Paul Bocuse‘s signature restaurant, L’Auberge Du Pont de Collonges, Lyon.
Awarded its third Michelin Star in 1965, the restaurant has retained its stars ever since, the longest any restaurant has held this coveted honour. It was for me, the experience of lifetime. This, is the Mount Everest of dining, the very peak of culinary excellence.
Paul Bocuse is a legend in the culinary word, one of the pioneers of nouvelle cuisine, a style that lightened (but not simplified) french cuisine, emphasising fresh ingredients and avoiding overcooking. Today, the restaurant’s executive chef is Christophe Muller, who like Paul Bocuse, has been awarded the MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) for his culinary mastery.
And on the peak on the culinary everest, I chose to drink frog soup, and eat chicken. Because when I am in the hands of the best chefs, I seek simplicity.
When I stepped out of the cab, my first feeling was strangely, an empathy for the pressure the chefs must feel. You could feel the anticipation in every guest who arrived, you could see how everyone was expecting the meal of their lives. And the chefs, the waiters, they have to live up to this everyday. Since 1965. For them, its not just another workday, because for all their guest, its a lifetime experience.
The welcome was incredibly warm and friendly. Given the unrivalled reputation of the place, you might think they will be tempted to be just a touch snotty, but there none of that. The staff warmly welcomed us into the posh interior, which is part dining room, and part museum.
With a glass of champagne, it began. I chose the menu classique.
The trio of starters followed : tomato with sweet pepper, a celery gel with shrimp, and an avocado mouse.
Drinking Frog
I chose the frog soup with watercress because – it sounded like it didn’t belong in a three star restaurant. It’s more like something you eat on a low stool by the road side in Bangkok. And like some dishes I had on the streets of Bangkok, I will remember this one for a long time.
There are somethings you take a bite (or spoon) of, and you know you want it again, and you will never be able to recreate it. You will just have to come back. I simply didn’t know frog can be this delicious. I didn’t imagine that ingredients as mundane as frog and watercress could be rendered into this deep, creamy bowl of umami deliciousness. The watercress came the from of a diced gel, and the bowl was full of bits of sweet frog meat. I loved it, and I will not try to recreate it.
Eating Chicken
My main was chicken. But not just chicken, Bresse Chicken Fricassee with Morel Mushrooms. Bresse chicken is the esteemed “queen of poultry, the poultry of kings”, with AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlee) status. It may be produced only from white chickens of the Bresse breed raised within a legally defined area of the historic region and former province of Bresse, in eastern France. It has white feathers, a red comb, and blue feet. Definitely a french chicken! Morrels (Morchella esculatenta) are the most prized (and expensive) mushrooms. They have a deep, earthy flavour, and personally, I think of them as a less expensive alternative to truffles (expensive being a very relative term here).
The serving surpassed my expectations. I was thinking I will get a large, white plate, with three slices of chicken breast, delicately balanced on a pile of other pretty things assembled with tweezers, in the middle of a gigantic white plate. No. I got a whole chicken leg, smothered in morel sauce, with rice pilaf and the vegetables. It was presented table side in classic style, plated in the classic way. Meat, carb, veg.
And it was delicious. I have heard that our local kampong chickens, are not “kampong” at all. They are a french breed, imported here and raised without cages. And I think I get it. A Breese chicken is the ultimate kampong chicken, lean, not entirely tender. But one bite, and you understand what chicken should be like, before it became a commodity. The chicken had flavour. It tasted…. like chicken. The rice pilaf was a like…. a good chicken rice.
As the meal passed its apogee, a vast array of cheeses was spread out on two (two!) tables before me. I pointed at a few cheeses that were vaguely familiar (St Nectaire, Roquefort, a fresh cheese). And then two tables of deserts. The desert choices were so overwhelming, I once again went into default (simple) mode. I chose the Creme brûlée.
The Kitchen
And the best part – they let me sneak into the kitchen. It felt like stepping into a temple. For a while I imagined myself as a trembling young apprentice, peeling potatoes, not even allowed to fry them…… cause I wasn’t peeling them good enough.
The evening ended with me tipsy, happy, and just able to get into the cab they called for me.
Restaurant Details
I say, if you intend to spurge on one good meal in France, and you are passing by Lyon, go to L’Auberge Du Pont de Collonges. The bookings are relatively easy to get, and unlike some places in Paris, they do not charge your credit card upfront. The food is great, the staff warm and friendly. They even tolerate a few selfies…..
Remember, don’t rush this. Set aside three hours for dinner.