Sometimes Simple is Better: Bastille Day Buffet at VIC

Now, I’m not French, nor are many of Beijing’s residents, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take advantage of Bastille Day (July 14) to try some classic French peasant cuisine. VIC at Sofitel celebrated Bastille Day by cooking up French specialties for a week (July 12-18), offering diners a buffet of country dishes from different French regions. This includes boeuf bourguignon (from Burgundy), bouillabaisse (the famous fish stew from Marseilles), sausages and sauerkraut (from the Alsace region), and numerous homemade pates.

With the Tour de France still pedaling on, France is on the brain, and it’s quite enjoyable to be able to nibble from a dozen types of simple French peasant dishes. The rillettes and chicken liver terrine pates are the perfect example – foie gras is often magnificent but a bit much. On the other hand, a rustic pork rillette with quality French bread and good cheese always hits the spot. Also flavorful was the simple combination of sausage, sauerkraut, and leeks with cream, popular in northern France.

Being a buffet, the dessert table is where the magic happens. There are a number of very French pastries including chocolate savarin and financier. The pastry chef spent a few months in France picking up some tips, and some desserts proved he spent his time wisely. The fromage blanc cake was airy and not overly sweet, the dark chocolate mousse cake was quite divine.

While not all the dishes are winners – for instance, the bouillabaisse could do with a richer saffron flavor and more seafood and the mille feuille pastry was chewy, VIC is providing an all-to-rare collection of simple, rustic French dishes. In a city where many European restaurants aim for feats of gastronomical ingenuity, going back to the basics makes for a refreshing meal.

VIC
July 12-18 11.30am-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm (RMB 208+15%/278+15%.) 6/F, Sofitel Beijing, Bldg C, Wanda Plaza, 93 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District. (8599 6666) 朝阳区建 国路93号万达广场C座索菲特酒店6层