France is the birthplace of some of the most famous chefs in the world – Escoffier, Joel Robuchon and Paul Bocuse, among others, are all Frenchmen. Of course, they are all Frenchmen with incredibly expensive food at their restaurants. For your chance to try some high end French food at a relatively lower price, you can visit a fancy restaurant at lunch, or…
You can visit Aux Lyonnais for dinner.
Alain Ducasse’s tribute to the hearty food of Lyon is housed in a beautiful bistro that dates from the 1800′s.
Even though there are beautiful mosaics, velvet carpeted stairs, and waiters bustling around with glasses of champagne, the atmosphere is remarkably casual.
Yogurt, Pickled Shallots, Herbs.
This was my favorite part of the night – and we didn’t even order it! The yogurt was incredibly thick, almost like goat cheese, and so tangy that it was almost pleasantly sour. The pickled shallots mimicked the pucker of the yogurt and the herbs were fragrant and extremely heady – chervil and I think some thyme and lavender. It was finished off with a slick of fruity, smooth olive oil. I wish I knew more what was in the dip, but all I can say was that it was delicious – flavor packed, round, punchy and interesting. It was a perfect first taste.
Baked Eggs with Chanterelles and Country Lard.
Oh yeah. Eggs, mushrooms and lard. I can’t begin to tell you how rich those egg yolks tasted. I would say they tasted buttery or creamy, but they didn’t. They just tasted positively EGGY. The chanterelles were like a great white wine – soft, clean, a subtle but game-changing flavor. The lard was shaved thinly, so that it melted onto the warm eggs and mushrooms, sheathing everything in a slightly gamey, porky cloak. This is my idea of a perfect dish. Simple, fresh ingredients cooked to emphasize their natural tastes and in a way that all the tastes compliment the others.
And it’s egg yolks and lard. Fat on fat. How do you not love that?
Pike Quenelles with Crayfish Sauce
These were quite different from the quenelles I enjoyed at Millesime. These were far more substantial and dense. They were incredibly mild – almost like soft fish meatballs. That sounds gross, but what I mean is that there was no fishy taste at ALL. No salinity, no oceanic depth. It was all about the texture. The taste came from the soft, creamy sauce that was laden with tiny crayfish that tasted of lobster. The sauce had a shellfish taste to it – buttery and subtle, complimenting the delicate quenelles. These are a must order.
Summer Vegetables Casserole
This is a dish that is featured on all of Ducasse’s menus this summer, at all his restaurants around the world. It is simple – just some steamed vegetables. But, once again…these vegetables are insanely delicious. Beets so sugary that they could be dessert. Potatoes so earthy and satisfying that they tasted as if they were bathed in cream. Snap peas, onions, carrots and a heavy had with sweet fennel all figured in as well. This was a bit overpriced, but was both light and delicious. I would not get it again, because it was just too pricey when compared with the other menu items, but it is one of the few vegan dishes I have ever seen in a nice restaurant in Paris.
If you travel with vegans. That’s against my religion, personally.
Floating Island with Candied Rose Petals.
A floating island is a meringue served in a pool of creme anglaise, so that it floats…like an island. Get it? This was perhaps the best version I have ever had. The meringue was so soft and sugary, like a marshmallow on steroids, with a soft glaze of raspberry melting into the creamy and rich creme anglaise. The creme anglaise was not too sweet, and countered the sugary aspect of the meringue and the tartness of the glaze. The tart alongside was filled with fresh and juicy raspberries on a flaky, buttery crust. The rose petals were detectable only in crunchy texture – thankfully. I’m not a fan of eating things that taste like perfume.
Saint-Marcellin Cheese
Served room temperature. Gooey, creamy, melty. The texture of brie, with a butter, fully bloomed taste with just an edge of funk, like a mild Camembert. It makes butter look like weak tasting diet food. Get this if you like brie – it won’t be too strong for you.
And Aux Lyonnais won’t be too anything for you. Not too stuffy, not too heavy and not too pricey(except for that one vegetable dish). This sort of food, rustic and filling, is not easily found in Paris – at least, not easily found made with this skill and attention to detail.
And that’s what you get from eating at a restaurant run by one of the most famous chefs in the world.
