Tucking Into SoHo’s Bistro Culture
My preference for lunch tends towards a quick, affordable and sating bite to eat. I don't mind splashing a few more dollars in a restaurant for lunch, but I resent paying over the odds for overpriced fare that results in severe rationing of my weekly meal budget.
No, quick and easy suits me just fine, and if I can add ‘nutritious' to that list then all the better. So my discovery of La Marmite on Staunton Street a few months back was a blessing for this hungry, cost-conscious workerman.
La Marmite is self-styled ‘contemporary Parisian bistro' that evokes a casual, airy ambience with its semi-alfresco frontage and soft, understated interior décor. Adorning the walls are vintage French posters from the 1930s and 40s, acquired by owner David Yeo on his frequent trips to Parisian flea markets over the years. La Marmite has the look and feel of a quaint Parisian bistro, along with a menu of authentic Parisian home cooking which has helped it garner a loyal following since their opening earlier in 2011.
"La Marmite is much more than a bistro, it strives to be part of the ‘Bistronomy' revolution that is now in vogue in Paris," tells David Yeo, the owner of Aqua Restaurant Group who run La Marmite. "In recent years many young chefs, who have worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, started to open their own little bistros, cooking their own food based on their Michelin-star training and background," he continues.
The result has been a tour de force in cooking innovation, whilst keeping it all within a relaxed, affordable environment with friendly bistro-style service. "In France, bistro culture is all about getting a quick, tasty, and inexpensive meal, without any fuss," says Brice Royer, Head Chef at Bouchon, another charming French bistro that resides close to the escalators on Elgin Street.
Time is a fleeting commodity for busy workers so to be able to receive a hearty serving of unpretentious, inexpensive home-cooking before returning to your task was important for the working class patrons of Paris' neighbourhood bistros in the 1900s - which aligns neatly with the needs of many busy Centralites in Hong Kong.
The beauty of the bistro is that you won't find the latest haute cuisine within, but rather an unpretentious approach to delicious French home cooking, perfectly suited to hassle-free brunches and intimate dinners with close friends. I'll raise a glass to that.
Bon appétit!
Bouchon, G/F, 49 Elgin Street, 2525 9300
La Marmite, G/F, 46 Staunton Street, 2803 7808