The Plump Frenchman: Zouk’s new Bugis bistro does French fare affordably with S$25 lunch sets and tasty desserts

Do you think of French food in Singapore as something that’s bougie and more pricey than other meals on the F&B scene? 

Generally, we’d agree, but Bugis’ new bistro opening, The Plump Frenchman, is here to challenge that perception.

The new concept is located at Guoco Midtown II and is opened by the Zouk Group, while being headed by group chief culinary officer, chef Lorenz Hoja.

This man has all the credentials for French food — he was the head honcho at two Michelin-starred L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, which was opened by venerated French culinary legend Joel Robuchon, before it closed in 2018.

If you know anything about fine dining, you’d be familiar with Robuchon as the most decorated chef in Michelin history, with a total of 31 Michelin stars across his raft of restaurants

That’s what makes The Plump Frenchman such an alluring new opening — you get to taste French cuisine from one of the best chefs in its category, with dishes starting from S$13.

The restaurant is done up casually with a mix of rustic charm and modern chic, making it great as a hangout spot or light-hearted date-night option, unlike many other French restaurants in our city, which tend to be a lot more formal.

The Plump Frenchman’s S$25 lunch sets

Besides being a spot to charm your dates, it also doubles as a great spot to bring clients or colleagues — The Plump Frenchman actually offers affordable set lunches starting from S$25.

Three options are available:

• S$25 for one main and one dessert
• S$35 for one starter, one main and one dessert
• S$37 for two starters, one main and one dessert

The second option is probably more than enough to fill you up for a casual lunch, without triggering a food coma.

We recommend starting with the Chou-fleur (cauliflower) for a solid soup course — the cauliflower veloute is creamy and comforting, but still light enough that it doesn’t get cloying.

If you haven’t tried the classic ratatouille dish — many of us may have watched the Pixar film but have yet to try the actual dish — then The Plump Frenchman also offers it as one of the options for lunch.

The ouef mollet en ratatouille (S$17 a la carte) comes with an assortment of juicy veggies stuffed into a skillet and crowned with an egg.

It’s very tangy and carries a tiny touch of char — quite addictive, especially with the silky yolk mixed in.

For something that’s just as light, but with a bit more meatiness, The Plump Frenchman’s saumon en papilotte (additional S$15 for set lunch) is worth considering for the top-up.

“En papilotte” is a traditional French style of baking the food in parchment paper and the salmon comes out perfectly tender and silky, while herbs, lemon and butter give it a refreshing and piquant boost.

If you’re not quite up for the set lunch, The Plump Frenchman also does rotisserie and you can get the demi poulet (half rotisserie chicken) for S$17!

As you’d expect, it comes with lightly crispy golden-brown skin and tender, juicy flesh. But what makes all the difference is the sriracha sauce that comes at the side — it’s somewhat reminiscent of chicken rice chilli, but with a much feistier spicy kick.

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To sweeten the deal

Although there are plenty of well-executed and reasonably priced savoury offerings, we think desserts might be where The Plump Frenchman truly shines.

Take the oeuf a la neige that we chose as part of our lunch set, for example.

The poached meringue is pillowy soft and bouncy, almost like a lighter marshmallow, while the creme anglaise is intoxicatingly fragrant, inundated with vanilla aroma and a lick of rum richness.

But it’s hard to pick our favourite when the tiramisu citron (S$11) was equally alluring, layered with smooth airy cream, while oozing with elegant lemon tang and elevated with a splash of olive oil.

Then there’s the mousse au chocolat (S$14). A simple dessert for sure, but The Plump Frenchman’s rendition sports the most velvety texture and the lushest chocolate notes without all that annoying saccharineness.

Between the sweets and the affordable offerings, we think The Plump Frenchman is just the French restaurant that Singaporeans have been looking for.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on Xiao Yu Hao’s comforting sauerkraut fish bowls and all the latest menu refreshes worth checking out!

You can make a reservation at The Plump Frenchman via Grab Dine Out, and then book a ride there for the set lunch or the desserts!