Gourmet Detective
Le Petit Café
An East Coast Treasure
by Pamela Price
photos by Kevan Ip
For our 50th issue, the Gourmet Detective traveled over
3,000 miles to Branford, Connecticut to dine at one of the
most talked about French restaurants in the North East.
Every year during the holiday season I bundle up and visit
picturesque Connecticut, located less than two hours from
New York City. With streets lined with quaint coffee shops
and ice cream parlors, one of the most charming stops in the
town of Branford is Chef Roy Ip’s Le Petit Café.
In an economy when many restaurants are here today and gone
tomorrow, Chef Roy’s bistro has withstood the test of time
for almost 20 years since he first opened his doors in 1997.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, two questions come to mind:
Why specialize in French cuisine and why settle in small
town U.S.A?
Chef Roy explained that he began cooking when he was very
young.
“I came from a big family in Hong Kong and I’m the fifth
child of my six siblings. Everyone worked and helped.
Usually the sixth child is the one being pampered, so who
does all of the work? (laughter) The fifth child! I
experienced different kinds of cooking helping my mom,
chopping and doing the dishes.”
Two decades ago, Chef Roy made the big move to follow his
passion for cooking.
“French cooking always intrigued me and was fascinating. The
presentation, the principle and the attitude is so
meticulous. When I came to America in 1994-95, I first lived
in Manhattan. I saw the French Culinary Institute in New
York and I wanted to give it a try to see if this was what I
was dreaming of. Twenty years later…”
It turns out that his dreams came true. He wanted to open a
bistro because he finds the art of bistro cooking “very
down-to-earth.” He describes it as home-cooking, but a level
up in terms of the cooking technique and sophistication.
Chef Roy opens Le Petit Café for dinner Wednesday through
Sunday and on Saturday evenings for two fixed seatings at
5:30 PM and 8:30 PM. Every morning he prepares all of the
organic and natural ingredients to create the evening’s
menu. All sauces, baked goods and pastries are made from
scratch in the kitchen. To keep the intrigue, Chef Roy
changes the Menu du Jour on a weekly and seasonal basis.
In the heart of town, you can’t miss the forest green
bistro-front. Inside, it’s quite cozy with black checkered
tiles and wooden chairs and tables covered in traditional
white cloth. Almost every inch of wall space is adorned with
eclectic framed French art and that famous horizontal bistro
mirror. The classic French music, from Edith Piaf to Charles
Trenet transports you to another world.
Chef Roy is very much a part of the atmosphere, always
greeting his guests and sometimes even serving the dishes
himself. The local residents know him by name and
vice-versa.
On the evening I dined, it was difficult to choose as
everything looked so enticing, from the country style pork
pâté layered with armagnac infused cherries and house-cured
foie gras, to the warm duck leg confit with Roy’s special
fresh fruit jam. With a four course prix fixe menu, I
decided to start with one of my preferred French appetizers,
the sautéed French escargot. But instead of the traditional
escargot in a shell on a tin plate, it is (Burgundy) served
with blue cheese (premium French “St. Agur”) and cognac
sauce on a herb-accented puff pastry.
Chef Roy has a way of infusing diverse ingredients to create
a unique experience for the diner’s palate. Although the
menu may seem to cater to those who love meat, there are
other options, including the soup du jour (French Onion
during my visit) or the baked miso glazed Chilean sea bass
for an entrée.
I could not resist the Angus New York steak au poivre (Texas
premium aged angus) served “Le Petit Café style” with
watercress salad and brandy-black peppercorn sauce.
Naturally, one cannot dine the French way without frites
(fries) to go with your steak au poivre. Chef Roy’s sauce is
hearty and has a pinch of sweetness, making every bite
delectable.
Speaking of sweet, when it comes to beverages, Le Petit Café
offers a full wine menu and Chef Roy even crafts and mixes
his very own cocktail recipes occasionally.
Rounding out the evening, I finished with the Crème Brûlée
made with vanilla bean and topped with berries.
When I asked Chef Roy what his top choice dish is, he told
me, “One of my favorite dishes to cook and eat is the
classic French dish called the Vinegar Chicken. You use a
vinegar sauce to slow cook the chicken with vegetables. It’s
comfort food.”
It is certainly a comforting experience to dine at Le Petit
Café. I now know why people travel from around the country
and even the world for a reservation. Rated Connecticut’s
Best Restaurant for Food by Zagat, I have no doubt that this
quaint bistro will continue to rise to the top of foodie’s
‘must eat at’ lists.
225 Montowese St.
Branford, CT — 06405
Tel: 203 483-9791
http://www.lepetitcafe.net