Le Chasseur

Pig Trotters in Black Vinegar

I had read about Le Chasseur, the zi char restaurant with a French name, on other food blogs. Only praises, nothing bad. So, having a more adventurous spirit one Sunday evening, we decided to give it a go ourselves.

A big mass of blackness, the pig trotters in black vinegar was the first dish to arrive. I wanted to try it because I love pigs trotters and because it had a good review at ieatishootipost. Perhaps my expectations were raised too high because I ended up sorely disappointed with what we received. It was very vingear-ry (check) with a massive knob of ginger (check I guess?). But there was hardly any meat, and the aroma and taste of ginger and vinegar was so overpowering that none of us dared unnecessarily touch the black sauce.

The brinjal with minced pork and salted fish was better, but nothing special.

It was the stir-fried celery with sliced fish and black fungus topped with goji berries that was the prettiest dish on our table that evening - a unique combination that I have not seen served anywhere else. Tastewise though, it was average.

As you can see from the picture, the salted vegetable duck soup was lacking in "liao". Mom's homecooked soup has tasted much heartier in comparison.

The best tasting dish amongst the lacklustre lot was the BBQ cuttlefish. It was grilled just right so that no part of the cuttlefish's texture was rubbery. Every piece carried a lovely barbeque fragrance, and I thought the charred legs tasted the best. The only annoying thing was that it took more than 45 minutes to get to our table, and arrived only awhile after we have finished eating everything else. Considering that only two other tables were occupied when we arrived at the restaurant, 45 minutes is somewhat unacceptable.

On the whole, our experience at Le Chasseur was quite disappointing given the kind of rave reviews it has received on some food blogs, even calling it a hidden gem. We saw no gem and no reason to return, and would have been much happier with a home-cooked meal.



Le Chasseur
31, New Bridge Road (opp Central)
Singapore 059393

Opening hours: 11am - 11pm daily
Tel: 63377677; 91440322