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Cochon (New Orleans, LA)

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

exterior

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

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

dinner rolls

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

wood-fired oysters with chili garlic butter

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

chicken & andouille gumbo

Gumbo was very strong here with a deep earthy flavor.

fried baby back ribs pepper jelly

fried pork ribs

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

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

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

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

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.

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