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Sick animal meat ends up in restaurants

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Last weekend, government staff from numerous EU countries were running around trying to find the meat of potentially sick animals illegally slaughtered in Poland and sold across the EU, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes.

© Sergejs Belovs | Dreamstime.com

While the hunt to identify the meat and pull it from shop shelves was underway, authorities in Poland confirmed that the meat had come from illegally slaughtered potentially sick animals.

France’s ministry of agriculture said it had found and destroyed around 800 kilograms of the meat, however, around 150 kilograms had already been sold mainly through wholesale butcheries where it was typically mixed with other meat. Much of this probably ended up on restaurant plates.

According to Polish news reports 2.7 tonnes of the meat was processed at a slaughter house in Kalinowo before being exported to France, Germany, Finland, Hungary, Estonia, Romania, Spain, Lithuania, Latvia, Portugal, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Sweden.

Undercover reporters revealed how adverts were placed for sick cattle that were bought at low prices and slaughtered at night with no veterinary oversight.

This event is another reminder of how difficult it is for consumers to know where food comes from, particularly when it is mixed. Labels showing no more than the country of provenance have become little more than a prompt for a flood of questions.

More on this:
20 Minutes article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now

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Bill Harby’s new fave burger joint in Geneva

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Writer and Geneva resident Bill Harby went for a wander in Geneva on Sunday. Here is what he found.

Today in Pâquis, Geneva’s intriguing neighborhood full of immigrants and Swiss who run cafés, restaurants, and other, ahem, businesses, I had the luck of the flâneur. Flâneurs are people who simply wander to see what they may discover. Today this flâneur found The Hamburger Foundation, his new fave burger joint.

© Bill Harby

© Bill Harby

The menu consists of exactly three items:

  • Hamburger
  • Cheeseburger
  • Bacon cheeseburger
    (CHF 19, 20, 21)

Vegetarians can order from the menu in some other resto.

Each delicious juicy burger (all Swiss meat, cooked medium pink unless otherwise ordered) comes with a green salad, frites and coleslaw. Squirt bottles of ketchup, mayo and American-style mustard are on the table.

Wines are listed under three non-snob categories, one red and one white in each:

  • Cheap CHF 5
  • Good CHF 7
  • Great CHF 8

There are two beers too. And yet, when it comes to spirits, choices suddenly blossom. (That’s another story.)

Plus, there’s, believe it or not, an oyster bar in the back. (Also another story.)

The Hamburger Foundation started with a pop-up truck, then came the Pâquis restaurant a couple years ago, and now a second truck, and soon two more locations in Geneva. This fun, friendly place is owned by three guys who’ve been friends since high school in Geneva. They have roots in New York, France and the U.K. They always said that one day they’d open a business together. I’m glad they did.

By Bill Harby

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Iconic Swiss vegetarian restaurant coming to Lausanne

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Late last week, Swiss Rail announced that it has a new tenant for the vacant restaurant space at Lausanne train station.

Meat lovers may be disappointed, however fans of vegetarian food will be licking their lips.

The restaurant chain Tibits, which has eight restaurants in German-speaking Switzerland, and one in London, will open its first restaurant west of the rösti graben*, in Switzerland’s French-speaking region. The restaurant chain, which can trace part of its roots back more than 100 years, will open its doors in Lausanne in 2018.

A Tibits with some random stranger in front of it - Source: Facebook - Tibits

Roger Federer in front of a Tibits restaurant – Source: Facebook – Tibits

Ahead of the launch of their first restaurant in 2000, three Swiss brothers, Christian, Daniel and Reto Frei, who had dreamt of creating quality vegetarian food, that could be grabbed on the run, teamed up with Rolf and Marielle Hiltl, owners of the legendary, and oldest, vegetarian restaurant in the world, Haus Hiltl in Zurich. According to Guinness World Records, the restaurant, initially called the”Vegetarian Home”, was founded in 1898.

In 1901, Ambrosius Hiltl, became ill with rheumatoid arthritis. His doctor told him he’d soon die if he didn’t cut meat from his diet. Switching to vegetables did the trick. He made a full recovery. Hiltl dined regularly at Zurich’s “Vegetarian Home”, and in 1903, the struggling establishment was looking for a new manager. Hiltl jumped at the chance to run the place, which despite moving, has stayed in the family ever since. It is now run by the fourth generation of Hiltls.

Tibits combines Rolf Hiltl’s family tradition with Christian, Daniel and Reto Frei’s desire to make vegetarian food more accessible.


Site of the future Tibits restaurant at Lausanne’s main train station.

Currently, Tibits fans in Suisse Romande, must journey as far as Bern to satisfy their cravings.

Last year, on a trip to the Swiss capital, I dined at Tibits for the first time. The food was surprisingly tasty and varied, and my kids loved it. While waiting for a free table, we started chatting with the manager and asked him why they had no restaurants in Lausanne or Geneva. He told us they had been looking for locations for some time but hadn’t found anything suitable.

Restaurant space at Lausanne train station - Source: Facebook - Tibits

An artist’s impression of the new restaurant at Lausanne train station – Source: Facebook – Tibits

The former Buffet de la Gare, which served traditional food and opened in 1916, closed in December last year, to make way for major renovation work to Lausanne’s main train station. The listed Belle Epoque era space has been looking for a new tenant ever since.

Here is a Tidbits’ food shot from Instagram to prepare your taste buds.

* The rösti graben, or fried grated potato ditch, refers to the dividing line between French and German-speaking Swiss. The Sarine river (Saane in German) is also used to refer to this rough dividing line. French speakers often refer to German-speaking Switzerland as being Outre-Sarine, beyond the Sarine (river).

More on this:
24 Heures article (in French) - Take a 5 minute French test now

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The world’s best restaurant keeps its three stars

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24 Heures.

In 2015, “La Liste” published a list of the world’s best restaurants. The Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville, in Crissier, near Lausanne, in Switzerland, grabbed the number one spot. A remarkable achievement. The restaurant still ranked number one.

Then in early 2016, tragedy struck. The restaurant’s star chef, Benoît Violier, was found dead. He was supposed to be in Paris for the launch of the 2016 Michelin Guide but never arrived. Later it was discovered that Violier, a keen hunter, had taken his own life with a hunting rifle.

After Benoît Violier’s death, the remaining team, including his wife Brigitte Violier, and second in command, Franck Giovannini, decided to forge on and try to maintain the restaurant’s world-class status.

Franck Giovannini - Source: Facebook

Franck Giovannini – Source: Facebook

The 2017 Michelin Guide, recently confirmed their success by maintaining the restaurant’s three star rating, a distinction awarded to only around a hundred restaurants globally.

The restaurant, which serves classic French food, has a long had a reputation for world class dining, and has held three Michelin stars since 1998.  The 2017 guide describes the food as “toujours magistrales”. 

Dining there costs from CHF 174 to CHF 380.

Giovannini is the fourth of the restaurant’s chefs to gain Michelin’s highest seal of approval, along with Benoît Violier, and former culinary stars Frédy Girardet and Philippe Rochat who both ran the restaurant.

Giovannini told local newspaper 24 Heures: “It’s great for the team who worked so hard this year. We are continuing an adventure that has made us the first restaurant in the world to maintain three stars through a succession of four chefs. It’s amazing. Of course we don’t work to please guides, but it is encouraging. It is incredible how many diners stuck with us despite the death of  Benoît. Bookings are at the same level as last year.”

Dish at Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville_source: Facebook

Dish at Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville – Source: Facebook

Franck Giovannini started his training at the Auberge de la Couronne, in Vaud, Switzerland, in 1993. Then after working in Canada and New York, in Gray Kunz’s kitchen, he returned to Switzerland in 1995 to work under Frédy Girardet at the Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville. In 1996, he met Benoît Violier and they became good friends. In 1999 and 2000 he worked as a sous-chef at the Stonehedge Inn Restaurant, in Massachussetts. Then in 2000, on a visit to Switzerland, his friend Benoît Violier, convinced him to come and work as his sous-chef at the Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville, where he has been ever since.

The same three Swiss restaurants that made the three-star list in 2016, complete the list in the 2017 guide: The Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville, Schloss Schauenstein in Graubünden, and the Cheval Blanc in Basel all kept Michelin’s most coveted status.

With 117 Michelin starred restaurants, Switzerland maintains its position as the nation with the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants per capita.

More on this:
Read full 24 Heures article (in French) - Take a 5 minute French test now

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The world’s best restaurant is in Switzerland

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Switzerland has two of the world’s top five restaurants according to recently published rankings by “La Liste”. The Schauenstein restaurant in the small town of Fürstenau, a village of around 300 people sitting at 650m in the mountains of Graubunden in Switzerland, came in at number five, and the Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville, in Crissier near Lausanne, grabbed the number one spot. A remarkable achievement for such a small nation. The other three countries represented among the top five were the US, Japan and France.

The Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville, in Crissier has a long reputation for world class dining. The restaurant serves classic French food and has three Michelin stars. According to Michelin, the cost of dining there ranges from CHF 172 to CHF 375. The head chef Benoît Violier is a French-Swiss national born in the Charente-Maritime region of France. He has been in charge since 2012 after working with former culinary stars Frédy Girardet and Philippe Rochat who both ran the restaurant. The Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville has held three Michelin stars since 1998.

Benoit Violier - Source: Facebook

Benoit Violier – Source: Facebook

The Schauenstein restaurant also has three Michelin stars. This restaurant serves French cuisine at prices ranging from CHF 198 to CHF 249. The restaurant is in Schloss Schauenstein, which also has six guest rooms. Its chef Andreas Caminada is the youngest three-Michelin starred chef in Europe. Born in the Graubunden town of Ilanz in 1977 he is only 38 years old.

The two Swiss chefs are shown celebrating here in a Facebook post. Andreas Caminada is on the left and Benoît Violier is centre.

The Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville in Crissier

The Schauenstein in Fürstenau

Laliste.com is based in Paris and was founded by Philippe Faure, a French diplomat, former CEO of Gault & Millau and head of the French Tourism Board. It has representatives in Argentina, Brazil, China, USA, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, UK, Russia and Switzerland. La Liste “ranks the rankings” by taking information on the world’s top 1,000 restaurants from various websites such as Trip Advisor and Yelp. It claims to remove national bias, manipulation and confusion to help diners make more objective choices.

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Thanksgiving is this week: where to go in Switzerland

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Small oven? No problem, smaller birds are common in Europe

Small oven? No problem, smaller birds are common in Europe

Every year in late November, Americans come together with family and friends to reflect, be thankful and help those in need, all while sharing a sizable meal composed of roast turkey, cranberry stuffing, mashed potatoes, string beans and decadent pies. There are few American celebrations that represent the comfort of home and family as whole-heartedly as Thanksgiving.

But what happens when home and family are far away, and you are living as foreigner in a country where Thanksgiving isn’t a tradition? Not to worry – Thanksgiving happens to be one of those rituals Americans take with them when they move abroad, and it’s no different here in Switzerland.

No matter your age, profession or preferred pie flavour, there is probably a place for you to spend Thanksgiving this year on Thursday 26 November and not miss out on delicious food and great company.

Geneva

If you are looking to delight your taste buds with traditional Thanksgiving dishes with a twist of French flair and whipped up by a Michelin-star chef, we’ve got the perfect place. The American International Club (AIC) of Geneva will be hosting its annual Thanksgiving Dinner at the Hotel Beau-Rivage on Friday, 27 November at 19h00. For a non-member fee of CHF 150 (CHF 125 for members). The Thanksgiving meal this year is the creation of Chef Michel Roth, formally of the Ritz Paris. His menu offered the usual Thanksgiving fare – turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie – but with a decidedly French Fusion touch, including foie gras. As well as cocktails hosted by Bacardi, there will be a Tombola and charity auction to aid Geneva Red Cross’s support for the homeless. There will also be a band and dancing.

“Thanksgiving is really a must for Americans living abroad,” said Mary Hofstetter, Director of Development at the AIC, in an interview with Le News. “They really feel they’ve missed something if they haven’t had Thanksgiving. It’s such an important part of American tradition and it brings people together in a very friendly, intimate way.”

Craving a more cozy evening with a no-fuss, set menu of the staple Thanksgiving dishes? Au P’tit Bonheur WAS the place to go. Sadly it closed on 30 September 2015. A set Thanksgiving menu is still an option at Restaurant Seventy 5 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Make sure to call ahead of time for reservations.

Zurich

In Zurich the Baur au Lac offers a Thanksgiving menu as does the Park Hyatt. The American Club of Zurich also has a Thanksgiving event at the Pulcino.

Home made is best!

Home made is best!

But if you want your Thanksgiving meal to really taste like home – and also save some money while you’re at it – why not impress your friends, American or not, with a feast prepared “chez vous”? Head to the open-air market on Place de la Fusterie on Wednesdays and stock up on essentials like dried cranberries, figs, nuts and fresh produce. And smaller-than-American Swiss ovens are no excuse to forgo the turkey: you can cut your prep-time by buying your turkey or ham from Jim’s British Markets in St. Genis or Gland, or order it online through Jim’s website.

Most importantly, with the gift-giving season right around the corner, consider getting a head start on Thanksgiving by donating to a local charity or cause of your choice. It could be a local hospice, an orphanage, or you can even find a cause online at Cause Direct. While Thanksgiving is certainly a time to loosen your belt and enjoy great food, remember the essence of the holiday: count your blessings, and spread some around, too.

Alexandra TorrealbaAlexandra Torrealba

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Would George Clooney approve of this? Lunch at Le Pont de Brent

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Brought to you by Nespresso Gourmet Weeks.

This is the question I asked myself when I sat down at the double-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Pont de Brent above Montreux, Lake Geneva, for a Nespresso coffee inspired lunch. Every year a small number of Switzerland’s most decorated restaurants open their doors for two weeks from 25 October until 15 November, and offer specially priced set menus, under the banner of Nespresso Gourmet Weeks. This year, 15 Swiss restaurants took part and I was lucky to dine and chat with Stéphane Décotterd the chef at Le Pont de Brent.

Le Pont de Brent Nespresso Gourmet Weeks

A world class chef on Lake Geneva’s riviera

In the UK a chef like Stéphane Décotterd might have a shelf full of published books or even his own television show. In the dining guide book Les Grandes Tables du Monde he sits alongside Heston Blumenthal, Michel Roux and Alain Ducasse. A native of French-speaking Switzerland, he was born in Billens in the canton of Fribourg and grew up in Corseaux and La Tour-de-Peilz near Vevey. He first thought of becoming a chef at the age of 10 and started his apprenticeship at Le Petit restaurant in St-Légier upon leaving school. Then after working at a few other restaurants, including Le Pont de Brent, and living for two years in Quebec, Canada, he returned to Switzerland in 2005 to work again with Gérard Rabaey at Le Pont de Brent. In 2011 Stéphane took over the reins from Gérard.

An interview with chef Stéphane Décotterd

I met Stéphane one sunny Swiss morning to quiz him on his cuisine and his tips for aspiring cooks.

Stephane Decottard Pont de Brent

How would you describe your cuisine?
Taste is number one. In addition I try to follow the seasons and cook with local ingredients. My cooking is instinctive rather than intellectual combining no more than three or four flavours.

Who dines in your restaurant?
During the weekends diners are mostly locals. During the week they are from all around the globe. Some weekday evenings there are only foreigners. And they don’t all speak French or English. More and more Chinese clients are discovering us and sometimes they speak only Chinese. We speak no Chinese so communication with these diners requires creativity.

Who cooks at home?
I do. I love cooking. It gives me pleasure, especially when cooking for friends and family.

You have a young daughter. What is her favourite dish?
Pot au feu. And she loves pasta.

What is your best tip for amateur cooks?
When entertaining, do as much preparation in advance as possible. Entertaining is different to regular cooking. Advance preparation means you can spend more time talking with guests. You need to adjust.

Stéphane has a blog containing tips and recipes. For locals there are recipes using local ingredients such as last week’s recipe Blanquette de Brochet du Lac Léman au Safran.

The coffee inspired menu

The thoughtful inventive cuisine was varied with interesting contrasting flavours and textures, and was beautifully presented. Service was attentive but unobtrusive, and the ambience was simple, elegant and made us feel comfortable, almost like we were in someone’s home. The vast wine list has a large selection of local wines as well as wines from around the world. I enjoyed an excellent glass of the Chassela from Yvorne – Stéphane’s wife Stephanie (yes Stéphane and Stephanie) is a sommelière from Strasbourg, France, so the wine selection is in capable hands.

The menu included all of the dishes below:

1. A selection of delightful amuses bouches.

Pont de Brent amuse bouche

2. Entrée of young Scottish venison and fois gras – Le maki de Biche d’Ecosse with coffee infused fois gras and espresso crumble. An unusual and inventive take on fois gras.

Pont de Brent entree

3. Main of fish – Pollack fillet from Loctudy, with an emulsion of coconut milk, coriander and citronella. Superbly subtle flavours, masterfully executed.

Pont de Brent main

4. Sweet of house-made chocolates and fruit jubes.

Pont de Brent sweets

This also came with a vin cuit sweet that was extraordinarily good.

5. Dessert of hazelnut prailine, coffee biscuit sponge with a sharp citrus mousse.

Pont de Brent dessert

This dessert was surprising and delicious.

6. Coffee – Nespresso Grands Crus. What else?

Pont de Brent coffee

To this menu we added cheese – a selection of around 20, all Swiss and bought from Jacques Duttweiler, known by some as Le Seignor du fromage, who has a stand at many of the markets across suisse romande. Bread was also served. Stéphane’s bread is excellent and is made by Jean-Marc Bidlingmeyer in Chexbre.

Pont de Brent cheese

Would George Clooney approve of Stéphane Décotterd’s Nespresso inspired cooking?

I’m sure he would.

By Phillip Judd

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Summer guide to delicious hot smoke barbequing in Switzerland

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Hot smoking is the rage in Canada and the US and its popularity is spreading like wildfire throughout Europe. Hot smoking adds wonderful flavour to even the blandest food and transforms fish such as salmon into a delightful and impressive summer barbeque dish.

Tempt your family and friends with well-tried and tested hot smoking ideas include salmon, trout, medium-sized prawns or shrimp, pork sausages (especially chipolatas) and even breast of chicken or Guinea fowl. And then there is cheese smoked over maple – but that’s a sublime treat for the next article.

You must have a BBQ with a cover. It can be traditional wood/charcoal, gas or even electric.

Salmon BBQ on cedar

Salmon BBQ on cedar

Whatever it is you want to smoke, the basic method is the same. First buy your plank. Red cedar from North America is best. In Switzerland you can buy them for an eye-watering CHF 20 for a pack of two from garden centres, home improvement stores and some supermarkets in the region. Or buy them online from Ricardo.ch for half that.

Weigh down and soak a plank in cold water for 60 minutes. Season your fish filet (keep the skin on), meat or vegetables with salt and black pepper as desired. Do not marinate your food in oil as this is likely to burn and diminish the smoked flavour. So use white wine, soy sauce or lemon juice instead. Other delicious marinate ingredients are honey and mustard.

Place the plank in your pre-warmed BBQ (if you are using a charcoal BBQ then make sure the coals are well burned down and flameless). Close the lid and then after 5 minutes place the food (fish should be placed skin side down) on the plank. Cook at a low-medium heat (200oC). Cooking times vary depending on food and recipe so use your judgement, however as a guide, a 500g salmon filet takes about 8 -10 minutes. Don’t worry if you do cook it a little too long – it won’t be ruined – that’s the beauty of hot smoking. Regularly check that the plank has not burst into flames but is merely happily smouldering and smoking. Have a water sprayer at the ready to extinguish any flames.

BBQ hot smoked salmon

Hot smoke barbequed salmon

Garnish with lemon and fresh herbs such as dill for salmon, rosemary for lamb and oregano for beef. Serve on the plank for maximum BBQ Maestro effect!

After the feast you can use any leftovers to create a range of succulent dishes. Hot-smoked fish should be used with 24 hours. One simple and tasty dish is to crumble left-over fish into boiled pasta together with a handful of petits pois, some finely chopped dill and a few spoons of crème fraîche.

The board itself can sometimes be reused. Just wash with hot soapy water and use the reverse side. Old boards can be burned in charcoal barbecues (for additional flavour) or composted.

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Geneva restaurant review: Thai

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My husband and I had visited Thaï before, but at this point I hadn’t started a blog. We had the pleasure of trying it out again after a 2 year gap. I am no restaurant owner, but having eaten in many, I can assure you that consistency in delivering good quality food every single time is the toughest aspect of any restaurant business. After this 2 year gap, it feels like we were there for the first time all over again. The warm, welcoming staff, the surprise and intrigue of the menu, the oooing and aaaahing at the decor.

Thai restaurant GenevaDining at Thaï is a completely different and euphoric experience. You know that you are in the centre of Geneva, yet, it feels like a quaint little bistro in a remote part of Paris – so cozy is the ambiance. It has the feeling of sitting in a high-end Starbucks. I can go there with my husband and with my friends but it is one of those places that I wouldn’t mind coming on my own and sitting in my warm corner with a book eating gorgeous food.

The description which comes to mind is “so wonderfully simple yet beautifully complicated”. Simple because the decor, the set-up, the explanations of the dishes are easy to understand. It doesn’t read like a science experiment. Complicated because it is still a fine dining experience. The staff are impeccably trained,  yet relaxed and fun. There are no white gloves with stiff backs. the presentation of dishes is flawless and the balance of flavours are, for lack of a better word – perfect. Using the vast range of spices so precisely to achieve balance is a complicated ordeal!

So, let me tell you about my love story with Thaï.

We started out with the “Chicken Salad with Salsa Mango, Tomatoes, Pineapple & Ginger” for my husband and the “Steamed Crab Meat Dumplings” for myself.  The salad was such a celebration of flavours just bursting in your mouth. The mango giving its citrus and sweet note, the tomatoes for its luxurious melt-in-your-mouth effect and the pineapple which blended perfectly with the singe and warmth of the Ginger. If ever, you were a salad hater (like me), I KNOW this would convince you otherwise!

In most restaurants, when you order dumplings, what you get is a whole lot of the casing with very little meat inside. I was so wonderfully surprised to see the opposite. This number works really well for those who appreciate the more gentle and delicate flavours of Thai cuisine. I can tell the chef wanted to let the quality of the meat speak for itself and wow – did it sing, let alone speak! What a melody of sweetness from the crab with just a twang of warmth from the ginger.

Thai scallops

After this gorgeous introduction to our weekend, we were graced with our main courses; “Grilled Beef with Thai Basil & Chilli Sauce” and “Saint Jacques Scollops, Spicy Sauce with Fresh Green Pepper & Soy”. What a delight! The cut of beef was no doubt a prime filet, the scollops were so incredibly fresh and sweet. To be honest, we both had a slight argument about who’s dish was better. In the end, I couldn’t help but be partial to my scallops. Definitely the star of the night! I was left with one ridiculous grin on my face – such was the effect of this dish on me.

At this point, we were so content, we were ready to just fall into our blissful food coma but the idea of desert was just too good to pass up.

To end our fabulous date night, we ordered the “Chocolate Fudge Cake with Ginger and Stem Ginger Ice cream* and the ” Café Gourmand with a Mini Fudge Cake and a Lemongrass and Ginger Cream Verine”. Okay, so you can’t get it all right. Although the cake was a little overdone, we were so happy with our main course that we didn’t even care. But my oh my, the Stem Ginger Ice cream  – rrrrrrrr. It reminded me of my Chai. It tasted exactly like this…only cold – sweet stem ginger ice cream laced with cardamom. There is a saying from my father-in-law which comes to mind – “I could sit in this all day”, to the point where my husband had to remind me of restaurant etiquette to stop me from licking the bowl!

So now for the reality check. Nothing comes for free, so you might want to save this restaurant for a special night. Yes, it is expensive, but I promise, it is worth every penny – after all, it has its stamp of approval from none other than the Thai Embassy in Geneva!

It really is like no other restaurant in Geneva. In a bubble of its own it has the power to take you away from the dull reality of everyday life and put you in a state of spice euphoric dream.

RESTAURANT THAÏ
rue Neuve-du-Molard 3
1204 Genève
Tél: +41 (0)22 310 12 54
Fax: +41 (0)22 310 17 24
Website

By Nidhi
Nidhi is a Geneva-based food blogger

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Flocons de Sel, an affordable three-star restaurant in Megève

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Fera fumé FLOCONS DE NEIGEWhat makes a three-star restaurant better than a two or one-star, considering the huge difference in price? My answer would be that in a three-star establishment there can be no mediocre dish on the menu, no errors in cooking time or service. Of course one can eat fabulously well in places without stars, but there will always be at least one dish that is not quite right, one slip in the service.

The fact is that Les Flocons de Sel above Megève not only deserves its three star, but is one of the more affordable of its category in France. I had the rare opportunity to lunch there twice within a week last month and enjoyed every dish immensely.

There are two fixed-price menus available, 95 and 200 EUR respectively, the former available only for luncheon, and a great bargain. It began with various and sundry amuse-bouche, all visually spectacular and delicious. To give an example, consider the porcini « chips », slightly sweet, and perfectly shaped to resemble the mushroom.

2423-so-2012galeriephoto2-photoanimationrestaurantsplats13-fr2One of the greatest aspects of Emmanuel Renaut’s restaurant is its huge garden, splendidly planted with all sorts of exotic edible flora. He worked for years at Marc Veyrat’s three star near Annecy, one of the first to use wild plants and flowers, hence the starter of heirloom tomato with marigold and a tomato water ice cube wafer on top.

Particularly toothsome was the Lake Geneva whitefish (féra) salt cured and lightly cold-smoked, served with ground elder (égopode) butter. (Don’t feel bad, only an ethnobotanist would have heard most of these herb’s names. The important thing is that they taste good.)

Next up another lake fish dish, a “biscuit” of pike and burbot with an intriguing sauce of melissa and grilled onions. With these dishes we drank the wines of the proposed pairing and were quite pleased. The wine steward is affable, knowledgeable and helpful. If you wish to order bottles off the list you’ll have a huge choice ranging from local savoyard wines (I recommend the white Chignin-Bergeron and the red Mondeuse “Confidentiel”) to the finest of the finest, priced commensurately.

A perfect tender pigeon followed, poached and roasted, simple and succulent. This went swimmingly with the above-mentioned Mondeuse wine. The only tiny fault I could find is that I ordered it rare (rosé) and it was a slight bit more cooked than I had wanted. (If this happens to you, I recommend sending it back, as this class of restaurant aims for perfection and certainly strives for its customers contentment.)

The cheese trolley boasted many fine local cheeses, even some from our neighboring canton of Vaud. For us, the only observation we could make is that a greater variety of breads would be appreciated, though the one served was faultless.

Lovers of pudding will not be disappointed by the plethora of sweet offerings before and after the dessert proper. The Chartreuse parfait was so light and flavourful one must simply say : memorable.

On my second visit I ordered the 200 EUR menu with its ten courses which surprisingly enough was not too much food. If you go to Megève for lunch, I’d stick with the small menu for sure, a great bargain in fact.

Megève is itself a beautiful village, rather posh of course, having been launched by Noémie de Rothschild, and abounds in smart shops, delicatessens selling local and exotic products for the happy few, as well as many wine stores. Emmanuel Renaut opened a bistrot in town called Flocons Village where we dined one evening and were extremely pleased with the service, the neo-rustic decor, and of course the food, especially the most tender skirt steak (bavette) ever eaten. Wines by the glass are served within one minute, something this diner has almost never experienced. Kudos.

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