Joséphine @ Amoy

Joséphine evoked the memories of romance between her and Napoleon, who made her his Empress when he ascended to the throne. Many French bistros are named after this controversial lady.

Joséphine is a trendy modern French bistro-style restaurant in the heart of Singapore District & vibrant Amoy Street, they offer great value lunch menus that include a starter, a main and dessert between $24-$36++, a bargain in the CBD.

Beef Carpaccio

Sliced beef tenderloin, Parmesan cheese, arugula, onion, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice

The beef carpaccio was not offered as part of the lunch menu. But I could not resist to order one for the table. Competently made.

Snails from Burgundy

Parsley & garlic butter

Escargot is another French classic starter that I would order every time. It was offered as part of the lunch menu. But before you go collect the garden snails to make this dish, escargot snails are specially bred for consumption.

I am sure it was not the snail that made this dish, but the parsley and garlic butter. And the shell is entirely decorative.

Seabass Ceviche

Lime marinated live seabass, basil, onion, yellow capsicum, extra virgin olive oil, lime juice

A Peruvian take of the Japanese sashimi, the fish was “cooked” using the acid. And the chef gave it an oriental twist with the shichimi powder.

Grilled Duck Magret

French Duck Breast

I am not a fan of duck breast, but there’s nothing else on the lunch menu that I would order. All lunch orders came with a side – my lunch partner chose a fries and I picked a salad! Unbelievable right? The sides were enough to share. Anyhow, the duck breast was cooked perfectly, crispy skin with proper Millard effect around, the breast remained soft and succulent.

Mignon de Porc

Pork tenderloin, foie gras & morels sauce

The pork tenderloin was cooked perfectly, although we do not recommend eating pink pork. But any longer, the pork tenderloin would be overcooked. Came on a bed of mushroom and pâté sauce – not really sure if there’s foie gras and morels in that cream sauce.

Cheese Platter

I have been introduced to cheese by my good friend from Marseille whom has brought me to great places for cheese and bread as lunch. I chuckled when this was eaten as a dessert in most Western restaurants.

Know your cheeses

• Reblochon is a soft washed-rind and smear-ripened French cheese made in the Alpine region of Haute-Savoie from raw cow’s milk. The name Reblochon derives from the word ‘reblocher’ which literally translated means: ‘to pinch a cow’s udder again’ so that the farmer would not be taxed for the extra milk. Very creamy and soft, it is the children’s favourite. I am still confused whether you eat the rind or not.
• Fourme d’Ambert (the mouldy looking one) is a semi-hard French blue cheese and is one of France’s oldest cheeses made from raw cow’s milk dating from as far back as Roman times. Not too blue and in my opinion a good introduction to blue cheeses. For the uninitiated, you may like to drizzle some honey over it to soften the blow.
• Comté (or Gruyère de Comté) is a French cheese made from unpasteurised cow’s milk in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France bordering Switzerland and sharing much of its cuisine. A good introductory cheese for those who didn’t like it in the first place. I always have some Gruyere or Comte or Parmigiana in my fridge.

Dessert of the Day – Apple Crumble and Vanilla Ice-Cream

The regular dessert of the evening was served as the dessert of the day. The apple tart tasted like a crumble and served warm. Always perfect with a cold scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Afterthoughts

It is an oasis of calm in the bustling CBD. And I heard their weekend brunches were really popular. You can see why – friendly staff, great food, value for money, the trinity of a good restaurant.

Joséphine – French Cuisine & Wine Bar
97 Amoy St, Singapore 069917
Tel : +65 9642 4901

Visited in Sep 2022