Paul Bocuse, Lyon

Paul Bocuse, Lyon (280€, 9/18/2019, 8-course incl. VAT and Gratuity)

Paul Bocuse was considered an ambassador of the modern French cuisine. He has been known for introducing and championing a lighter style of cooking and seasonal fair. He is also a revolutionary who raised the curtain on great culinary theatre. He leaves behind a name and a trophy in his image – the Bocuse d’Or – which now stands for the excellence of French cuisine worldwide.

Paul Bocuse restaurant is located at Collonges au Mont d’Or, on the outskirt of Lyon. As you arrive, you can look up the restaurant’s colorful wall and famous painting of Paul Bocuse in his chef’s clothing. The restaurant displays its history on its walls. The current building was rebuilt after the fire in mid-1990.

It opens Monday-Sunday for lunch and dinner, and offers a few different sets of Tasting menus and a la carte menu. I chose the Menu Paul Bocuse which included two of its famous signature dishes.

Les Amuse Bouche

1.Cow Cheese – Fresh cow cheese sitting on a bed of fig jello and herb. A buttery biscuit was at the bottom. A light and delicious start.

2.Smoked Salmon Mousse – Smoked salmon mousse was under the mascarpone and served on a light crispy rice tart. It was appetizing.

 3.Cream of Vichyssoises – A thinner version of leek and potato purée flavored with truffles and garnished with truffles on top. It was flavorful and pleasant.

1^st Course – Lobster in an Iced Pouilly Fuisse Court Bouillon. Osetra Caviar and Celery Cream

Lobster was perfectly poached, and submerged in the jellied poaching liquid made of Burgundy white wine Pouilly-Fuissé, poaching consommé and citronella (lemon verbena). Lobster was placed on a bed of celery purée and at the very top there were fresh crème fraiche and a scoop of Osetra white sturgeon caviar from Italy. While the celery purée added a mild sweetness, with the caviar together enhanced lobster’s rich flavor. It was tender, succulent and flavorful. It was a perfectly prepared dish.

2^nd Course – Truffle Soup V.G.E.

Chef Paul Bocuse created the dish when French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing awarded him with the Cross of Légion d’honneur as ambassador of French cooking on February 25, 1975.

This soup is the rich, intricate consommé (chicken and beef soup) enhanced by some vegetables (diced carrot, fennel, celery heart), diced foie gras and sliced truffles. The richly flavored soup had more to enjoy when it was topped with a perfectly crunchy pastry dome. Even though the pastry was cooked over a broth, it did not get soggy at all. Our server recommended to slice the dome before eating. As soon as we sliced the dome, the sweet and mouth-watering aroma immediately permeating in the air.

I did not know which I preferred between the soup and puff pastry. Together, they made me eager to keep the flavor in my palette longer.

At present, because of the convenience of e-commerce, both summer truffles and Australia black winter truffles are available in summer.

3^rd Course – Fillets of Sole ‘Citruses” Normandy Side Notes in Viennese Citrus Fruit

Chef Bocuse has paid tribute to his mentor by presenting a great classic dish of ‘Filets of Sole “A La Fernand Point”’. This was the variation from the original. Fillet of sole was stuffed with mushroom purée and garnished by a thin slice of crepe made of flour, egg and 3 types of lemon from Menton, France. It was cooked in white wine, coated with Hollandaise sauce and passed under a salamander grill to get the appearance of grilled zabaione (liquid egg custard). Three different kinds of lemon made the taste quite refreshing and unique.

4^th Course – Beaujolais Winemaker’s Sherbet

It was a half-way palette cleanser for the next course, made of black currant liqueur and Beaujolais in granité form. It was so delicious and refreshing.

5^th Course –Bresse Chicken Cooked in a Bladder ‘À La Mère Fillioux’

Bresse chicken was stuffed with truffles under the skin and cooked in a pork bladder. When our server brought it over to our table, it was inflated like a football. Carved at the table, it revealed a treasure of delicious aromas more than enough to make your mouth watering.

The Bresse chicken cooked in a pork bladder is a testament to modern French gastronomy. It originated in the 1800’s by Mére Francoise Fillioux and then moved into Mére Eugénie Brazier’s repertoire when she opened her own restaurant. Mére Brazier became the world’s first chef to hold two Michelin three-star restaurants simultaneously. The young apprentice Paul came to work for Mére Brazier and learned the spectacular chicken dish and other things that later comprised part of his repertoire. Later, he worked for Fernand Point’s La Pyramide and carried an expanded multitude of fabulous dishes into current time. Chef Point is considered the father of modern French cooking, Point shared his knowledge freely in an era of obsessively secret chefs.

The Bresse chicken steamed in a pig bladder was moist, juicy and tasty. I could imagine the work of cleaning the bladder. Bresse chicken was served with sauce perfectly made with morel, cream and butter accompanied by sautéed peas, carrots, green beans, cauliflowers, celery, artichoke hearts, radish and wild rice served on the side. Our server recommended that each guest would get some white meat (breast) as well as dark meat (leg) even though dark meat was measured tastier. Bresse chicken is a special brand for free-range chicken. Chicken were fed according to specified criteria; chicken was brought to the table with a name tag to proof the quality and authenticity. Bresse chicken was slow cooked at 90 degree for 90 minutes in a closed pig bladder.

The tableside carving of the chicken by the waiter was done so expertly and professionally and on a level of perfection that I have never seen before. Dining at Paul Bocuse was like being entertained in a theater.

I appreciated the whole process of preparation for this course, even more, after I finished eating this dish.

6^th Course – Selection of Fresh and Matured Cheese from ‘La Mère Richard’

Cheese course is where every great French restaurant differentiate itself. To offer cheeses in various status of ripeness and served at the right temperature. Cheese from local supplier Mère Richard was displayed in a trolley: St. Marcellin, Camembert, Comté (18-month old), Brillat Savarin (triple cream). I chose five types and our server insisted that the other guest shall get 5 other different types so that we could taste more varieties.

7^th Course – Delicacies & Temptations

There were three dessert trolleys with so many varieties displayed. It was a great pleasure just by looking at them, there were Baba au Rhum, Lemon Tart, Strawberry Tart, Mixed Berries Tart, Éclair with Mixed Fruits, Fig Tart, Île Flotante (floating island) with caramelized nuts), Chocolate Chiffon Cake. With my stomach being in overloaded condition, I still had a few because it was too difficult to resist the temptation. They were all sumptuous and delightful.

8^th Course – Fantasies & Chocolate

There were three varieties of Mignardises – Chocolate Praline, Praline Noisette and Strawberry Short Mousse. Our server specifically pointed out that piece of chocolate was from Bernachon which is well-known for its gourmet pastries, refined chocolate in Lyon. I later found out that Bernachon is currently owned by Chef Paul Bocus’ daughter. Bernachon not only makes great chocolate, they actually make the chocolate itself to control the high quality. The most famous type is Chocolate Praline. Each individually roasted hazelnut was coated in crunchy caramel, then enclosed in the chocolate bar. The contrast of crispy hazelnuts and bittersweet chocolate makes this well-liked by customers in Lyon and Paris.

My dinner at Paul Bocus definitely was a memorable experience. I have enjoyed the whole meal with the satisfaction from all senses. I had the extraordinary food prepared by the unique expertise and I had the opportunity to see the theatrical show of server’s carving skills and technique. I even had the accompany of a lovely comfort pet escorting the guest sitting at the next table. This well-behavior dog did not even bark once throughout the entire meal. This is the first time that I have ever seen a pet in a Michelin 3-star restaurant. He probably enjoyed the smell and the ambiance as much as the humans did.