PICS: MARCO POLO

Listing a menu in French and slapping on a French article to 'Sherpa' does not a French restaurant make. The only thing that makes Le Sherpa forcibly français is its ridiculous offering of Dom Pérignon at Rs 27,750 (sans tax). The latest tenant at Ramalaya in Lazimpat needs to revamp or is likely to face eviction.

Sherpa, écoutez-moi:

Tip #1. Get an egg timer. Your slatted wooden skylight and open-air court summon a perfect date for a balmy summer's night; your heat lamps and fire pit keep us winter proof and your garçons (et vos filles) are eager to serve. But an inviting atmosphere and pleasant service however necessary are not sufficient. Even though we were the only patrons at the time of review, the turnaround from kitchen to table for two plates took half an hour.

Tip #2. Say cheese. Once our order had arrived, at that point anything would have sated our appetites. Sadly, the ham and cheese crêpe was subpar and lacking in fromage. Google 'béchamel'.

Tip #3. Go fish. Save for the white wine sauce, the gourmandises de l'ocean (with a title that could only tease) was a letdown. Overcooked, the sole fish and tiger prawns were rubbery. Although not listed as a pasta dish, much to our surprise, it came with a nest of plain linguini. At Rs 815, as the French would say, "Quelle arnaque!"

Tip #4. Burn, bébé, burn. Surely, a traditional French sweet like a mousse au chocolat or a tarte au citron would redeem Le cher Sherpa. Perhaps, we made the wrong choice. The crème brulée consisted of an uneven, grainy top, a starchy custard and an unpleasant aftertaste. The ultimate litmus test to a well-torched crème brulée: take a spoon and gently tap the caramelized surface. If it cracks, parfait! If it cuts through without a hitch, it isn't brulée.

Tip #5. 'Reservez' s'il vous plaît. Le Sherpa, do yourself a favor and reserve a table at Délices de France in Thamel or Chez Caroline or Sol at Babar Mahal Revisited for a course or two in French.

North on Lazimpat pass the Shangri-la Hotel on your left, and turn right into Ramalaya