Echoes of Paris Reverberate on Market Street — After nearly seven years, Petite Jacqueline is still serving up dependable bistro fare

Of all the cuisines to have emerged, developed and propagated throughout the world, it is the French that most often get associated with culinary arts. Chalk it up to stereotypes, countless televised hours of Julia Child on The French Chef, groupthink or any combination of the above — we are taught and taught early that French cooking is the pinnacle; the mountain top.

While the reality is that countless cultures place just as much emphasis on carefully piecing together the perfect meal as the French, there’s a sliver of truth to the abundant clichés. French cuisine is technique-driven, often opulent (pressed duck, anyone?) and right at home when framed by a crisp white linen tablecloth. Rich with history and heavily romanticised, it’s also extraordinarily easy to fall in love with — especially for those who like to cook. Building a Hollandaise stable enough to not break once plated for the first time is a point of epiphany to the aspiring chef, and there are countless moments like these in French cooking.