Blanchette East: Don't hold back

Soho’s buzzing Parisian bistro has a new sibling
Picture of Paris: The Belle Époque dining space
Ben Norum14 December 2017

Brothers Maxime, Yannis and Malik Alary launched Blanchette in Soho two and a half years ago, and now they’re spreading the love with this eastern outpost on Brick Lane.

As at the original, Blanchette East deals in French dishes served tapas style, with cheese and charcuterie sections sitting alongside mini versions of main courses. It’s easy to see the influence of its backers Simon Mullins and Ben Tish, the Salt Yard Group’s co-founder and chef director respectively. And given the impressive set of buzzing restaurants that they oversee, that’s no bad thing at all.

Those familiar with the Soho site will feel at home in the pared-down, loosely Belle Époque styled space. The main difference is its size — it has roughly double the capacity of the original.

Its menu has also had an expansion, with the addition of a number of North African-inspired dishes, as are popular in the south of France. From this selection a Lamb tagine with apricot, almonds and labneh cheese is a fragrant, deeply-flavoured high point that is at its best paired with a similarly vibrant saffron couscous.

Le Poisson: Squid ‘en persillade’

Another highlight is a chunky slice of squid ‘en persillade’ — meaty and dense but tender to the bite, dressed in a tangy parsley sauce and served on bread. And top of the pile is an old favourite from the Soho site — a seared onglet steak served with garlic, parsley and snails. It can’t get much more French than that.

With cleverly constructed mini mains aplenty, it can be easy to overlook the basics. But don’t. The restaurant’s selection of cheese and charcuterie is outstanding and worth investing precious stomach space in. Ideally you should order as many as possible to share between you, but the earthy truffle saucisson and creamy, strong Bleu de Basque cheese are particularly worth trying.

North African flavours: Lamb tagine

Puddings are marginally less of a triumph than the high-octane mains, with a layered chocolate and hazelnut dacquoise and a piled wild strawberry vacherin (tiered meringue cake) both falling into the take-it-or-leave-it camp. Don’t hold back on the mains in order to save space.

When it comes to wine, however, do have your fill. There are around six each of red and white available by either glass or carafe, as well sparkling and sweet, and a vast selection by the bottle. Most of it’s French, naturally, though neighbouring countries get an occasional look-in. The staff are well versed in recommending what’s what.

Cocktails are also a triumph. A classic Negroni and Old Fashioned are both well executed, while a Blanchette Café consisting of tequila, coffee, Kahlua and double cream, served warm, is a creative take on an espresso martini that wins over an end-of-meal espresso any day.

Blanchette East: The Lowdown

Final flavour: A French fancy on the curry mile that's full of the joie de vivre.

At what cost? The snacks, including cheese and charcuterie, range from £4 to £6, while the majority of the larger plates hover between £6.50 and £9.50. Wine starts at £5.50 for a medium glass and cocktails at £10.

Visit if you like: Chez Elles, Ember Yard, Blanchette Soho.

Follow Ben Norum on Twitter @BenNorum

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