17 Rue Louis Bleriot, 98807 Nouméa, New Caledonia
The view: Nestled in the trendy frills of the capital city's suburbia, the eatery is parked directly opposite the entrance to the Henry Milliard racecourse, the only one in the country, and openly sells itself to racegoers. You can sit indoors or enjoy the outdoor French village-type of setting although I found the interior more alluring.
The vibe: The first thing that hits you is the warmth of the venue's rustic charm. It offers a magical space for private functions and a sense of exclusiveness - with live musical performances in the evening. Beefy barrels are stacked on one side of the wall with test-tube-like apparatus to sample wines and distilled spirits from. The bistro-style atmosphere comes with the promise of fine food, complete with the spoils of the bar and an assortment of gifts. It's worth taking some time to look around to savour the ambience.
The chat: Sommelier Yumi Furukawa conducted the proceedings. Furukawa has a diploma of wine from her birth country of Japan. She now splits her time between there and New Caledonia, spending six months of the year in each. Previously she spent time in Bordeaux incorporating the art of pairing wine with food. Her friendly and conversational presentation style invites questions and down-to-earth answers.
The menu: We were served three reds: light, medium and full-bodied Bordeux numbers. It was the last one - matched with a dollop of French blue-vein cheese, sprinkled with dried sultanas and a fistful of colourful crinkly salad - that seduced my taste buds. It was a 10-year-old red and we were quite lightheaded by that stage. A shared tapas platter and dessert were on the menu but somewhere along the way we lost them in translation. The busy owner, Olivier, caught up in the hustle and bustle of flustered waitstaff and bartenders, added a lovely touch, gifting us an enamel cup each in an environmentally friendly brown paper bag.