Maison Clement | SA Weekend restaurant review

A new value-conscious French bistro in Adelaide shows a different side to classic dishes such as boeuf bourguignon and crème brulee. But is the food très magnifique?

The dining room at Maison Clement in Adelaide.

Why oh why, muses Clement Labaere, is it that so many Australians think French restaurants are posh? Having cut his teeth in the neighbourhood bistros of northern France, he knows different – that dishes like boeuf bourguignon are part of the working-class vernacular, the equivalent of our pub schnitzel, if you like.

It’s a misconception that the chef and patissier has set about changing at the second, far bolder iteration of his cafe/bistro/boulangerie Maison Clement in the city.

The original “Maison” was in the arcade next to the Central Market and its daytime mix of croques, croissants and other patisserie items had a strong following.

When tenants of the precinct made way for a new development, Labaere eventually found a new home on the ground floor of The Chancellor on Currie (street).

A large, open space alongside the hotel lobby/reception offers plenty of opportunity but also a few challenges. For a start, channelling the vibe of a cosy bistro when surrounded by glass and hard, shiny surfaces isn’t easy. A big mirror and a variety of ornaments are on the way but the landlord could also help with some form of sympathetic window dressing.

Boeuf bourguignon at Maison Clement.

Meanwhile, catering to the needs of hotel guests and the public requires opening breakfast, lunch and dinner, a roster that would stretch even a large team.

Labaere, however, isn’t easily deterred and has thrown himself into this project with seemingly boundless passion. Rather than spending big on lavish accoutrements or ingredients, Labaere has invested the time it takes to slowly simmer bones until they finally relent and let go of their goodness.

You can taste it in the pork and chicken broth that the chef traces back to the pot bubbling on his grandmother’s stove and, before that, the worker canteens that led to a style of dining tagged “bistro bouillon”.

A large jug of this golden, savoury elixir comes with the pork belly that has been rolled into a hefty puck and poached until its fat is wobbly (cut it off if you must) and flesh delectable.

Eggplant and prawn in bisque sauce at Maison Clement.

The shallow bowl also contains a stack of steamed veg – broccolini, beans, carrots – and bundles of herbs. Some of the broth is poured over but the jug is left to add more as required. The cost of this feast is a measly $28.

For another $20, it (and the other mains) can be bundled with an entree and dessert. Start with a classic such as steamed leek in red wine vinaigrette or a French onion soup topped with melted gruyere croutons and based on a beef stock that is a more muscular sibling of the broth. Imported escargots come back to life when fried in garlic butter and tossed with an inky ragout of mushrooms. A steamed, then fried, roll of eggplant encasing a chopped prawn filling is less familiar but the bisque sauce hits all the right notes.

The choice of mains naturally includes a splendid beef bourguignon, complete with vegies, and the “steak frites”, a piece of medium-rare bavette that shows what an underused cut this is. It comes with a mega-serve of chips (not fries) that are the epitome of crispness and, unless you are a stickler for chew-free tenderness, makes the option of spending another $12 for the scotch fillet unnecessary.

The dessert line-up contains all the usual suspects – textbook crème brulee, a pleasantly tangy lemon tart, chocolate fondant with crème anglaise and a simplified crepes suzette in which the folded pancakes are a little pale and uninspiring but the separate orange caramel sauce is a ripper.

All this comes with amiable service and a well-chosen wine list, making Maison Clement easy to recommend. With the cost of living a challenge for many people, this humble bistro shows it is possible to eat well on a budget. Not posh. Just practical.