Editor Pick
La Lucarne aux Chouette
- April 6, 2002
- Rated 5 of 5 by
zabelle from Portland, Connecticut
To say that Daisuke Inagaki has a way with food is to under estimate his talent greatly. This was without doubt the premier dining experience we had in France. When he had his own restaurant he was awarded 1 Michelin star and I can honestly say he has lost none of his ability to take simple ingredients and turn them into culinary delights.
The dining room is a large, stone walled, vaulted ceiling room with a huge fireplace and a ceramic stove with a wall of windows that look out to the Yonne. We ate here both nights. After the first night we were anxious to try more.
There is a set menu but you can also choose items ala carte. There are daily specials that can be added to the set menu for an additional charge. The set menu is 32 euros.
You get an appetizer, entree and dessert. There were several choices for each category. We were served a plate of small finger foods as we made our menu choices.
The appetizers include escargot in a creme percil, soup of mussels with saffron, salade gourmande and foie gras de canard.
We tried everything except the mussel soup. The escargot were plump and tender, the foie gras delicously creamy with orange flavored bread and the salad was field greens with a sample of the other appetizers.
The entrees included magret de canard a l'orange, filet mignon de veau au thym, le rable de lapereau roti sur los aux eschalots and la piece de boeuf "Hereford Irlandais garante elivage naturel". My hommard (lobster) was a special.
What can I say, the duck was sliced with an orange sauce, the rabbit was roasted then sliced off the bone and beef was fork tender and cooked to perfection. My loster was sweet and delicious served over puff pastry with slivered vegetables. The second night I had lamb chops which were to die for.
Dessert was fabulous here. Joe still talks about his two servings of chocolate and chestnut mousse. I had crepes with orange sauce the first night and this little chocolate cake full of hot fudge the second.
It was beyond description.
These meals were made to savor. Service was leisurely and we were expected to relax and enjoy the experience and let the chef work his magic. They have a fine wine cellar and we finished up with fresh decaf and tea and left feeling that we had just had a unique and memorable experience.
From journal Burgundy-Wine , Women and Mustard? Part II