はなみっちゃん
Restaurant Champ Fleche
Theme: Hachiman Nishi Ward
I visited Restaurant Champ Fleche for lunch in a quiet residential area of Matsujuyama, Hachiman Nishi Ward. The location is quite difficult to find. Just like last time, I got a little lost this time as well. There are a few parking spaces in front of the restaurant. It feels more like a house than a restaurant, and you can't see inside. It might take some courage to visit without any information, and it doesn't feel very casual... However, once inside, it didn't feel pretentious and the atmosphere was nice. There are about 30 seats, so it's probably best to make a reservation. The menu includes:
Course A (\1680): Appetizer, Soup, Today's Main Dish, Dessert, Bread, Coffee (or Tea or Peach Tea)
Course B (\2100): Appetizer, Soup, Pasta, Fish or Meat Dish, Dessert, Bread, Coffee (or Tea or Peach Tea)
Special Lunch (\3000): Choice of Drink, Appetizer, Soup, Fish Dish, Meat Dish, Dessert, Bread, Coffee (or Tea or Peach Tea)
There is a weekday lunch for around 1200 yen, but since it was Sunday, it was not available. The difference between Course A and Course B is whether there is pasta or not. This time, I was quite hungry, so I ordered Course B for 2100 yen. It included salmon, squid, chicken terrine, and chicken bacon as appetizers. The flavors were very refined. In particular, the terrine and bacon had a strong but delicious taste. The pumpkin cold soup was accidentally deleted from the photos, but it was sweet, flavorful, and delicious. The bread was a French baguette with gorgonzola penne cheese, with a rich and intense flavor. I thought the portions were small, but the richness made it just right.
For the main course, my friend had fish and I had meat. The fish dish was swordfish with tapenade. Tapenade is a sauce made with anchovies, garlic, and olive oil. The fish was overcooked and had a strong fishy taste, leaving a bad aftertaste. The tapenade was delicious, but the main fish dish was disappointing. The meat dish was pork with sweet potatoes. The pork was tough and overcooked, making it quite hard to chew. Considering how delicious the other dishes were, the main dishes were... I couldn't help but wonder what went wrong.
For dessert, we had chestnut ice cream and tiramisu. The chestnut ice cream was a nice seasonal touch, and both the ice cream and tiramisu were elegant with a mild sweetness. I hesitated between ordering coffee or orange juice, but I had plans to go to Starbucks later, so I opted for orange juice, which turned out to be delicious and rich.
Apart from the main courses, I really enjoyed the other dishes. Most reviews from others don't mention the main dishes being disappointing, so I'm thinking maybe it was just a mistake today... I would like to visit again, including for a rematch.
Restaurant Name: Restaurant Champ Fleche
Genre: French, Pasta
Phone: 093-603-5060
Address: 2-14-8 Matsujuyama, Hachiman Nishi Ward, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Business Hours:
[Tue-Sat] 11:30-14:00, 18:00-21:00 (L.O. 20:30)
[Sun/Holidays] 12:00-14:00, 18:00-21:00 (L.O. 20:00)
Lunch available, open on Sundays, Closed on Wednesdays and once a month on a weekday
By the way, if a man were to take you to such a restaurant, I would think about how much I appreciate his good taste. (Sorry for being so presumptuous)