FRA: Chez Laura

Yummylicious garlic mussels!

Alright, it's time to review a proper meal I had in Marseille. There are simply too many eateries in Vieux Port, and that day we were quite confused which restaurant should we go to. In the end we chose Chez Laura, and one of the reasons was that the waitress outside could actually respond to us in English haha... Anyway, the restaurant offers a value-for-money Set Meal priced at €15.00 (~S$26.30) which includes appetiser, main course and dessert. Hmm, since all of us ordered different dishes, I'll just select a few and write about them here.

Provençal Stuffed Mussels (Set Menu)

Taste: 8.5/10

I shall stick to the English name of each dish because the French counterpart is horrendously long. Anyway, I really enjoyed my appetiser! The mussels were fresh, covered in garlic bits and drenched in olive oil. Well, what else do I need to say? Simple ingredients at their best... Pika's advice: So... Don't be afraid to take a spoonful of the oil and sip it. I assure you it'll be perfectly blended with the taste of the garlic and the mussels!

Oysters on Ice Shells Plate (Set Menu)

Taste: 8.5/10

The English name sounds a bit weird, but well, it doesn't matter. The oysters were really fresh! Served cold, they were firm, plump and juicy. Oh, there were small shrimps too as you can see, and they were equally fresh.

Seafood Paella (Set Menu)

Taste: 7/10

I love paella, although I have to admit that I don't get to eat it often. Hmm, just want to share two lines from Wikipedia, "Many non-Spaniards view paella as Spain's national dish, but most Spaniards consider it to be a regional Valencian dish. Valencians, in turn, regard paella as one of their identifying symbols." Anyway, the rice served the other day was so-so. I was glad though that the squid rings weren't rubbery. I could tell that they used fresh green peas and carrots; not those frozen ones which I hate to the max!

Rib Steak (Set Menu)

Taste: 6.5/10

More affectionately known as entrecôte in French, Chez Laura's served it medium-rare (but of course you could tell the waiter/waitress how you would like it done according to your preference). Well, it wasn't the best entrecôte I tried, but the peppery milky sauce was quite delightful. The fries... Uhm, I guess I don't really need to say anything. The picture speaks more than words.

Tart in Lemon Covered with Meringue (Set Menu)

Taste: 7/10

Again, nevermind about the English name; it's nicely called Tarte Citron Meringuée in French. The lemon sauce had a good balance of sweet and sour, but I guess the cream was a bit too much although it was pretty light. Also, the crust was quite hard! One of my friends who wanted to try this out made the tart toppled because she couldn't cut it. Luckily it was still on the plate LOL...

Profiteroles (Set Menu)

Taste: 7.5/10

The vanilla cream inside the cream puff was rich, and it was served cold. The chocolate sauce definitely added more enjoyment to the dish. Random: I eat cream puffs a lot in Indonesia.

Bread

The bread was a bit hard, but crunchy. Also, they served garlic butter to go with the bread. Yum! :)

Melon's Rating

Taste: 7.5/10

Ambience: 7/10

Service: 2/10

Overall: 5.5/10

The appetiser dishes were really the best part of the meal. However, I really can't afford to give higher score for the service we received because the waiter serving us the other day was pretty rude. They also took ages to serve our food!

Chez Laura

25 Rue Saint Saens

Marseille

France

(Opening hours unknown - Anyone knows?)

*Prices quoted are nett prices.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)