I took French in high school and sucked at it. My teacher was an old French woman who seemed irritated with Americans. Or maybe she was just irritated with me since I said je nais sais pas often when I was called on. You know how Anne of Green Gables called cranky people gimlets? Well, this woman was a gimlet who would slam her wrinkled hand on my desk and screech VITE VITE (hurry hurry) and I’m sorry, a person cannot think in another language in the morning when someone is shouting at you.
Anyway.
Despite the fact that I never understood the French language, I do love French food. I can even order myself cheese (fromage) and chocolate (chocolat.) A new French restaurant opened at The Pearl in San Antonio called Brasserie Mon Chou Chou and I knew I wanted to try it out. Mom and I decided to go for lunch.
It’s not huge inside and is set up nicely. There is outdoor seating as well.
You don’t just get water handed over in a cup. Nope, they pour water from a fancy bottle for you. I also ordered Diet Coke.
I knew I wanted to get the Sandwich Au Fromage Raclette which is where they scrape melted raclette cheese on a baguette. I’m serious. Look:
I don’t think I’ve even had raclette cheese before. It sort of smells like feet but DOES NOT taste like feet. It had a rich flavor that paired wonderfully with the fresh baguette. I got mine with the Bayonne ham which basically tasted like prosciutto.
This is actually considered an appetizer. I saw many tables sharing it. However, my poor mom is lactose intolerant so she couldn’t have any. This is why it was my main dish.
I also got a side of fries because when I lived in Belgium I remembered the glorious fries wrapped in a cone. These fries weren’t quite as good, but still scrumptious and fresh. They were well salted and served with garlic aioli (love) and ketchup.
Mom got the Coq Au Vin. I had a bite and the chicken was tender and well seasoned. The mashed potatoes tasted creamy (which is why mom didn’t have much of them to be safe) and were flavorful.
Oh, and in between taking these photos, I accidentally dropped my phone because I am a total klutz. It made a loud crash and mom was slightly embarrassed. Sorry.
There are tons of different wines and cocktails to try but I decided to get dessert instead. Behold the creme brûlée.
I would have ordered a dessert Mom would have too but sadly there weren’t any. However, she was able to eat the fruit. My dessert tasted fresh and had that perfect crack when you broke the sugar on top.
I would recommend Brasserie Mon Chou Chou for sure. There’s also a Sunday Brunch that I’ll have to try at some point. To check out the menu and see the hours, go here. It does get busy so I recommend making reservations which you can do from the site.
