The casual, informal French expression that’s equivalent to a "Hey there!" or "Hi!" is Coucou. So when it was time to name their French-style bistro, Carlo Lorenzana opted to name the One Bonifacio eatery Bistrot Le Coucou—French, catchy, and promising a chill ambiance. It has been a steady favorite for a discriminating clientele, and the bistro launched a Parisian brunch just the other week. Available from 11 a.m. on the weekends, and from 12 noon on the weekdays, the Parisian brunch menu presently consists of six dishes that represent French mid-day "savoir faire." My eldest son, Quintin, joined me one Saturday noon to sample some of the menu items.

First up was the Lobster Roll, which consists of a toasted brioche, lobster morsels, citrus mayonnaise, celery, and herring pearls. Each order has two rolls, and they’re served with French fries on the side. Despite the lightness of the brioche, they’re deceptively filling, and I loved the touch of the herring pearls, which is akin to caviar.

The Smoked Salmon Flatbread comes with crème fraîche, chopped shallots, chopped boiled egg, capers, dill, honey, and herring pearls. Think smoked salmon and caviar, put all the little add-ons normally associated with caviar, but now have them combined as topping on a flatbread, like a modified pizza. This works wonderfully, and it was a treat digging into this dish.

There are four more Parisian brunch items that should prove very popular to Coucou guests. There’s a French-style mac and cheese, with Gruyère and Comté béchamel, and with a crispy crust. A brunch offering that leans more to the breakfast side, there’s the Golden White Chocolate French Toast, served with maple syrup, fresh fruits, and whipped cream. Then there are the staples of a Croque Monsieur, and with an added fried egg, the Croque Madame — French ham with Gruyère, and béchamel sauce.

From the regular menu, and to keep to our seafood theme that lunch, we ordered the Snapper Tartare and Black Herring Caviar, with extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, and chives. The black herring unintentionally became a second recurring theme, our third dish with the herring pearls.

And we ordered one of my all-time favorites at Coucou, their Ravioli Demi-Luna, with scallops and chicken umami. Its half-moon ravioli, with beurre blanc, chicken skin broth, seared scallops, and Périgord black truffles. Divine! Trust me on this if you’ve not had this dish yet.

Order their Chocolate Mousse as a sweet ending to your Bistrot Le Coucou encounter. I promise you’ll thank me for having mentioned this.

Bistrot Le Coucou has an extensive menu that makes both lunch and dinner a memorable dining experience. Ever ready to make the bistro a more attractive proposition, and with specials for any time of the day, the Parisian brunch menu should prove to be a wonderful reason to start your day in grand Coucou style.