Web magazine
(Vol.4) Mushroom Festival 'Fête des chamignons' and the legendary restaurant 'La Pyramide Patrick Henriroux'
Chef Matsumori's Travelogue in France (December 2019)
Chef Matsumori's from Saint Bonnet le froid
There's already only one month left in the year. How is everyone doing?
Two months have already passed since I began my internship at Régis et Jaques Marcon, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant located in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froy, a town about 90 kilometers southwest of Lyon, France, approximately a three-hour drive away.
I spend my days busy working at a top-level restaurant in France that is fully booked every day and attracts gourmets from all over the world.
Mushrooms are sold everywhere in the town, and various delicious shops selling cheese, charcuterie, desserts, and more line the streets like a market.
Many people from both within Japan and abroad visited, and this usually quiet town was incredibly lively.
In the crisp, clear air, we strolled through the forest with a mushroom expert and harvested a wide variety of mushrooms, including porcini mushrooms (which you might be more familiar with as porcini mushrooms used in Italian cuisine). We took them back to the restaurant for lunch and learned about the names of the mushrooms and how to prepare them.
I don't just stay in restaurant kitchens; I also go out into nature in France, and sometimes I fondly remember the vegetables from Ohara in Kyoto, and I'm having truly wonderful experiences every day.
Chef Matsumori's C'estbon
The restaurant I visited this time was the legendary "La Pyramide Patrick Henriroux," which has a long history.
This restaurant, which has consistently held two Michelin stars since 1992 and is helmed by Patrick Henrirou, a highly renowned figure among gourmets, also operates a four-star hotel that is a member of Relais & Châteaux.
The location is Vienne, a town in the Rhône-Alpes region of France, where the elegant atmosphere of a bygone era of France is concentrated. This gastronomy restaurant is impressive with its quiet and tranquil atmosphere steeped in history, its beautiful garden standing beside the pyramid monument, and its charming building.
Anyone involved in French cuisine would probably know this.
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to dine there recently, so I would like to share it with you all.
As expected of a long-established restaurant, the taste of the food goes without saying.
Seasonal ingredients are prepared using cooking methods that are faithful to the fundamentals of French cuisine, while also incorporating modern elements.
In other words, they are all dishes that "diners can enjoy with peace of mind."
And the service was impeccable from start to finish. I had a very meaningful time.
Chef's choice course
| Four amuse-bouche items | Cluj espuma, leek mousse and beef parmentier, plus two other dishes. |
|---|---|
| Cold appetizer (a gift from the chef) | Foie gras terrine |
| cold appetizer | Crab terrine with vegetable mousse and caviar. |
| Hot appetizer | Roasted scallops with vanilla-scented Jerusalem artichoke velouté |
| Hot appetizer | Seasonal mushroom fricassee, artichoke émiliçion |
| Fish dishes | Lightly smoked Rouget with orange-scented beetradi jus |
| Meat dishes | Roasted pigeon with butternut squash puree and its jus sauce |
| Fromage | Choose from approximately 20 types of découpage |
| Chocolate and caramel bergamot jelly, roasted green tea in a glass. Three kinds of petit fours |