Back in 2015 I wrote about my first visit to the Boroa Jatetxea Restaurant. I write this following my second visit, which took place in November 2016.
The converted 15th century farmhouse is a wonderful building, spacious and “warm”. Do not let the rural setting fool you. This is a one Michelin star restaurant.
Íñigo Elorriaga, a Basque who lives in nearby Gernica (Guernica), is the chef in charge of innovation.
Jabier Gartzia Ruiz, a native of Gernica, is the head chef.
Oxtail capuccino came as a welcome drink and it was delicious! Light enough not to overpower the senses, but still capable of providing flavor, it was smooth and warm.
Slightly smoked European eel and avocado in spiced quince veil over foie gras with citric aroma was my starter. An absolute winner, a dish I could again and again without ever getting bored.
Cod tasting (grilled, vizcaina and pil pil) was my main course. I have a special devotion to salt cod and it cannot get any better than what I taste in Basque Country.
The dish has three pieces, wach cooked in a different way.
The second piece is “vizcaina”, another local preparation, with a thich red sauce. The purists say that the sauce should be made only with red peppers, that is without any tomatoes. Today it is more often than not that you find a tomato thrown in the sauce.
The last preparation is grilled. This is a “nowhere to hide” preparation. The smallest fault of the fish will reveal itself on the grill, as well as the cook’s ability to maintain all the juices and aromas of salt cod’s most expensive cut.
Fruits of the forest sweet. Boroa Jatetxea Restaurant, Basque Country. Photo: Nikos Moropoulos
Raspberry, yogurt and Dulcey junket Dulcey crumble, raspberry and yogurt junket, creamy yogurt, different Dulcey textures and raspberry meringue was my desert.
The desert was recommended to me by the propritetor, Mª Asun Ibarrondo, and I obliged.
The desert was a harmony of tastes and textures and aromas, and by the time I finished it I could only think of how hard it would be to improve on such a finish to a wonderful meal.
Η καλή μαγειρική είναι εκείνη που στοχεύει σε κάτι που το ξέρει καλά και το πετυχαίνει πάντα. Καλή μαγειρική είναι η κουζίνα της γιαγιάς, της μαμάς, της Λωξάντρας, και πάει λέγοντας. Οι αποτυχίες στην καλή μαγειρική είναι λίγες.
Good cooking aims always at something that is well known and it achieves it all the times. This is the cooking of the grandmother, mother, and so on. Failures in this cooking are rare and nobody remembers them.
Η υψηλή μαγειρική (haute cuisine) είναι πάνω απ’ όλα τα άλλα η επιδίωξη του τέλειου, με την επίγνωση ότι κάτι τέτοιο είναι ανέφικτο. Οι αποτυχίες στην υψηλή μαγειρική είναι ο κανόνας. Είναι μια μάνα που τρώει τα παιδιά της. Για τον λόγο αυτό κάθε πιάτο υψηλής μαγειρικής είναι και μια ευκαιρία να πανηγυρίσουμε να αποθεώσουμε τον μάγειρα, και να σπεύσουμε να γευθούμε κάτι που είναι εφήμερο αλλά και παντοτινό. Γιατί η μνήμη του δεν σβήνει.
Haute cuisine, on the other hand, is the pursuit of perfection, with the full knowledge that it is unattainable. Failures are the rule in haute cuisine, it is a mother that kills its children. It is for this reason that every successful dish of haute cuisine makes me jubilant and I prooceed to taste it both in its transience and its eternity. Because its memory never fades away.
Σήμερα παρουσιάζω ένα πιάτο υψηλής μαγειρικής, που έφτιαξε ο Λευτέρης Λαζάρου και είχα την τύχη να γευθώ στο «Βαρούλκο».
Today I present a haute cuisine dish prepared by Chef Lefteris Lazarou in his “Varoulko” restaurant near Piraeus.
Varoulko Restaurant. Photo: Nikos Moropoulos
Από την περιγραφή φαίνεται το απλούστερο των απλών. Ριζότο με αυγά αχινού. Τα φαινόμενα όμως απατούν. Όσο απλούστερο πιάτο, τόσο μικρότερα τα περιθώρια για να κρυφτεί ο μάγειρας πίσω από εξωτικά υλικά και σύγχρονες τεχνικές όπως οι αφροί που κατακλύζουν τόσα και τόσα πιάτα. Ο μινιμαλισμός είναι ο χειρότερος εχθρός της «δήθεν» υψηλής μαγειρικής.
If one looks at the description of the dish, she might be misled by its simplicity. However, the simpler the dish, the less room the chef has to hide, behind exotic ingredients and modern techniques, like covering the dish with foam. Minimalism is the arch enemy of the supposedly haute cuisine.
‘Ας δούμε τις δυσκολίες του πιάτου.
Καταρχάς το ριζότο από μόνο του είναι μια πρόκληση. Το να φτιάξεις ένα καλό ριζότο είναι δύσκολο. Κυρίως επειδή πρέπει να σεβαστείς το ρύζι και να μην προσθέσεις τόσες άλλες γεύσεις που εξαφανίζουν τη γεύση του ρυζιού, ξεκινώντας από το απλούστερο όλων, το αλάτι, και συνεχίζοντας με τον ζωμό θαλασσινών και λαχανικών μέσα στον οποίο γίνεται το ριζότο. Πρόσφατα γεύθηκα ένα ριζότο σε γνωστό εστιατόριο, που είχε καταφέρει να εξαφανίσει τη γεύση του ρυζιού, χρησιμοποιώντας ένα ζωμό δυναμίτη που αναισθητοποιούσε τον ουρανίσκο.
Let us identify the difficulties of the dish.
To start with, making a risotto is a challenge by itself, because you must respect the rice and not make it disappear behind other tastes like salt, and the broth. I recently tasted a risotto in a Michelin starred restaurant of Athens, in which the broth was so strong that had exterminated the taste of the rice.
Προσθέτοντας τα αυγά αχινού, αυτό το έδεσμα εδεσμάτων, καθιστά το πιάτο σχεδόν αδύνατο. Μιλάμε για την μεταξένια υφή τους, που τόσο εύκολα καταστρέφεται, μιλάμε για τα αρώματα που τόσο γρήγορα χάνονται στις γειτονιές των πιο ισχυρών.
Adding the sea urchin eggs, this delight of delights, makes the dish almost impossible. How are you ging to respect its texture and the flavor that is so subtle?
Όλα αυτά δεν αποτελούν εμπόδιο για τον Λευτέρη Λαζάρου, που στο πιάτο αυτό μεγαλουργεί. Οι ισορροπίες γεύσεων που πετυχαίνει είναι αξιοθαύμαστες. Τα καταφέρνει να συνυπάρχουν αρμονικά το ρύζι με τον αχινό, διατηρώντας το καθένα την προσωπικότητα του.
None of these difficulties tames Chef Lazarou, who comes out victorious. He manages to add the sea urchin eggs to the dish in such a way that they retain their velvety texture and flavor.
Ο σεβασμός στην πρώτη ύλη είναι εντυπωσιακός. Προσέξτε τα αυγά του αχινού. Είναι τόσο «ζωντανά» και ακέραια σα να βγήκανε από το κέλυφος μόλις τώρα. Καμία σχέση με τα ταλαιπωρημένα και διαλυμένα συναφή που μοιάζουν με αποτυχημένη καροτόσουπα.
Have a look at the photo below. The eggs are alive!
Το πιάτο είναι και χάρμα οφθαλμών. Το χρυσαφένιο ριζότο με την τερακότα του αχινού και τα φυλλαράκια άγριας ρόκας συνθέτουν μια «νεκρή φύση» αντάξια των μεγάλων καλλιτεχνών των ελληνιστικών χρόνων. Το φαντάζομαι σε ψηφιδωτό σε βίλλα του Ερκολάνο, δίπλα στην βιβλιοθήκη με τους παπύρους του Επίκουρου.
In addition to the taste, the dish is colorful and a delight of the eye. It could become a painting and decorate a villa near Ercolano.
Μια επίσκεψη στο «Βαρούλκο» αξίζει και μόνο για αυτό το πιάτο, που πανάξια ανήκει στην υψηλή Μεσογειακή κουζίνα.
Visit Varoulko to taste this dish, but call ahead, as it is not on the menu every day.
I visited the restaurant recently, on the occasion of the visit to Athens of dear family members.
As it happens, within days the restaurant will be relocated to Piraeus, so the visit was also a farewell to the nice terrace with view of the Athenian Acropolis.
Sea bream with smoky eggplant
The Chef of Varoulko is Lefteris Lazarou, one of the best chefs in Greece. The restaurant specializes in seafood, and this is what we had in the menu they offered to us.
The first dish was “Sea bream fillets on a bed of smoky eggplant”. The fillets were adjoined to crispy bread, adding texture to the tasty dish. I liked the eggplant very much, but do not understand the point of adding so many mini ingredients on the dish.
Sea Bream – detail
I did not taste anything special in these “vegetable drops”. If the intention is to add color to the presentation of the dish, there are better solutions.
Ground Grouper Cylinder
The next dish was the best of the evening. Ground grouper meat cylinder. It was delicious. A hint of mint and a thick sauce elevated the dish. I could not believe that grouper would taste so good. Another interesting aspect of the dish were the white flakes served on top of the cylinder. IT was fried skin. Simply delicious! As my cousin observed, I have always been a skin-enthusiast, so my verdict was to be expected.
Stuffed Cabbage
The third dish was an inventive remake of a Greek traditional dish: “Stuffed cabbage”. The difference being that in the traditional dish the stuffing is pork meat, whereas chef Lazarou stuffed the cabbage with a tasty seafood mix that was not cohesive. The primary taste I could make out was that of shrimp, both in the stuffing and in the sauce.
The dish had some foam on top. It tasted of dill and lemon. I personally do not like foams, but this one was good. The fact however remains, that the foam always destryes the visual impression of the dish.
It is also interesting to note that chef Lazarou was not a fan of foams and similar gimmicks, but obviously he surrendered to the wave of customer demand. How can you go to a Michelin – starred restaurant and not be bombarded with foamy dishes? What are you going to say to your friends, if there is no foam on the food?
The fourth dish was the less memorable of all, and as it were submerged under a thich layer of foam, there is no photo to be shown.
It was John Dory was a porcini mushroom sauce, chick peas and a parmesan foam. I liked the fish, but the dish overall did not come together for me.
We enjoyed the dishes with a superb white wined from Santorini, Greece: Asyrtico Sigalas 2013.
Three deserts ended the dinner. My favourite was the Orange Cake. Simply because to create a sirupy cake with balance is difficult. This was almost perfect. And the accompanying vanilla ice cream was delicious.
Overall it was an excellent dinner. Next time though, I will ask for my dishes to have no foam!!!!
Today I publish the delayed review, because the osteria is one of the best restaurants in Venice, and continues to carry with pride one Michelin Star.
Osteria da Fiore
The amuse bouche was crispy tiny shrimp (gamberetti) on a bed of white polenta.
Amuse Bouche, Osteria Da Fiore
The first dish I tasted was a mixed raw seafood.
Carpaccio di tonno – Osteria da fiore
Misto crudo di carpaccio di tonno e scampi.
The Scampi were served on top of a creamy mix of fennel (finocchio) and fresh cheese.
Baccala mantecato – Osteria da fiore
The second dish I tasted was another appetizer, one of the trademarks of Venetian gastronomy: “Baccala mantecato” (dried Atlantic cod, soaked, poached and whipped until mousse-like), served with bruschetta spiced with garlic.
Overall a perfect light lunch in a wonderful environment.
Today I publish the delayed review, because the osteria is one of the best restaurants in Venice, and continues to carry with pride one Michelin Star.
Osteria da Fiore
The amuse bouche was crispy tiny shrimp (gamberetti) on a bed of white polenta.
Amuse Bouche, Osteria Da Fiore
The first dish I tasted was a mixed raw seafood.
Carpaccio di tonno – Osteria da fiore
Misto crudo di carpaccio di tonno e scampi.
The Scampi were served on top of a creamy mix of fennel (finocchio) and fresh cheese.
Baccala mantecato – Osteria da fiore
The second dish I tasted was another appetizer, one of the trademarks of Venetian gastronomy: “Baccala mantecato” (dried Atlantic cod, soaked, poached and whipped until mousse-like), served with bruschetta spiced with garlic.
Overall a perfect light lunch in a wonderful environment.
“Britain was a major player in the transatlantic slave trade. British ships carried 2,600,000 enslaved Africans in the 18th century to the Caribbean and the Americas. London was the leading British slaving port in the 17th century, with control over the trade until 1698. Bristol overtook London in the 1730s, and Liverpool overtook Bristol in the 1740s. ” (1)
I know, I know, I meant to write a restaurant review, and I cannot avoid becoming historical and all.
V8 Aston Martin Vantage
Driving a V8 Aston Martin Vantage, the trip to Bristol cannot be tiring. As a matter of fact, you don’t want it to end.
“Powered by the lightweight, compact 4.7ltr engine, V8 Vantage delivers a broad spread of effortless, exploitable performance. Mounted low and as far back in the chassis as possible Vantage’s centre of gravity is close to the road for supreme balance and handling. Producing 426PS of peak power and 470Nm of torque, V8 Vantage sprints from 0-62mph in just 4.9secs.” (2)
I know, I know, this is meant to be a restaurant review, and I am starting to rant about cars. (Thank you Santa Claus).
Bristol, UK
I visited Bristol in November 2013, because my cousin was at the University of Bristol until December. On the occasion we went to have lunch at Wilks Restaurant, some 20 minutes walk from city centre.
I know, I know, this is not meant to be anything but a restaurant review, not my family and its members.
Wilks Restaurant, Bristol
In any case, it is immaterial how we actually made it to the restaurant. But we made it, and we were one minute early! So we went in.
Wilks Restaurant, Amuse Bouche
The amuse bouche was goat creamy cheese and an onion concoction with olives and sardines. Botht asty, but the goat cheese was the winner.
Wilks Restaurant, Scallops
Scallops from the Atlantic Oceaan. Fresh and perfectly cooked.
During my recent visit to London (October 2012) I had the opportunity to visit the restaurant in the St John Hotel in London’s Chinatown in two consecutive days.
The Hotel (and restaurant) is located a few meters away from Leicester Square and is easily accessible by all means of transportation.
The reason I went there has a name: Fergus Henderson.
St John Hotel Chinatown, London
Fergus Henderson is the “Nose to Tail” man. The simple principle that he pushed forward with his cooking is that when we slaughter an animal, it is a matter of respect but also of practicality, to eat all the bits. From nose to tail.
The Hotel in central London’s Leicester Square was opened in the Spring of 2011.
St John Hotel Chinatown, London: Johann Strauss Plaque
And it’s already a part of London history, housed in Manzi’s, the fish restaurant on the fringes of Chinatown that had been there forever, until suddenly it wasn’t.
Mr. Manzi one day sold everything, and headed off to Mone Carlo, giving to Fergus Henderson and his business partner Trevor Gulliver the opportunity to try out their hotel and restaurant concept in Central London.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London
The restaurant’s layout is simple with an open kitchen.
The staff is exceptional indeed. You feel right at home.
And what is most important for the weary traveller, is that the kitchen is open continuously from 12 noon to 12 midnight. So no matter when you can, you drop by and eat. This is exactly what I did on both days.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Devilled Pig’s Skin & Smoked Cod’s Roe
The two-day feast began with “Devilled Pig’s Skin & Smoked Cod’s Roe”.
When I saw it arriving to the table, I thought that this is not a dish, this is a sculpture. Nevertheless, I went ahead and enjoyed it.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Devilled Pig’s Skin & Smoked Cod’s Roe – detail
This is a dish that epitomizes the concept of the appetizer. Crunchy texture, accompanied by the creamy and flavorfull roe.
St John Hotel Chinatown, London: Black pudding and eggs
I absolutely loooooove black pudding, or boudin noir as it is known in France.
It is one of the humblest but terribly delicious dishes, a real tribute to blood and guts.
St John Hotel Chinatown, London: Black pudding and eggs – detail
It is only on the breakfast menu, but when I asked for it, at around 1730 hrs on a Friday afternoon, for what was a lunch and dinner meal after an exhaustive business meeting, it appeared miraculously in front of me. The restaurant’s maitr d’ hotel, a delightful lady, presented it with a glorious smile. The guys in the open kitchen were watching knowingly. I was in heaven! Needless to say, the divine pudding was “house” made.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Cuttlefish, Fennel & Green Sauce
Although Henderson is known as the “offal” man, St John Hotel have a menu with seafood items in addition to the “regular” meat and offal items. One of them was the cuttlefish with fennel and green sauce.
I was very curious to taste it, as cuttlefish is extremely light in flavour, and difficult in texture.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Cuttlefish, Fennel & Green Sauce – Detail
I was really lucky to taste this dish. Perfectly tender, full of flavor, and I had to ask for a spoon for the sauce.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Snail,s Duck Hearts & Lovage
The “Snails, Duck Hearts & Lovage”, sounded like a strange mix of diverse ingredients, but this was one more reason to taste it. And it worked!
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Snail,s Duck Hearts & Lovage – detail
I enjoyed the subtlety of the snails, and the robustness of the heart’s texture. The rather big chunks of fried bread were absolutely delicious.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Ox Heart, Beetroot & Red Cabbage
The “Ox Heart, Beetroot & Red Cabbage” is a tribute to texture.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Ox Heart, Beetroot & Red Cabbage – detail
Firm, robust muscle, perfectly accompanied by the crunchy red cabbage and the beetroot.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Bacon & Beans
And now the ultimate classic: “Bacon & Beans”. I do not recall bacon ever tasting so good.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Bacon & Beans – detail
After the black pudding, this is the second dish that made me feel that I was in my mother’s kitchen.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Bacon & Beans
The bacon was juicy and full of flavors, the beans tender and tasty, and the sauce absolutely divine, and thick.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Brill, Leaks & Aioli
I was very curious to taste a fish dish. Especially after having tasted the meat heavy weights. I chose “Brill, Leeks & Aioli”.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Brill, Leaks & Aioli – detail
The fish was perfectly cooked. As you can see.
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Brill, Leaks & Aioli – detail
I ate the skin and it was crispy and delicious!!!
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London: Brill, Leaks & Aioli – detail
I wish I could eat more leeks and aioli. But I couldn’t.
A good meal (or two meals for that matter) always ends with a new one.
So here is my list of what I wish to taste during my next visit: Mussels, Razor Clams, Lamb Sweetbreads, Pork Chops…
St John Restaurant, Chinatown, London
Thank you Mssrs. Henderson and Gulliver, thank you to all staff of the restaurant, You all gave me an unforgetable culinary experience.
One hot evening in August 2011 I found myself in the garden of the restaurant “Il Colombaio” in the outskirts of the beautiful Tuscan village of Casole d’Elsa.
Casole d'Elsa Coat of Arms
The restaurant came highly recommended by a friend who visits the village almost every year.
The restaurant is also listed in the Michelin Red Guide and has one star.
I started with a selection of salumi from a producer in the area.
It was divine.
Cinta Senese
I particularly liked the locally produced Prosciutto di Cinta Senese, which according to “Barilla” owes its sweet, slightly gamey flavor, oily fat and aroma to the heritage Italian breed of pig called “Cinta Senese” used to make the prosciutto.
Another first dish was based on polenta, with and without cuttlefish ink, and a vegetable mousse. Very light and tasty.
My main dish choice was a tartare from the famous “chainina” cattle breed.
The meat was served almost undressed. There was a touch of olive oil,oregano, some salt crystals, and a few peppercorns. The sauces were more decorative as they were extremely subtle.
Chianina
It was the first time I had tartare almost undressed. And it was worth it. The meat was juicy and sweet, after the first couple of bites I made subconsciously the switch from main dish to desert. What an experience!
Other main dishes were pork roast and pigeon breast, caramelized in a wine sauce.
The wine was a Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico 2001, priced extremely reasonably. The same comment applies to the whole of the wine list, which is a steal. Some of the best Tuscan wines, offered at prices that amaze me. Let alone that you cannot find them in the wine shop.
Overall, “Il Colombaio” is a restaurant I enjoyed and want to visit again. Both for its food, but also because of its wine list.
In my last trip to Rome I had the pleasure of dining in one of the best restaurants in town, Imago, on the top floor of Hotel Hassler, with fantastic views of the eternal city.
“Grace Kelly honeymooned at this turn-of-the-century palace at the top of the Spanish Steps, and it’s still the hotel of choice for many of today’s celebs and stylish tastemakers in search of old-world elegance (Gwyneth, TomKat, and Victoria Beckham are all regulars). Renowned for its personalized service, the Hassler is a family affair — a place where guest relations are taken very seriously. The 95 stately rooms are a checklist of classic good taste, with elaborate moldings, gilded furniture, French silks, 16th-century antiques, Limoges porcelain, playful frescoes, and marble, marble, marble, plus mod cons like flat-screen TV’s. Imàgo, its modern Italian restaurant, has heart-stopping views of St. Peter’s Basilica and Rome’s terracotta-tiled roofs. And the concierges can accommodate just about any request, including mapping out routes through the Villa Borghese gardens, near the hotel.”
I was staying at a nearby hotel and walked the distance, passing through Via Veneto. It is a beautiful part of Rome, and I highly recommend staying in this area.
The view from inside the Imago rooftop is amazing.To the extent than when I saw it, I started having second thoughts about the food, as one of the golden rules of the restaurant business is that when the view is stunning, the food sucks. Thankfully, I was proven wrong.
View of Rome from Imago
With determination I moved on and got a table. The clients of the restaurant are varied. You have the visitors who come for the views and the ones who come for the food and the elegant atmosphere. In one of the tables there was a family with two kids, with both grandparents, celebrating the birthday of one of the kids. Wonderful “tableau vivant”, with the grandmother reminding me of one of the powerful female figures in the black and white Fellini movies.
Lets move to the food now, and the gastronomic menu the chef prepared. The menu overall is structured in three stages. Stage I is the “delicate” one, with two appetizer dishes, both of them seafood based. Stage II is the “taste explosion” set of two half-portions of first courses. Both are strong in taste and flavor. Stage III is a combination of two half-portions of main dishes.
The first starter was raw fish of the day. I do not recall the name of the fish, but it was quite tender, moist and tasty. The high point of the dish was the combination of the raw fish with pears infused with grappa. Personally I do not understand the foamy bits, in my eyes they are like aesthetic pollution, but lets ignore them, everyone these days seems to put a little foam here and there!
The next dish was an imaginative preparation of scallops, as they they were stuffed with mozzarella and then fried.The chef added a touch of black truffle to the finished dish, which was extremely subtle in taste and texture, a true delight. The dish is extremely delicate, and the frying must be very quick and swift, otherwise the scallop is destroyed.
The continuation was more intense in flavors and powerful, as the chef prepared pheasant ravioli with cauliflower puree and truffle-flavored honey. Full-bodied, intense flavor, and meaty texture were the characteristics of the dish.
The dish that followed was the star of the menu. Capellini pasta with smoked eel. A divine dish, one that I would include in the Italian Gastronomic All – Time Menu, if there was ever one. A magic of textures and flavors emanates from the dish. The chef came by and had a chat with me after the dinner was over, and he more or less agreed that this dish is his masterpiece. It is quite interesting, that of all the dishes in the restaurant of one of the most expensive hotels in the world, the best is one based on the humble eel of the Lazio region and capellini pasta, which you can find everywhere in Italy. The other golden rule of gastronomy, that is to use the materials of the terroir is yet again proven 100% correct! The chef had at his disposal the most expensive materials in some of the dishes. Yet his signature dish is the one that serves humbly the tradition of the Lazio region. To be correct, I belive that the dish is also traditional fare in the central regions of Italy, like Umbria.
The next dish was a fish and shrimp combination, that left me untouched, as it was rather faceless.
The last dish of the menu was excellent! Roast pigeonwith all the game flavor of the world! Nothing beats that! And it was roasted to perfection.
I found the serving of artichokes with the pigeon an excellent idea!
To conclude the excellent dinner, the chef offered a sweet tray, where the pistacchio canolo stole the show!
Chef Francesco Apreda has a bright future ahead of him, all we need to do is follow him as he evolves and grows as a chef. The one Michelin star he has been awarded is fully justified. And there will be more!
“Lets go and have a nice meal, this is no weather for being outdoors”, said Manolis, when the snow started accumulating on the ground and the visibility was reduced to less than 50 meters. You have seen the pictures in the “white” post, now its time to get down to the eating and drinking business.
Restaurant Guth was around the corner, at the outskirts of Bregenz by lake Constance in the Austrian – German borders. In the map below, you can see Bregenz in the lowest right side of the lake.
Chef Thomas Scheucher is one of the most creative Austrian chefs and has created a modern environment to serve his creations.
The building is new, and the outside is austere in style. The inside is warm and with a beautiful garden view.
The chef’s menu was our choice, but Manolis asked for a swap. Instead of the soup, he asked for the tripe. Such a request would not be honoured in France, where you would be asked to order it as extra. Not in friendly, hospitable Austria, where the request was accepted with a smile.
The amuse bouche was a slice of foie with brioche and quince and pear marmalade, accompanied by scallop’s and musel’s hot beverage. Exquisite and multilayered in taste and flavours, this was one of the best amuse I have ever tasted! The philosppher of Atelier will offer his own views while he comments on the post, so I will not try to interpet him, which would in any case be sacrilegious!
Marinated tuna with horseradish mousse, accompanied by a pike croquette served on cubes of beetroot. The tuna was soft and sweet, the horseradish perfectly accompanied the oily flesh, while the croquette was like solid foam (a contradiction of terms and senses).
Sauteed tripe with herbs of the nearby forest. Never had this dish before, and it was worth the wait of so many years! A complete game with the senses this one, thin threads of tripe enveloped in the aromas of the forest, melt in the mouth and bless it with eternal memories of gastronomic pleasures.
Zander fillet with octopus, on a bed of fresh green beans. The dish of extreme lightness, attempted to supplement the memory of the mighty tripe with a presence of indelible subtlety and kindness to the palate.
Free-range beef fillet with mushrooms, celery and semolina crack dumplings (knoedel). The ultimate in meaty texture and taste, medium to rare, the knife was practically not needed to cut through this velvety flesh!
Hot chocolate desert, with fried bananas and bitter sweet foam. The perfect conclusion to a perfect meal. It took the chef almost 20 minutes to prepare the cylinders of delight, and was well worth it!
In the basement, you can find another source of pleasures, the wine cellar. We were served excellent austrian wines to accompany the dishes. More on austrian wines will come in a future post, they are the big discovery of the year for me!
Conclusion: When you get a chance, visit Guth, you will thank me for that!
P.S. For the culturally oriented, there is fantastic Opera Festival during the summer in Bregenz. Just imagine the immense combination of a beautiful opera performance accompanied by a meal in Restaurant Guth…..
P.S.2 Thank you Manoli for opening guth’s door for me!
P.S.3 Thank you Nature, for creating the unique Christmas images on the last day of November in the year of 2009.
P.S4 Thank you Romania, for having your National Day on the 1st December, which gave me the opportunity to visit Manolis and Guth and…
P.S5 At the time of the visit, the restaurant was recommended by the Michelin Red Guide as “one star”.
