» Mon Nov 3rd 2008
I absolutely love Franck's. The bistro itself is charming yet modern. You know you're in a slightly upscale place, but there is nothing snobby or pretentious about the decor.
I've been there three times in a week. Once for lunch with a friend, again just to buy some cheese and bread and the third time I went on a whim to have lunch by myself. The manager is a French man who came to work at Franck's about 8 months ago. The menu is written entirely in French on boards that are displayed table-side as customers are seated. If you can't understand French, not to worry, your server (the manager) will explain it thoroughly to you. They have a mixed staff of French, Filipino, and Chinese. Everyone is very friendly and accommodating.
The pate (NOT the foie gras one), was good, but not great. But other than that, everything has been absolutely superb. The bread is fresh and warm with a wonderful crust and is served with a delicious salted butter. The Duck Confit was beautifully cooked and perfectly seasoned. My friend had the Croque Madame which was excellent as well-- creamy and cheesey, but not heavy at all. We had the Creme Brulee for dessert, which I dare to say is the best Creme Brulee I've ever had. It was simple, just a Vanilla Creme Brulee, nothing really special, but the Creme was perfect, just as it should be-- sweet, but not sugary, with the perfect creamy consistency, not too thick, and not like the egg custardy stuff I find in some Creme Brulees now. And the sugar coat was freshly Bruleed, you could tell it wasn't done in the oven or done hours ago and reheated.
When I had lunch alone, I tried the soup of the day, which was a creamy leek soup-- again, it was not heavy at all, really nicely done. And I also had the Beef Tartare, which was hands down the best quality beef I've had in China.
Along with the quality, the portions are very generous for a French bistro. Honestly, I could make a meal out of any one of the appetizers. I was getting full just eating the soup! I keep eating because the food is that good. Chef changes the menu every day based on what is fresh at the market and in season, which ensures the quality of the food.
The prices are high compared to standard Chinese prices, but this would be considered average/cheap in a place like New York City or LA. Also, there is no way Franck's is OVERpriced. The Croque Madame was about 70RMB, which is about . You pay for a Potbelly's Sandwich in the US and you would pay for a gourmet sandwich at any decent cafe in the US too. Anyways, at Franck's the prices might be high compared to what you would pay for a Chinese meal or a crappy Western meal elsewhere, but the food speaks for itself and they certainly don't cheat you on the portions, so I have always felt like I was getting my money's worth.