Bouchon, Kingsland

By MICHELE HEWITSON for viva

The best perk about this food reviewing lark is that I get to bossily suggest that that other people at the table order things that I don't necessarily want to eat. I might, however, want to filch a forkful or two of Bouchon's lamb's brains, so I suggested that the Television Critic's mother might order it.

The brains were sauteed in lovely things like lemon and garlic, white wine and cream and almonds ($14.50). I pinched a portion and said: "Oh. It's like eating clouds."

My French onion soup, a blackboard special, was a more earthy sort of experience, like the Television Critic's chicken liver pate, this was solid, hearty, uncomplicated food which warmed you from the nostalgia buds down to your toes.

French onion soup was about the only form of food my mother could attempt with any degree of success - she was a much more accomplished potter of clay pots than she was at clanging the aluminium ones in the kitchen.

Bouchon's tucker takes you down such memory by-ways. It is exactly the sort of food you wish you had grown up eating.

The arrival of the brains led us to talk of tripe and tongue and the best ways to cook brains and it is a happy way to spend an evening: over food, talking about food.

At night, Bouchon is a nice place to linger. There is a warm buttery light and good smells; it is like settling into a very good cook's kitchen for a long evening. It is busy without ever feeling rushed.

Later in the evening, though, we found ourselves wishing the kitchen had felt the degree of urgency we were feeling, because the third main had still not arrived when the TC's fillet steak ($23.50) was half eaten.

Not that he was complaining; he was too busy eating. There is only one sure way to silence the TC, and that is to serve him a perfect steak. This one was. I don't need to describe a perfect steak. We all know one when we meet one - and all know how hard it is to find one.

The TC's mum had Coq au Vin and it came in a big soup bowl, in a rich, almost smoky broth of veges and spuds.

I had the lamb shanks. The meat did what it was supposed to do; slipped off the bone then melted in the mouth and the shanks sat on top of a satisfying pile of mash of celeriac and potato which was almost as cloud-like in texture as those brains.

We were happy talking about food but, goodness, the actual food did take a while to arrive. And, while you can get away with a great deal of naughtiness when you employ a waiter who is even better looking than the food - it really was naughty to let us order two side dishes of gratin dauphinois when only the steak eater's plate came without the addition of the starch. I'm not sure we needed that bowl of vegetables either.

This was far too much food and angel face should have said so.

So we didn't eat the spud - which, when the spud is dauphinois, is a crime - so we could order pud.

Actually there are two things guaranteed to stay the TC's tongue, and the other is a crème brulee. Like their steaks, Bouchon's brulee is always perfect.

I don't recall him offering to share.

I shared a crepes suzette with his mum, more in the interests of nostalgia and theatricality than any desire to eat another mouthful.

But it is a pretty thing which tastes good. We liked it, and we liked, as we always do, our night at Bouchon talking about and eating good food and where the only flashy gesture is the flames of the crepes suzette.

Open: Monday to Friday, 10am to late; Saturday, 8am to late; Sunday, 8am until 3pm

Chef: Cedric Dupont

Food: French comfort food

On the menu: Les Crepes, les galettes, les cassoulet toulousain - pork belly and sausage bedded on white beans and tomato cassoulet with a confit duck, $23.50, chicken breast served with caramelized apples, mushrooms and Calvados cream, $21.50

Vegetarian: Let them eat salade

Wine: Limited but adequate selection of French wines by the glass or the bottle

Parking: Mostly manageable

Bottom line: Friendly neighbourhood creperie with nothing pretentious about either the food, the room or the customers

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