New French eatery offers a unique culinary experience

Cocottine features a decor scheme that brings to mind the sparkling sea and sky of the Cote d'Azur in France. Its interior design captures the atmosphere of a French bistro.

The new restaurant, which opened in July in Parkview Green mall in Beijing, has a distinctly southern French soul.

It's a melting pot of diverse cultural influences. Cocottine's cuisine not only includes southern French-style food but also incorporates flavors from Spain, Italy, North Africa and further afield.

Cocottine is a new sub-brand of Groupe Flo. According to its managing director, Jimmu Loh, the new concept aims to transport diners to a bistro in the south of France through a dining experience that engages all five senses.

According to Loh, the inspiration for the restaurant's name comes from the French word cocotte, which is a type of cooking pot that is a central part of French cuisine. The pots are popular with everyone from home cooks to world-renowned chefs.

A cocotte is typically made of enameled cast iron, which generates even, gentle heat that creates succulent and flavorful dishes without the need to add liquid or extra fat.

Usually dishes cooked en cocotte-the French term for this method of cooking-use larger cuts of meat, making them perfect for sharing.

Aiming to capture this sense of conviviality, Cocottine serves many dishes in cocottes for diners to share.

The restaurant's signature showstopper is spicy tomato crayfish from Cote d'Azur, which is served in a cocotte. It is a unique French interpretation of a Chinese dish-inspired by a visiting Michelin-starred chef, who enjoyed eating spicy crayfish when visiting Beijing but felt the sauce they served had too much oil.

Cocottine's crayfish is slowly cooked in a cocotte for five hours. This allows their juices to combine with a sauce of tomatoes and dozens of aromatic herbs and spices, as well as a hint of mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorn.

Cocottine's osso bucco is a dish presented in a cocotte alongside creamy mashed potatoes. A crosscut beef shank on the bone is slowly cooked with vegetables and a reduction of red wine for up to 12 hours, leaving the meat meltingly tender.

Cocottine's unique take on Portuguese egg tarts is a highlight among desserts. Unlike the usually heavy pastry, the tart is replaced with a light puff-pastry cup, and the addition of walnuts to the custard filling adds welcome texture.

Topped with a final sprinkle of cinnamon and powdered sugar, Loh recommends enjoying the egg tarts alongside a strong coffee, specially brewed in a traditional Italian-style stove-top coffee maker.

"Today's average Beijing diner is well-traveled and open to sampling global flavors and cuisines. By serving a menu that champions the diverse influences that have come together to create what we know as French cuisine, Cocottine offers these adventurous diners a unique culinary experience," says Loh.