@ Ocean 82
For some reason, humans tend to be creatures of habit, in the sense that when something becomes familiar, we will stay. When it comes to the Grand Case area, I am guilty of the same complacency. Fuelled by a marathon of cooking shows, however, I decided to try something new. Ocean 82 is one of those places I’ve looked at thinking the food would be really great to experience, but have never tried. On the outside, it competes with a barrage of other restaurants ranging from fancy to BBQ casual, but Ocean holds its own in terms of exterior. The serious look makes a diner curious about what is inside, but does nothing to diminish the quality of what’s inside.
There is something to be said for seaside dining, there’s not much else like it. My party was seated immediately and promptly offered drink options. As we waited to be served, I was able to take in the scenery. Ocean 82 situated directly on the beach of Grand Case with elegantly placed lighting to guide late-night strollers and make the view all the more breath-taking. Waves crashing to and fro create a calming effect as the tide prepares you for a delightful experience. I ordered a magnum of Rosé, because the occasion just seemed to call for lots of wine, and a regular bottle wouldn’t do the trick. The server brought out the dinner bread, which was fresh and delicious, served with a very creamy and lightly salted butter.
The menu is not extensive, but it is thorough. Every meal is a new experience rather than what has been previously done by others then copied and pasted onto the plates. What stood out to me most was the braised lamb shank, which was cooked for 24 hours with a white wine, honey and rosemary reduction sauce and served with fettuccini and green asparagus. When I dine at places I have to write about, I like to drink my wine just a bit faster to see how quickly the servers refill my glass. Not once did I have to wait more than two minutes even with a fair number of diners at other tables. The table was presented with an amuse-bouche of lobster ravioli with mushrooms in chicken broth and truffle oil. The broth was light and flavourful, but my ravioli was just a bit too al dente for my taste. The flavours in the ravioli filling were delicious, however, without the lobster flavour overpowering the mushroom.
My braised lamb shank was served in an amusing, porcelain bowl strangely reminiscent of an old bath tin, which was part of the presentation. Thankfully, the fettuccini was in a separate bowl, as I hate for sauce to touch my sides unless I introduce them. The meat cleanly slid off the bone as if freely sacrificing itself to me. The sauce was perfectly seasoned and tasted amazing with each new bite. The fettuccini was cooked perfectly, none of the repeated al dente issues. The greens on the plate tend to be the more neglected, but the chef was very respectful when he blanched my asparagus; they were soft, but maintained a delicate snap as I bit into them. At the end of the meal, my head was spinning with the decadence of the dish and the nearly finished magnum of Rosé. But I managed to suck it up and order dessert for journalism! Dessert was a light soufflé accompanied by homemade ice cream with vanilla and chocolate dipping sauce. Experiencing the soufflé brought me back to my childhood; it was like tasting flavours for the first time all over again. I’ll be hard pressed to find something to rival it.
Ocean 82
82 Blvd de Grand Case, Grand Case
Phone: +590 590 52 98 12
www.ocean-82.com
Open: Every day 11:00am -10:30pm
Cuisine: French
Good: Lamb Shank, Rack of Lamb, service, menu
Price range: $$$
Credit Cards, Cash
Reservations: Not necessary
Ratings:
Staff friendliness: *****
Service speed: *****
Restaurant cleanliness: *****
Food quality: *****
Value for money: *****
Ambience: *****
