PUBLISHED November 24th, 2020 02:04 pm
When we think French cuisine in Singapore, we tend to think fancy – either white-tablecloth restaurants the likes of Les Amis, or stylish bistros with lengthy wine lists. And that’s a pity, because there’s plenty to love about casual French grub – we can think of few joys greater than a warm, well-stuffed crêpe flipped on a street corner.
Telok Ayer‘s newest kid on the block, then, is a welcome concept. A crêperie by the Merci Marcel Group, French Fold flips up savoury galettes and sweet crêpes in both classic and cheeky flavours. As you might expect, the shophouse space has Merci Marcel’s signature tropical glam stamped all over it – trailing greenery, rustic wood furnishings, and natural light flooding in from a skylight overhead. Slate teal brick and a brilliantly blue print of Paris’ iconic Piscine Molitor complete the airy picture.
Breton galettes are traditionally made with buckwheat flour, and French Fold’s come crafted with flour flown in from Brittany. Its dozen-strong lineup of galettes, pithily numbered one through twelve, are heaped with way more fixings than your average Parisian rendition – but we’re hardly complaining.
There’re classics like No. 4 (S$17) – featuring the timeless trio of ham, Comté cheese, and a sunny side up – but it’s remixes like No. 9 (S$19) that caught our eye. Think gooey Reblochon cheese, baby potatoes, and tangy white wine pickled onions barely contained by a paper-thin crêpe. Throw in a savoury-sweet sprinkle of cubed pancetta and a generous handful of organic Bayonne ham for seriously satisfying brunch fuel.
The traditional galette-saucisse – a crêpe wrapped round a whole pork sausage – gets a scrumptious overhaul with No. 7 (S$22). This rich number is spread with old-style mustard cream and cider-laced onion confit, then blanketed in thick sausage slices – our only grouse is there isn’t nearly enough onion confit to stand up to the well-spiced sausage.
Drawing on a tradition closer to home is No. 11 (S$17), a somewhat sanitized riff on that Singapore favourite: satay. Made with chicken breast, the end result has little of the spice-marinated succulence we know and love, doused in a peanut sauce which goes heavy on the galangal.
There’s no doubt that these galettes run hearty, so if you’re looking for smaller sharing plates, opt for the Galettes Bites peppered with unusual fixings. The Homemade Sardine Butter, Seaweed & Lemon Confit (S$16), for one, is packed with smoothly mashed sardines with a bright kiss of lemon, folded and cut into fun-sized bites. Get your dose of greens with salads prettily served in galette bowls too.
For a sweet (and equally filling) finish to your feast, there’re crêpes made with wheat flour, topped with add-on gelato scoops from homegrown brand Birds of Paradise. No. 16 (S$10) goes classic with a rich, roasty drizzle of hazelnut spread, but for greater indulgence, our choice of No. 21 (S$12) didn’t disappoint. This soft crêpe comes topped with Valrhona 70% dark chocolate sauce, slices of poached pear, and a deceptively simple pièce de résistance – buttery, wonderfully fresh homemade whipped cream. We finally get what the hype about whipped cream is all about.
In true French fashion, you can pair your crêpes with a small selection of craft ciders brought in from France. It’s not often you see cider cocktails either, so don’t miss out on tipples like the Cider 75 (S$17) – an earthier twist on the French 75 with Widges Gin, organic cider, and sage. If this is the closest we can get to a French holiday for a while, we’ll take it.
French Fold is located at 204 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068640, p. +65 6970 7626. Open daily 8am–10.30pm.
Top Image: No. 4