Yoann Conte, Return to Veyrier-du-Lac

September 21st, 2014


What a pleasure to return to Yoann Conte's beautiful place by the Lake Annecy! (See previous article here). Returning a place you have liked is always a challenge, you run the risk of being disillusioned by the wonderful memories that your mind had embellished. But here nay! The cuisine is still exceptionally modern and flavorsome! The greeting from the joyous chef comes as an additional pleasure as if we had come the week before. A special mention is to be delivered by the wait staff who managed to deliver an excellent and professional service without being stuffy, even bringing a dash of humor.

"And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into hey, nonny, nonny."

Beef Tartare

Smoked Fera

Oyster and borage flowers

Large and smoked carabinero prawn, cooked on stone

Carrot in every ways

Dublin Bay prawn, sweet spices, citrus purrée

Leman Lake Fera, banana guacamole, sweet woodruff

A intentional tribute (not quite there yet) to Thierry Marx's sweetbread spaghetti. See the original version here. Excellent nevertheless!

Yoann Conte

13 Vieille route des pensières

74290 Veyrier du Lac

+33 4 50 09 97 49

contact@yoann-conte.com

Michel Roth - Bayview

September 20th 2014

Wow, shortly after the landing in Geneva, what good start to have lunch in front of the Lake Geneva, next to the former League of Nations building!

Now that Michel Roth has left the Ritz and taken over all food business at the President Wilson, it was worth a try. Michel Who, you say?  Michel Roth is the former chef from the Ritz and more importantly one of the very few chefs to have received the two most prestigious prizes of Meilleur Ouvrier de France and Bocuse d'Or. Nothing less!

The cuisine was generous and tasteful. Some accidentally dry spherified pearls came with the appetizers (not pictured below). I am very afraid that this unmastered technique might be another case which adversely advocates against the molecular cuisine in the public opinion. That said, this small unfulfillment didn't affect the rest of the meal which was globally brilliant.
The lunch deal is a steal especially in Geneva at the President Wilson Hotel among Bentleys and Rolls Royces!

Coconut and lime mousse

Snail mille-feuille

Fera, crayfish, crisp bread and south-style vegetables

Fig tart

Caramel and corn mousse

Bayview Restaurant by Michel Roth
47, Quai Wilson · 1211 Geneva · Switzerland
Phone: +41 22 906 65 52
http://www.hotelpresidentwilson.com/en/bayview-restaurant

Benoît Violier - Crissier

September 20th 2014


After the celebrated Frédy Girardet and Philippe Rochat who raised and maintained the three Michelin stars for several decades at the restaurant Crissier, Benoît Violier has now taken over the kitchen.

The young chef who has been working for many years with his two famous predecessors, succeeds in delivering an excellent cuisine which is anchored in tradition. Each dish is tasteful and flawlessly executed.

One small regret is about the bakery which despite a wide choice from a visually very appealing bread basket is not on par with the rest of cuisine.

On that evening, Benoît Violier was brushing up his upcoming game menu with some special guests (we couldn't help on snooping at their dish). It looked promising and it would give a reason to come back.

Raw and cooked vegetables medley with oscietre caviar

Crab and avocado

Saffron mussels, young vegetabels and sauvignon sauce

Porcini soft cake and girolles

Crispy red-mullet, tomato pulp, zucchini and picholines

Lobster à la "Saintongeaise"

Beef fillet, Madagascar pepper

Apricot compote, red fruit tonic

Melting-heart coconut, wild strawberries

Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville
1, rue d’Yverdon
CH-1023 CRISSIER – SWITZERLAND
Telephone : +41 (0)21 634 05 05
http://www.restaurantcrissier.com/

Christophe Saintagne - Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée

June 27th 2013

Here's another set of old pictures published to support nowadays news. With Ducasse reopening at the Plaza Athénée, let's revisit Christope Saintagne's (now in charge of the Meurice) cuisine.

Let's forget molecular cuisine, let's forget complex pretentious compositions, the great achievement of this cuisine is to demonstrate the elegance of the simplicity. Of course, the usual codes of haute-cuisine are there (lobster, caviar, pigeon, sweetbread, etc.) but the simplicity with which those are prepared is a perilous endeavour. No hiding behind a heavy sauce, no masking of the products. However risky this stance is, the Alain Ducasse and his team manage to deliver a truly wonderful experience.

A huge part of this experience is also due to the monitoring and presence of the Denis Courtiade, the maitre d'hotel whose judgement and heartfelt attention is becoming rare. A maitre d'hotel like Monsieur Courtiade somehow preserves from oblivion the incredible service and class of the great Maitres d'Hotel from other times and other places like the dearly missed Jean-Claude Vrinat.

Mr Ducasse on the other hand was not there, probably flying between Tokyo and Las Vegas to maintain the culinary empire he has created.

Lardo di Colonnata

Vegetables, olives (cooked in a salt crust)

Dublin bay prawns, caviar

Turbot, yonug vegetables

Spider crab, squid

Lobster, "sea potato"

Sweetbread

Spicy lamb

Pigeon, radish, mustard

Pigeon offals

Roasted poultry, herbs, girolles

Strawberry

Cottage yew cheese, caramel, pepper

Baba au rhum

Hôtel Plaza Athénée
25, avenue Montaigne
75008 Paris, France

Tel. +33 (0)1 53 67 65 00
Fax. +33 (0)1 53 67 65 12
adpa@alain-ducasse.com
www.plaza-athenee-paris.fr

Jean-François Rouquette - Pur' at Park Hyatt Vendôme

September 15th 2014

A return to Jean-François Rouquette's Pur restaurant at the Park Hyatt confirms that this table, despite being under the radar of journalistic trends, has a solid team and delivers high-quality cuisine navigating between tradition and modernity.
Dishes incorporate some bits of Aveyron, the Chef's birth region like those pickled-berries. The gastronomic journey also explores the remote frontiers of Japan with this flavouful Foie-gras shabu-shabu.
Being at the chef's table gives the opportunity to open the dialog with skillful craftsmen all along the dinner.

Amuses-bouches

Beef Tartare, mustard sherbet

The Chef's table offers a great view into the kitchen

Chef Jean-François Rouquette

Foie Gras Shabu-shabu, Soba noodles, pickled plums

Girolles, hazelnut and cereals, pickled blackberries, onion caramel

John-Dory, butternut squash, buckwheat clams, lemongrass and ginger

Pigeon breast and its offal cromesquis, sweet-clover, shallot, radish, sweet and sour plums

Dry-aged Beef Filet, Fire-roasted eggplants, blown potato

Fourme d'Ambert and figs

Pear sherbet and Caramel

Passion-fruit Vacherin, old-rum flambéed bananas

Berry salad

All chocolate and caramel dessert

Pur'
5 Rue de la Paix,
75002 Paris, France
+33 1 58 71 10 60