Cochon (New Orleans, LA)

Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St
New Orleans, LA 70130
Dining date: 6/11/15

Cochon was one of the most oft-mentioned restaurants when I fielded New Orleans restaurant recommendations. Both locals and visitors alike have taken a liking to chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski’s ode to the pig. True to the restaurant’s name the menu is pork-heavy, but plenty of other proteins like the region’s local seafood make it on to the menu as well. Almost everything is crafted in-house here, particularly the cured pork products.

Still hungover from the three martini lunch at Commander’s Palace, a cocktail was in order.

mollywop cathead honeysuckle vodka, campari, peach bitters, lemon san pellegrino

Dinner rolls were served warm, always a plus. Hard to go wrong with these.

wood-fired oysters with chili garlic butter

The only cooked oysters we had all trip, these were full of bold spice flavors, plenty of butter and subtle smoke. Pretty delicious.

chicken & andouille gumbo

Gumbo was very strong here with a deep earthy flavor.

fried baby back ribs pepper jelly

One of the day’s specials, these ribs were both tender and very crispy. They had a great contrast of textures and were packed with flavor.

fried boudin with pickled peppers

I loved this boudin, fried to a crisp with plenty of porky-rice goodness on the inside. The southern version of the Italian arancino. Probably one of my favorite bites all trip.

louisiana cochon with turnips, cabbage & cracklins

One of the signature dishes here, pork shoulder was braised then put together into a patty and seared. Fried pork skin served as garnish atop the patty. It all sounded great but felt sort of monotone and just as exciting as I had hoped.

macaroni & cheese casserole

The cheese sauce in the mac & cheese had good flavor, but the pasta was way too mushy for my liking.

butterscotch pudding with toasted pecan shortbread

We ended on a high note with a very rich butterscotch pudding. Not too sweet and with plenty of flavor.

Dinner at Cochon was a good one, though it may have been a bit over-hyped for me. I was much more impressed by the varied small plates than the entree and side. Still, flavors were bold and rich as advertised and the restaurant did do a very good job of showcasing a myriad of pork preparations with Louisiana flair.