Poulet.

Photo courtesy of Poulet.com.sg

I usually try to find the positive in all the places we visit in Singapore, but I'm really struggling to pin-point the good parts of our dining experience last night at Poulet in Vivo City. Linna and I met AJ last night after work at Vivo, so the three of us could enjoy dinner on my birthday. I've walked by Poulet before, and have wanted to eat there since they recently opened in Vivo. The restaurant is in an open-area of the mall, and they really draw you in with the amazing photos of some delicious-looking french food.

I will say that this restaurant is family-friendly. However, the food was a disappointment. The entire experience was a disappointment from the very beginning, when they informed us that they don't serve alcohol.

WHAT?! A french restaurant that doesn't serve wine?! How does this make any sense?!

After round one of disappointment, we decided that we'd grab a drink after dinner, because I really wanted to try the food. The second round of shock and disappointment came when AJ asked for a glass of ice water, the waitress said they only served bottled water for purchase. So, AJ just ordered a soda. THEN, we looked around at other people in the restaurant, enjoying glasses of ICE WATER... that the servers were pouring from pitchers. Are you kidding me?! Did this waitress just lie to our faces, or was she really confused? We should have left right then and there. But I wanted to stay.... The photos of the food had me hooked!

Poulet's French Onion Soup.

The prices on the menu were great, especially looking at the photos of the meal sizes. We ordered an au gratin potato dish with corn in it for Linna, that was actually pretty good. Small, about $5, but it was tasty. AJ ordered the Braise de Poulet, which is a chicken, potato dish (according to the menu). When AJ received his dish, we both look at it like, "WTF... where's the potatoes?!". It was basically a couple chicken legs, floating in a broth. When we asked our waitress if this dish had potatoes in it, she said "no". But when I showed her that the menu said the dish DID have potatoes in it (which was actually second in the list of ingredients), she said, "oh, it's just one PIECE of a potato".

Huh?!

After this third round of disappointment,  AJ sent it back and decided not to get anything else (we ordered french fries for the table to keep Linna busy, so AJ said he was full). I think we both just wanted to get the heck outta there. Our waitress looked at us confused, and came back later to inform us that she didn't charge AJ's meal (that we sent back) to our bill. Gee, thanks. Can you imagine our reaction if they DID put his meal on the bill?!

I ordered the french onion soup (I love french onion soup), and the Salad de Paris. I wish I would have looked at the photo of Poulet's french onion soup before I ordered it, because it came WITHOUT CHEESE!

Salad de Paris at Poulet Vivo City.

Seriously?! French onion soup without the gooey, baked, cheesy goodness on the top, is NOT french onion soup. This soup was basically onions in some broth, with a couple croutons floating in it. It was decent, but NOT the french onion soup that I know and love. My salad, although small, was pretty good. Nothing out of this world by any means, but good.

Poulet in Vivo City defiantly grabbed my attention with its presence in the mall. I really like the open-air concept. But I  think it's only fair to share our experience, so others don't have the same. Everyone has their own opinions when it comes to food, and this is simply mine. It may have been the combination of our confused waitress, the mediocre food, and the fact that they don't serve alcohol, but this really was a disappointing birthday dinner. The best part of the evening was being with my two loves... AJ and Linna:)

1. If you're looking to enjoy a glass of wine, beer, or an alcoholic beverage with your meal... DON'T EAT HERE.
2. If you're looking for mediocre french food... Go ahead and try it.
3. If you're looking for family-friendly dining... This is a good spot.

Can anyone recommend a good french restaurant in Singapore???