Claude's

LOCATION
On Oxford Street between Jersey Road and Queen Street.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Bonjour and welcome. Read the demure sign (and tempting menu) that sits outside of this restaurant and make the move – step over the threshold. Here you’ll find a terrace with soft cream walls, white-set tables with funky 70s earth-toned print chairs, playful wall sconces in the shape of table lamps and several pieces of contemporary art. If you venture upstairs, alongside a pastry kitchen you’ll find a private dining area featuring walls lined with French porcelain from the time of Napoleon the Third. But even with this bit of history Claude’s is devoid of the stuffy pretentiousness commonly associated with fancy French restaurants. Instead its interior – which received a makeover in 2009 courtesy of the owner (and chef), Chui Lee Luk, and her friends – is a close representation of the food it serves: classy, contemporary, artistic and inspiriting.

But don’t let the decor tell you about the food; grab a menu and prepare to be delighted. There are two ways to enjoy the contemporary French cuisine created in Chui’s kitchen: via the dinner or degustation menu. The seasonal three-course dinner menu (which is fixed at $135 per person) allows diners to select one entree, one main and one dessert. Here you may find starters like the “fish fragrant pork in crepinette” – an innovative dish that plays with French concepts by introducing a minced pork belly prepared with seasoning that is traditionally associated with cooking fish. Mains further contemporise French favourites. The bouillabaisse sees a modern representation on the Claude’s summer menu as a fillet of mulloway served with a salt cod paste, pickled mussels and squid sauce. The dessert selection generally includes a sweet souffle alongside other sweet treats. For a more indulgent dining option look towards the eight-course degustation menu ($165 per person). Bon appetit!

Agnes Gajewska