Contrary to public speculation, few changes have taken place at Thee Bungalow since restaurateurs David and Leslie Cohn took over last year. The 35-year-old restaurant remains one of the sacred “untouchables” in town with its rustic, wine-centric ambience and white-linen French fare.

As the Cohns well know, the regular patrons would launch war with anyone who dared meddle with such favorites as the Veal Sweetbreads, the lamb Osso Bungalow or the Famous Roast Duck, which is crisped at high heat before it’s slow cooked at a lower temperature. The restaurant’s management and new chef, Paul Niles, assured us those savory dishes are here to stay.

In mid-May, however, about 30 percent of the menu will discretely be replaced by more seafood, such as Lobster Two Ways and a more classic Bouillabaisse that omits California touches of Cotija cheese and avocado. While the final menu specs are still being debated, I decided to visit for the first time under the Cohn ownership to determine what subtle changes have occurred since former owner Ed Moore sold the place.

In classic Cohn style, meal portions are bigger, as evidenced in the shockingly thick, double-cut brined rib of pork I ordered from the “Sunset Specials” menu. Side dishes are now served on the main plate alongside entrées rather than in separate pewter pots. Service is equally efficient and perhaps a touch less starchy. And aside from the installation of a spanking new restroom, the interior retains that warm feel of an Austrian inn. The changes so far are safe and innocuous and add value to the experience.

I’m guessing that the Kobe Beef Sliders hiding chunks of foie gras weren’t on the menu when I last visited a couple years ago, if only because my arteries tend to scream murder when I so much as lay eyes on such sinful meat combinations. All the more decadent, they’re crowned with thick applewood bacon and truffle Dijon aioli and served on homemade brioche. Though very good, I forfeited my share of these cholesterol H-bombs to my companion after taking only a few bites.

We also started with a buttery Shrimp Scampi flamed in brandy. Just as I remembered from the pre-Cohn days, the garlic took a back seat, allowing the sweetness of the shrimp to ring forward. Another appetizer, Three Cheese Cappelletti, involves prefab pasta pillows stuffed with ricotta, Parmesan and Romano cheeses and served in a newfangled basil-garlic cream sauce. We struggled to taste the basil. And my companion said he preferred this dish when the sauce recipe used to be spiked with anise.

The restaurant’s house basil vinaigrette compensated for the lost herb in the aforementioned pasta dish – and it’s pretty fantastic over the Warm Chicken Salad, as it delivers a strong and spicy bouquet of basil to your sinuses the second it arrives to the table. “I can bathe in this!” my companion exclaimed. The dressing has been a mainstay in the restaurant, and it, too, will stick around for the long run.

Chef Niles, who hails from Blue Point (one of 11 Cohn restaurants), proved his culinary expertise in the brining and grilling of my double-cut prime rib of pork, which measured almost two inches thick and sported a checkerboard of sharply crisscrossed grill marks. The meat inside was cooked to a perfect blush of pink and had absorbed the right amount of sourness from the brine. Alongside was tasty wilted cabbage and roasted potatoes moistened with a light sherry demi-glacé.

My companion’s entrée, a lamb shank fit for a size queen, underwent the slow braising treatment normally given to veal Osso Bucco, sucking in the stewy flavors of red wine and root veggies. The dish was comforting and noticeably non-gamey, which we didn’t mind, although hardcore lamb lovers might be left yearning for the meat’s more classic, grassy overtones.

Other dishes on the menu for now include a first-course pâté sampler (made in house), Pan Roasted Half Chicken, Filet Mignon, Alaskan Salmon with artichoke truffle salsa, Rack of Lamb and West Coast Surf & Turf, comprised of petite filet mignon and stewed Maine lobster.

Thee Bungalow’s wine list is lauded for its lengthiness and provides half the fun in dining here. We chose a bottle of California petite syrah unfamiliar to us – Marilyn Remark of Paso Robles ($37) that justly complemented our meat entrées with its medium jamminess and balanced tannins. For dessert, I gravitated back the restaurant’s established, light and fluffy chocolate mousse, deliberately skipping over the orange or chocolate liqueur soufflés that I had found too eggy under the previous ownership. I’m not sure if the soufflé recipe has changed, but even so, we couldn’t fathom piling eggs, milk and sugar into our bodies after eating this well.