May 21, 2014
Lunch at La Ciboulette
The rain just wouldn’t let up. We were supposed to roam the famous market that lined the streets of the old town and canals of Annecy, but we ended up staying in for a grasse mat’ and read in bed. Eventually, we had to brave the weather and headed out, since we had a lunch reservation at La Ciboulette. We took the long way round so we could at least catch a glimpse of the market.
Slightly drenched after our walk, we stepped into a visibly posh restaurant with opulent interior, charming paintings, antique decorative pieces, and actual silver salt-and-pepper shakers and butter dish awaited us at the table which we were assigned. The couple at our neighbouring table were clearly in celebratory mood: a bottle of champagne with two long-stem flutes had just been brought over by the sommelier.
After a quick study of the menu, I decided the day’s market-inspired selection sounded good, whereas F went for a slight splurge with the gourmandise selection. Either way, we both started with an amuse-bouche of cured salmon in a light bisque, delicate to taste and perked me up for the meal. (Rather peculiarly, it also had me hankering for sashimi…)
First course was served. Lobster in a nage of spring peas and hazelnut oil for the monsieur, and grilled white asparagus with parmesan for the madame. The asparagus was cooked to a slight crunch, and grilling the grated parmesan till it formed a light skin of cheese was great idea. I also stole a bite of the lobster but I think the star of that plate was the peas. Freshly popped peas were just so sweet and succulent!
Given the weather, I welcomed the pot-au-feu with baby vegetables for a hearty feed. Across the table, F tucked in on spring lamb from the Basque, accompanied with a sauce of newly harvested garlic. These were clever takes on French classics with fresh, seasonal ingredients, full of flavour but not too “heavy” that we would need to roll out from the restaurant.
Next came a cartful of cheeses. Oh, yes! So many to choose from, and after some consideration, F picked four. I guess it would be sort of impolite to ask for 6-7; the poor server would have to keep slicing a sliver after another. To be honest though, is there some kind of rule on how many types of cheeses one can demand?
I spied desserts at other tables and couldn’t wait for ours to be served. My menu came with a creation of strawberry and chocolate – classic combination that can’t go wrong – and the ice cream was even cleverly placed on a small cool peeble to prevent it from melting into a puddle in the plate. Raspberry was the star of F’s dessert, served with cakes of varying texture. And if these weren’t enough, a small tray of petits fours also made its way to our table.
The service and quality of the meal reflected the recognition which the restaurant had earned: one star from the mighty Michelin. Everything was fresh to the season, aromatic, and flavoursome; the menu pricing for lunch made it affordable for us to have a high-end meal without breaking the bank. When we eventually got ready to leave, the sky had also brightened up and the rain clouds disppearing. That was pretty much reflective of my state of mind at that point. Life was (and is) beautiful.
La Ciboulette – Annecy
Cour du Pré Carré, 10 rue Vaugelas, 74000 Annecy
Tel: 04 50 45 74 57
Tuesday to Saturday: 12-1pm, 7.30-8.45pm
All posts in this series:
Annecy: Lake Annecy | Flickr Photoset
Annecy: A very picturesque Annecy | Flickr Photoset
Annecy: 20/Vins: more like 12/20
Annecy: Hiking the Annecy-Sévrier way | Flickr Photoset
Annecy: Lunch at La Ciboulette
Annecy: Biking around Lake Annecy | Flickr Photoset
Wow….very delicious n yummy looking!!! Affordable too eh…nice
Always a good combo when it’s delish + reasonably priced ;)