Cafe du Port

Where? Cafe du Port (Bordeaux, France) Map Menu

When? Saturday May 6, 2017

Who? Me

Food Style? French

I arrived in Bordeaux quite late and needed to do laundry, so by the time all of that finished, I was quite hungry and needed food fast. Fortunately, on the way back to the hotel, there was Cafe du Port, sporting a lovely view of the river and cathedral right by Pont de Pierre, and even more fortunately, they have a Bordeaux must-eat on the menu - oysters!

Entree

Oysters
They are so good that I don't even pause to write about them. The six oysters vanish in the blink of an eye; smooth, creamy, and delightfully juicy with a few drops of lemon juice. I would have easily eaten 24 more if I was made of money.

Mains

Rack of lamb with baby vegetables and ginger sauce
A large plate of lamb arrives. It smells incredible and the taste matches - perfectly cooked, soft and succulent meat, delicious rendered fat, and a rich appetising sauce. Even the roasted root vegetables on the side are worth mentioning; they've been drizzled with olive oil and they're sweet and full of flavour, a sign of good produce. Any leftover meat on the bone is torn away savagely by my teeth; I hope this isn't too much of a faux pas. Any leftover sauce is wiped away with a slice of bread. I have enjoyed this immensely.

I wasn't going to have dessert but after a meal like that, I have to. I choose the unpronounceable one, which means "soft", but really I have no idea what it is.

Dessert

Moelleux with almonds, apricots and pistachio ice cream
It turns out it's a very moist but dense cake. The raspberry coulis is well balanced and I like the inclusion of the pistachio nuts, but my favourite thing on the plate is the pistachio ice cream. It's an unusual combination but pistachio and raspberry goes quite well. An excellent meal!

Posted by Jeremy at 8:22pm on Friday June 9, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

Le Nouveau Monde

Where? Le Nouveau Monde (Nantes, France) Map Menu

When? Friday May 5, 2017

Who? Me

Food Style? French Fine Dining

Named in honour of Jules Verne, who was born in this building in 1828, Le Nouveau Monde is an upmarket restaurant in central Nantes that serves some classic Nantais cuisine. Their website listed frogs legs on the menu but unfortunately they aren't serving it today - I would have been so keen otherwise. I've gone for a three course meal from the Jules Verne Menu, which is €29.

Entree

Double tartare with salmon, yellowfin tuna and citron confit vinaigrette
The salmon and yellowfin tuna tartare arrives. It's got a delicate, smooth and creamy texture with lots of great flavours. The citrus is subtle but pairs perfectly with the fish. I think it's a pretty generous portion, given the quality of the ingredients. A very good start!

Mains

Cod with Nantais butter
The cod arrives with beautiful orange streaks of pumpkin and a side plate of creamy artichoke purée. The fish is cooked to perfection, smooth white flesh that falls nicely when I slice my knife through it. The Nantais butter is rich and has a sprinkling of lemon in it, and I'm happily soaking the baguette in the leftover sauce and purée. Another excellent dish.

Dessert

Chocolate dome with pistachio sand and hazelnut ice cream
Finally the chocolate dome is here. Wow. Decadent and so, so wonderfully rich, the chocolate mousse and pistachio biscuit base brings an appreciative smile to my face. It has crunch, it has depth, it is very well made - the glaze is so smooth and reflective I can see the blue sky outside on the surface of the dome. It reminds me very much of Louis Sergeant back home in Wellington.

Definitely the best meal I've had so far in France. The skill and finesse of the chef is evident in every dish served tonight, the menu is well thought out and presented immaculately. Parfait!

Posted by Jeremy at 8:14pm on Friday June 9, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

Margaux

Where? Margaux (Saint Malo, France) Map Menu

When? Thursday May 4, 2017

Who? Me

Food Style? Crepes and Galettes

The little town of St Malo is a beautiful walled establishment, overlooking several islands in a section of the English Channel that sparkles emerald green in the sun. It's known for its savoury crepes, or for galette, as well as its sweet ones. I've chosen a little cafe with no English translations called Margaux for a quick lunch, because I need to be back at the bus soon.

I chose the Enzo. I was very interested in the "canard fumé", which, without looking it up, I hope is smoked duck.

Galette

Enzo - smoked duck breast, pear, roquefort and balsamic reduction
Holy moly. It is absolutely delicious. And my translation is also correct. The smoked duck and the blue cheese, beautifully rich ingredients, perfectly balanced by the sweet poached pear and a slight hint of the balsamic reduction. The for galette is crispy, not soft like a crepe. I am very impressed.

Posted by Jeremy at 8:08pm on Friday June 9, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

Chez Laurette

Where? Chez Laurette (Honfleur, France) Map Menu

When? Wednesday May 3, 2017

Who? Me

Food Style? French

Honfleur is a small town right at the mouth of the river Seine. The waterfront area is a bit touristy so I've tried to go into the back alleys to get something with a hint of authenticity and also something that isn't ludicrously expensive. This place says "cuisine actuelle" so I hope they live up to that. I've chosen mussels in white wine sauce with fries since seafood is in abundance at this coastal town.

Mains

Moules à la marinière - mussels with white wine, parsley and onion
I need to get used to the fact that mussels in Europe aren't the fat juicy green lipped variety from New Zealand, which makes me slightly sad. Nevertheless, the mussels taste great, lots of onion and parsley and a hint of white wine, but some of them are a bit gritty, probably with a bit of sand. It's not on the same level as my favourite moules avec frites from Leuven, the Belgian beer cafe in Wellington, but it's not bad.

I finally get to the sauce at the bottom. It's maybe a bit watered down, and doesn't taste very good with the baguette. It's missing sweetness, like maybe a bit of citrus to balance out the sourness of the white wine.

Posted by Jeremy at 8:04pm on Friday June 9, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

Aux Tonneaux des Halles

Where? Aux Tonneaux des Halles (1st Arrondissement, Paris, France) Map Menu

When? Tuesday May 2, 2017

Who? Me

Food Style? French Bistro

I purchased some desserts from a patassier near Chatelet. As I walked back to the train station, I noticed a pedestrian mall filled with busy eateries, so I pulled out Yelp and got it to recommend a place, so here I am at Aux Tonneaux. There isn't a hint of English anywhere; there's locals and a menu completely in French. I thought about ordering the 1kg côte de boeuf but it was probably a bit on the expensive side at €60. Instead I've ordered the terrine and the duck confit, two very French dishes, and a glass of rosé.

Entree

La Terrine du Chef
The terrine is very tasty, but not the smoothest terrine I've ever had. I'm guessing it's chicken, just because that's the first thing that came to mind when I tasted it. It goes so well with the baguette and pickled red onion. The salad has been dressed with a hint of mustard (I hope it's from Dijon!) and I love it.

Mains

Confit de Canard
An impressive leg of duck arrives. It smells delightful. First bite - oh wow. That flavour. The meat is a tad dry and the skin isn't very crispy but the flavour is spot on, rich with onions and herbs. I can hear Manu Feidel's words in my head though - "where is the sauce!" - I wish there was more gravy so I can eat it with the bread. It's so delicious.

Posted by Jeremy at 8:00pm on Friday June 9, 2017 :: 0 comments ::