

The French onion soup was tasty, but less rich than I've had before, thickened as it was with chopped onions and nothing else, and lacking the grilled cheese and bread baked on to the top that you get in some establishments. Bouchon serve the the cheesy baguette on top, but it was obviously cooked separately.

The medium-rare steak was exactly that; the rare version, just bloody enough. The pork fillet, sliced in medallions and served on vegetables and a pastry, and the cervelles d'agneau (brains), served as a main course, absolutely spectacular. Robyn, who eats like a bird, offered me a piece as big as the cerebellum, and I was delighted to accept. It was cooked to perfect tenderness. Less thrilling was the home-made ravioli which, with its ricotta-and-spinach filling and cheese sauce, turned out to be just too cheesy.

On the other hand the creme brulee, which Robyn had eaten towards all evening, was, as usual, fantastic.

All this was accompanied by a bottle of beaujolais and two of excellent minervois grenache syrah, plus an aperitif of French cider that tasted delicious and came in an ancient-looking, brown pottery cup that transported me straight to Brittany.

This was our second visit to Bouchon in a couple of months, and we were seated out the back, where some walls are plastic and you are gently toasted by towering gas heaters. And they do not stint on the gas. After a while I could feel my hair begin to crackle. A couple of minutes more, plus another couple of cups of cider, and I might have combusted.

This is casual, authentic French cooking which is rare in Auckland. Although the surroundings are rustic rather than elegant, there's an a true French feel and attention to detail about Bouchon which makes it a highly prized, refreshing, addition to the city's dining lineup.

Overall: Authentic, sometimes adventurous, French cooking in a decidedly Gallic atmosphere. Try the cassoulet.
Where: Bouchon French Cafe and Creperie, 479 New North Road, Kingsland. Phone (09) 845 1680.
Our meal:
Main courses: $22.50-$25.50
Entrees: $10.50-$16.50
Galettes and crepes: $5.50-$18.50
Dessert: $5.50-$12.50
Our wines: $31-$125