L'Entrecote

Where? L'Entrecote (Toulouse, France) Map Menu

When? Monday May 8, 2017

Who? Me

Food Style? French Steakhouse

The restaurant hasn't opened yet but there is a line of people outside waiting to get in. The reviews for this place swing wildly between "this is the best steak ever" and "I can't believe I waited in line for this rubbish", so I'm here to see for myself, and also partially because I want more steak since last night's was so small. They have one dish at this restaurant - l'entrecôte - so they better do it well!

The important question is how do I want my steak cooked. In French, the term "medium rare" doesn't quite translate perfectly. Medium rare is somewhere around Saignant (bloody, slightly less rare than Bleu) and À Point (perfectly cooked, similar to how the Italians say al dente for their pasta). À Point will still be quite pink on the inside, erring to rare more than medium, but probably slightly more medium than Saignant. I've chosen À Point, hopefully my pronunciation is good enough!

Entree

Salad with nuts
A simple salad of lettuce and walnut begins the meal. Nice and crispy, and well dressed. All the salads in France are well dressed. Walnuts are on point.

Mains

Steak with fries and our famous sauce
My steak and fries appear. I'm slightly sad about the portion size...


But then the rest of the steak appears. We're good. This is decent. The meat is superb, cooked perfectly - à point! - with a nice pink hue in the middle. It's covered in a delicious sauce, which I hear is a closely guarded secret in the restaurant. It's full of oil and garlic, perhaps with a bit of mustard or ginger, but it works very well with both the meat and the fries, and amazingly with the baguette on the side.

I am well sated. That was a good steak! I am coaxed into dessert by the waitress (not really). I've chosen the chocolate vacherin and I don't know what that is. The waitress tries her best to explain it, and there's meringue, chocolate sauce, praline and ice cream. Sweet, sounds good! I'll give it a go.

Dessert

Le vacherin au chocolat
This hilariously massive tower of meringue and chocolate appears. I'm so amused that I literally laugh out loud. It's very rich and sweet but after a single glass of that delicious Bordeaux Rouge, I do not care. I power through, it's so much. A little kid walks by and stares at the dessert with his mouth wide open. I hope you get one too, random little kid.

Posted by Jeremy at 8:39pm on Friday June 9, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

Petit Mignon

Where? Petit Mignon (Bordeaux, France) Map

When? Sunday May 7, 2017

Who? Zamora and Eric

Food Style? French

I need steak. I've come back from a half day trip around some wineries and I've been drinking red wine all afternoon. I'm with a couple of people from the tour who have agreed to humour my steak needs. I've gone for a three course menu and a glass of local red. The waitress doesn't speak English and my friends don't speak French, so my rudimentary French is up to the test again.

Entree

Pané de chevre with honey and mesclun salad
Chevre is goat's cheese, usually baked. It's delicious. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with tasty dressed greens. It's simple but very well done.

Mains

Faux filet with homemade fries and Corsican wine sauce
The steak is excellent. It has that lovely grilled flavour and the sauce is perfect. The fries are nicely cooked and crispy, and even the salad is well dressed. My only criticism is the steak is so small - I was hoping for something more substantial.

Dessert

Tarte au citron
The tarte au citron is a bit goopy, not really meringue like at all. The biscuit base is nicely caramelised. It's very sweet but at least the lemon is pleasant. Definitely the weakest part of the meal but still enjoyable.

Posted by Jeremy at 8:31pm on Friday June 9, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

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 ::