If you have ever gone to Tuk Com you will have walked the narrow streets between Tuk Com and Soi 17. Veritable rabbit warrens of sweat shops, massage parlors, Thai side of the road restaurants and a thousand motorcycles. However, there is an oasis on Soi Day Night 2, and this is Le Bordeaux.
This restaurant has been on Soi Day Night 2 for many years, but was taken over recently by professional restaurateur Alan Beilby, last remembered for his time here at Manhattans. Although not a French national he has owned French cuisine restaurants all over the world, so is no stranger to the genre.
Dover sole is flown in each week, Alan assured me.
The restaurant has a smokers terrace outside which leads into a large air-conditioned dining salon with a sit-up bar along one side. The tables are large and the chairs very comfortable. Service staff are well trained and go about their duties quietly and without fuss. The end result is a very relaxed ambience. In fact, Alan states in their website, “Our aim is to provide great food, and an interesting wine list in a relaxed atmosphere.”
The lamb rack was a very successful dish.
While we perused the menu we sampled the house white wine, an Australian Chardonnay, which was very pleasant. The menu itself is comprehensive without being extensive, with enough choices for most wine lovers. Wines (red and white) range from B. 890 to B. 1950 in the main with wine from Australia, California, Chile and France.
It begins with soups (B. 170-190) followed by nine cold starters with most around B. 200, though six oysters are B. 690. Hot starters, and there are eight including frogs legs and snails with mushrooms (B. 270).
The salmon appetizer was impressive.
Main dishes include fish (B. 360 to 390, but Dover Sole is at a premium B. 980). Lamb is from NZ with most dishes in this pork and poultry grouping being B. 370, and finally five choices in Australian beef (B. 420-690).
There are also weekly set menu specials for those on a tighter budget, which are well worthwhile investigating. A two course set menu is B. 390 or three courses B. 490.
In addition there are some chef’s specials which include some Thai dishes.
We made our selections and Madame chose the salmon appetizer, while I went for the French Onion soup. Madame was actually very impressed with her starter and I enjoyed the French Onion soup which was excellent. Hot to the table, the cheese melted into delightful sticky strings, as it should be.
For our mains, Madame decided on the rack of lamb and was pleasantly surprised to be asked how she wanted it done, to which she indicated as rare. And indeed it was cooked rare (as opposed to undercooked) with fried potatoes. This dish was very successful. Madame also changed to the house red at that point and again eminently quaffable.
For myself, the Dover sole was my choice, with them flown in each week, Alan assured me. The presentation was superb, with the backbone removed in one piece and used as an adornment on the fish flesh which was pan-fried in a lemon butter sauce. My choice of potatoes was as mashed, and even this was presented decoratively on the plate as three helpings.
Neither of us had room for the offered desserts, but did share a cheese platter (B. 320) with Camembert, blue cheese and cheddar, and another glass of wine for each of us. It certainly was a relaxing evening.
There are enough choices in the menu and the chef is excellent. Pricing is very reasonable when you take into account the standard of the food and presentation.
Well worth the visit to behind Tuk Com.
Le Bordeaux, Soi Day Night 2 (50 meters from Soi 17 end), open for dinner six days Tuesday to Sunday from 5.30 p.m. to last orders 10.30 p.m. Telephone 038 723 524 (after 4 p.m.) or Mobile 087 087 7601.
