I liked this place very much. Had many fond memories of this place. The people are great, well mannered without making u uncomfortable. Has good promotions and the food is good enough for me too!

For the full story, click here:
http://chubbybotakkoala.blogspot.sg/2013/01/hippopotamus-simple-and-comfort-french.html


This time around we are here with a group of friends for Christmas dinner.


To start, we have bone marrow ($11.90), escargots ($16.90), foie gras ($17.90) and combo platter ($18.90). The bone marrow cut into half and baked. The marrow taste creamy, buttery but a bit sticky. If you have not tried this before, it is good to give it a try. I don't particularly like it as I can't get used to the taste. The escargots / snails are cooked with herbs and butter. The meat come out quite easy, the texture a bit springy, similar to other type of snails. The herb and butter give it a nice rich flavour, a bit rich for my taste buds.

The foie gras comes in a pate version. The texture is soft and creamy so it is easily spread on the bread. The Guerande sea salt really brings out the taste of the liver. On this particular pate, the taste a little bit strong and pungent than other foie gras pate that I have ever tried. Definitely not for someone that can't stand strong smell.
 
Next come the French Onion Soup ($8.90). Believe it or not, this is the first time I ever tried and I seem to like the taste. On top of the soup of the soup is the combination crust of grated Gruyere cheese, parmesan cheese and bread. The soup is filled with onion sweetness combine with the robustness of the stock. Simple yet delicious, a true comfort food.
 
For the main, we ordered medium rare Prime Rib 1.2 kg ($139.90). Together with the steak come five type of sauces: Barbecue, Béarnaise, , Stewed Shallot, Pepper, and Roquefort Cheese. Other than the sauce, they also give rock salt. For prime rib sides come with 8 serving of sides.


 
The Prime rib is cooked as per our order and we distributed it nicely for 4 person. The presentation on a small tailor made stand with a black steel tray on the table is impressive. For the steak, it is tender and juicy but it does not melt in your mouth. Although it is call prime rib, I think the steak only come from standard grade of beef. The steak is not evenly cook as the meat closer to the bone can be consider rare very difficult to cut affected by the muscle. For the sauce, I find the béarnaise is the best to complement the prime rib. Potato Gratin is a must try side dish. 
For Desert, The Roasted Pineapple is something that is unique and yummy. 


The service is friendly and good. Overall, it is good place for a casual dining.Their food is fresh and simple, yet delicious. For the steak, I recommend to go for a normal and standard steak instead of the higher end. Similar to Jack's Place, but better in the food quality. Worth a try but don't expect the sky.
 

The hanger and skirt steaks beats the tenderloins and sirloins anyday if you know your beef. They are much cheaper too! At $15.90 for lunch set with a skirt steak, 2 sides and dessert, where do you find such value and quality? The subtle french wine is well appreciated too, a differentiator to normally strong, oaky Australian wines served at most places by default.

After it's open for some time (2 years?), the business needs to pick up in the final phase to stay alive. I hope they garner enough supporters to survive the touch F&B game. But i guess they have some staying power, having noted on the receipt that Swensen's is the team behind bringing them here, and located just next door. Must have negotiated a good deal with the landlord to occupy the else empty space. :)