Societi Bistro’s Tour Through France is back once more and yesterday saw it kicking off in Paris. For those who don’t know, Societi’s ‘trip’ sees the restaurant featuring ten delicious three-course menus paired with ten exceptional wines, each inspired by a different region of France, that change every week.

I was thrilled to be invited to a little pre-party to celebrate as this meant I got to sample a bunch of the dishes as well as the wine (oh, the wine!) while chatting to the winemakers themselves. Chef Stefan Marais was there too, of course. He’s the man behind each menu and totally knows his shizz as dude spent a good two years cooking in France. Rustic, hearty, non-frilly French cuisine is something this man can do in his sleep.

Of everything I tried, I most enjoyed the Fricassee de poulet a la crème (R105), a wickedly creamy free-range chicken dish served with gratin dauphinois, from region 6: The French Alps. (This is me making a mental note to pop into Societi in the week starting on the 27^th of August. FYI, the suggested wine pairing is Hartenburg Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz  – a spicy, peppery, berrylicious blend.)

I also really enjoyed region 9’s Salade Nicoise (R60), a tuna salad served with boiled eggs, olives, capers and anchovies.

Other dishes on the menu? These babies…

FYI, the charcuterie starter (R75) from region 10, Corsica, is also excellent.

Seen anything to temp to? If you want to get your French on, pop on over to the Tour Through France section of Societi’s website. You can browse the menus, make note of those that float your boat and make a reservation.

A big thank you to Societi Bistro, owner Peter Weetman and the rest of the team for a lovely afternoon out (that was totally worth the kilojoules).

Love, love

Leigh