Friday, July 01, 2005

Jacques Reymond



Introduction: Since his recent refurbishment and the loss of some of his longserving staff, to my mind, Jacque Reymond has most successfuly reinvented itself
Ambience: Pleasant large main dining room warmed by two artificial , but effective, wood fires

Service: Attentative, helpful and informed

Food: Beautifully presented, the Winter Degustation menu was unsurpassed at any restaurant I have eaten at in the last few years. It consisted of the following

Packham pear and Jerusalem artichoke soup, gorgonzola and walnut cream - a great start
Asian crab salad, rice crusted tuna and oyster tempura - a small seperate portion of each, the crab being especially tasty
Paradise prawns and wakame (seaweed) chakin rather like a large quennelle in a miso broth - very light and delicate
Lacquered Atlantic salmon, wok of oriental mushrooms a soy and sake glaze - the sweetish glaze with the perfectly so so perfectly cooked salmon was to die for
Choice of Saddle of venison, with celeriac a beetroot and watercress salad or Suckling pig and mild spiced fresh bortolotti beans both of which I tasted were, once again, truly excellent dishes
A pallette cleanser of mint and red plum sorbets topped with a pepper foam was unusual and effective
We were then offered some flexibility with the dessert I enjoyed a date pudding with icecream and a small, surprising, sugared, but still tart, cumquot whilst my wife enjoyed a smooth and perfectly prepared creme brulee
People at the neighbouring table had a trilogy of mushroom with which they were not so enchanted. Although the pate was excellent the capuchino was too dilute and the tempura too oily
There is also a vegetarian degustation menu available and what looked to be a most appealing a la carte menu
Wine: Good range. By the glass $13 to $30 (for a vintage, '86 I think) Moet and Chandon
Price: Two courses $70, 3 courses $94, 4 courses $118 Degustation $120 Vegetarian degustation $86

Side salad $12, with blue cheese $18
Comments: A truly excellent gourmet dinner
We thoroughly enjoyed a second visit and had the Autumn Degustation menu. Now $140 It is 1/3rd of what you would pay for it in America or England
Mark 18.5/20

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