My friend gave me one of the most unexpected responses when I shared pictures from my recent visit to French Fold. Staring at the satchel-like galettes, she asked me if the dish was a “pizza prata fusion”. Def’ not the description that I had been expecting, but strangely fitting for this maverick dish nonetheless.
At first glance, the galette (or Breton galette, if you’re a stickler for definitions), with its napkin-like daintiness, seems as if it belonged at the end– rather than the start– of a meal. Yet, just like roti prata, it’s a complete meal in its own right; in fact, it’s common for people to struggle to even finish this dish.
The secret is in the batter. Buckwheat flour forms the skeleton of these galettes and its high-fibre content lends a heaviness to their taste. At the same time, because of its lack of gluten, the flour also lacks elasticity, making it a particularly tricky ingredient to handle.
As such, French Fold deserves credit for getting the texture of their savoury pancakes right. The skin of their galettes is more unyielding than that of a crepe, but it doesn’t frustrate the tongue with a dry and stiff bite. Instead, you are confronted with a more stubborn resistance, requiring more patient mouthfuls, but rewarding you with hints of earthiness.
This quality was what many people had expected from French Fold before the bistro even opened. After all, they were conceptualized by the Merci Marcel group, who have flourished since they launched their flagship outlet in Tiong Bahru in 2017, establishing themselves as one of the to-go spots for affordable French cuisine.
With French Fold, the group has dived into uncharted territory by curating their entire menu around the little-known (in Singapore at least) galette. For the uninitiated, their No. 4 ($17++) (yes, their dishes are identified through arbitrary numbers), which comes peppered with ham and sauteed mushrooms, is the only dish that will seem familiar, being the version of galettes served in the few restaurants that even offer galettes.
Yet, it’s only one of twelve galettes that are served at French Fold, as the restaurant experiments with everything from wild trout to satay chicken for their toppings. I opted for their No. 9 ($19++), which cradled chunks of baby potatoes and bits of pancetta and pickled onions, blanketed by a layer of molten Reblochon cheese.
With so many ingredients stuffed into this small parcel, I expected a motley of flavours to jostle for my attention from the get-go, making the galette’s layered taste all the more surprising. While the Reblochon cheese and pancetta carried an acute savouriness, they were softened by the mild taste of the potatoes. Stewed in white wine, the pickled onions then added another dimension to the dish, gleaning through the pancake’s heavier notes with its fermented sweetness.
The paper-thin ribbons of bayonne ham, served on the side, provided the piece de resistance. On their own, they hit me with an intense jolt of saltiness which erased any traces of cheese and pancetta that had lingered on my tastebuds. However, when paired with the galette, they completed the dish, accentuating its savoury notes while perfuming it with a floral fragrance.
At this point, with over 85% of my review dedicated to describing their galettes, I honestly want to say that they were the highlight of my visit to French Fold. But I can’t. I just can’t. Their crepes were just too good.
If their galette was the tough but fair headmaster, then the crepe would be the doting teacher, spoiling me from the first bite with its eggy aroma, soft touch, and fluffy bite. Their crepes pair superbly with most condiments, but I share a soft spot for their No. 14 ($9++), which is drizzled with copious amounts of Valrhona chocolate sauce. Cut a hefty slice of the crepe, mop up as much chocolate sauce as you can, and let the molten chocolate work its magic with its rich, chocolatey accents.
Oh, did I forgot to mention? French Fold collaborated with Birds of Paradise for their line of crepes. One of the best crepes in Singapore, paired with one of the best artisanal ice-cream in Singapore (bless Houjicha sea salt)– could there possibly be a better marriage of flavours?
Ultimately, you will experience this unique sense of fullness when you leave the French Fold bistro. It isn't the uncomfortable sense of bloatedness that sinks in after an ill-advised binge. Or the food-coma-inducing sense of heaviness that lingers after any heavy lunch. It was a satisfying sense of fullness– the type of serenity that you experience when the stomach is filled, the spirits lifted, and the mind well-rested. That, I believe, is an experience worth paying for.
Address: 204 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068640
Opening hours: Daily 8am to 10:30pm
Expected damages: Between $20 to $25
Rating: 4.2/5
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