The newly opened Le Soleil de Provence is still finding its following, meaning that the three floors of elegantly adorned dining rooms sit nearly empty for now. But don’t let that deter you; the kitchen is helmed by Serge Alain, formerly of La Grange, and the classic French dishes and quality ingredients here more than speak for themselves.

After shamelessly scarfing down two complimentary baskets of warm bread rolls, we selected the porcini mushroom and foie gras ravioli (RMB98) as starters. The dish came with a handful of pasta pouches cloaked in a black truffle and Parmesan cappuccino foam. Foie gras fans might be disappointed in the dish’s lightness—a far cry from the usual richness of the French delicacy—but the predominant notes of porcini were unexpected and worked perfectly with the more subtle undertones of the dish’s other ingredients.

Next we tried the beef tenderloin with Béarnaise sauce and porcini potatoes in cocotte (RMB168). Though the meat was slightly undercooked, its simple preparation and generous serving size won us over. Moving from the land mains to the sea, we selected a sea bass pavé “al tarragon” confit with mashed garlic potatoes (RMB118) and were once again pleased with the unfussy, flavorful preparation. The fish dish was as opulent as it should be, lightly seared and flaky with most of its flavor coming from a surprising sauce that tasted a bit like curry, but somehow flowed impeccably with the taste of the potatoes and steamed vegetables.

We finished off the meal with chocolate truffles Grand Marnier (RMB53), served with a cup of English cream. They were a rich finish to a rich meal, and we have a feeling they’ll have people talking about Le Soleil soon enough.

Our rating: 4/5

DETAILS

What: Le Soleil de Provence

Where: 302 Wulumuqi Nan Lu, 乌鲁木齐南路302号

Tel: 6418-3119

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