Garcon (Plaza Senayan): Sassy, playful ambient matched with great French cooking

Garcon's appearance is not akin to most French establishments you've seen. The ornate interiors, sense of class, and refined cooking are still present, except the feel is definitely more lounge & nightlifey in a colorful kind of way. Dare I say it has a younger feel too.

But Garcon's colorful neons and shifty lighting shouldn't distract you from the good food that it offers. The restaurant has a wide range of French dishes (and, as always, a little bit of Italian) that will appeal to those looking for a serious & refined meal.

I really wasn't exaggerating when I said the atmosphere is playful & sassy. Garcon's lighting is dim, with a backlight that constantly changes in color between pink, purple, light blue, and others.



A few neon lighted shapes throughout the place. It's easy for this kind of lighting to make the restaurant feel cheap or tacky. But to my amazement Garcon still maintains a degree of sophistication. The lighting also helps in giving a sense of seclusion, despite being in the center of a shopping mall.

There are some space between tables, and the music isn't too loud, so the place is proper for a romantic dinner too.

Alright enough about the ambiance. I just thought it needs to be talked about since it feels a little out-of-this-world. My photos will have inconsistent background color due to it constantly changing but I won't edit it to give you a sense of what's the ambient like.

Complimentary bread.
Unknown white bread, peppered butter.

Very simple, yet arguably the best opening bread I've had in a while. The bread is crunchy on the outside, but very soft on the inside. The peppered butter spices up the taste wonderfully. I've never known peppered butter before, but if they usually taste this good then it should be more commonly available.

Appetizer.
Asparagus salad, tuna (?), sunflower seeds, pine parmesan cheese, balsamic dressing. 
IDR 85k

The whole combination is just amazing. I ordered this mainly for the asparagus, and they're indeed great. Slightly roasted to add a bit of savory taste. Very nice.

The vegetables are fresh, and the balsamic & vinegar dressing simply brought the flavor to life. Sunflower seeds to spice up the textures a bit. The tuna slices, albeit few, were a welcome addition as well.

Mains.
Duck confit, roasted potatoes, salad.
IDR 160k

The duck looks a bit burnt on the outside. But it has a combination of texture that I really like; slightly crispy skin, but tender in the inside. The meat comes off the bone easily (I think shouldn't be underestimated; I've had duck confits in other restaurants that I had to hold with my hand like chicken drumstick because I couldn't get the meat off the bones) and isn't chewy at all.

What's most impressive is that the duck itself has a nice flavor, even without the sauce. Compared with my past experience in Eric Kayser & Bistro Baron, for example, this is tastier. It's not astoundingly great but I like it.

I don't know if roasted potatoes go well with duck confit. I usually think mashed potatoes fit better because it creates a contrast of texture, but that's personal taste I guess.

Roasted/fried ducks are common in Indonesian culinary too, and many places serve tasty ducks with much lower prices. I think it's rather difficult for French restaurants to justify a hefty price tag for a more-or-less similar dish. So this dish is great, but I consider it quite pricey.

Risotto, sauteed shrimps, lemon, parsley.
IDR 90k-ish (don't quite recall the exact number).

This rice-like pasta is actually quite okay. Tasty risotto with a bit of lemon flavor. It's mushy, almost porridge-like. I didn't mind that, but again personal preference.

The shrimps are plenty and each of them are juicy. I'd say there's nothing too remarkable about this dish, but it's still good.

Dessert.
Angeline cake. 
IDR 45k

Garcon provides an assortment of cakes and pastries too, so the restaurant actually has a full range of meal service from wines, serious meals, bread, to cakes. Most of the cakes are layer cakes, compotes, religiouse, and others like what you can nowadays find in places like Cacaote, Eric Kayser, etc.

I had the Angeline, which I believe is a sort of layer cake with cheese cream. It was okay I guess, but way too creamy for me.

In different occasion, I tried the pastries to take home and I think they're very nice. So that's an option too; you can just pass by and buy some bread in the front counter to take away.

Bill for two came for IDR 597,000. That included 1 appetizer, 2 main courses, 1 cake, 2 mocktails, and a pot of tea. I'd say that's expensive, even considering the good experience I had here. Still, Garcon is always packed during peak hours.

One would wonder what kind of establishment Garcon is, because it looks a little puzzling from the outside. But this is a great place to enjoy a serious French meal or to just laze around and have a long chat while enjoying drinks or pastries. It's certainly one of my favorite French restaurants.

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Location: Plaza Senayan, just below the cinema.