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Image 1: We decided to check out their 3-course lunch menu after they got promoted to 2-star. This was actually our second visit since we were here years ago… about the time when they just got the first star.
Image 2: We were the first group to arrive and as usual, we ordered different dishes for each course to get a sense of the cuisine.
Image 3: Started off with beetroot macaron with foie gras mousse. An interesting timing of flavour - the foie gras was dominating initially but then the fruity beetroot started to kick in while the richness from the intense foie was fading away! Cool!
Image 4:
From their bread basket was chestnut bread...
Image 5:
... and savoury bacon brioche. We think the savoury bacon brioche at Le Champignon Sauvage trumps this by miles though.
Image 6: Ceviche of scallops with seaweed and herb oil garnished with kohlrabi and frozen horseradish. The raw scallops were nice. The texture was on par with the sashimi-grade scallops that we had in Japan. The flavour of the horseradish was completely lost though from the sharpness of lime juice.
Image 7: The other choice of the first course was 'Risotto of New Potatoes' lined with hops puree and frog legs. Instead of actual rice, rice-size potatoes were used for the risotto which gave us a crunchy texture. Very clever!
Image 8:
Accompanying the risotto were a few delicately deep fried crispy frog legs!
Image 9: For main course, roasted baby monkfish with cauliflower, squid, and pine nuts. The meaty monkfish was excellent. However, the dish was ruined by the overly salty squid!
Image 10: The other choice of main course was belly of suckling pig, braised pig tail, and deep fried salsify with ham. Wonderful pork belly - crispy skin and not overly fatty meat!
Image 11: We were quite disgusted by the tail at first, but it turned out not too bad! The tail had a good jelly texture with long strand of meat similar to beef brisket. The salsify was a disappointment as the ham was way too salty even the sweet molasses could not offset the saltiness.
Image 12:
The dessert was a vanilla creme brulee topped by rhubard sorbet with rhubard on the side served with hibiscus juice.
Image 13: Each of the items on this plate was lovely on its own but not as a whole! The squishy tangy rhubarb and the berry hibiscus juice was a bit odd, then together with the creamy sweet custard... It was strange!
Image 14: Overall, we did appreciated the creativity and the quality of cooking. However, we reckon more attention is needed to side components of each dish and the combination as a whole.