Arnsbourg

The notes below are from a meal in June 2002, just after its third star.

This was elevated to three stars in March 2002, and it should be noted that it is a slightly tricky place to get to. It is about 70km north-west of Strasburg 4km from a tiny village called Baerenthal. The restaurant had no rooms when I came here, but has added some rooms since. Alternatively you can stay in a simple 2 star place called the hotel Kirchbourg in the village, which at least avoids a lengthy drive.

The restaurant has an attractive rural setting, the modern dining room looking out over fields and woods. The chef here is definitely interested in pushing the boundaries of cuisine, with bold use of flavour combinations that will not suit everybody. However while much of this type of thing seems gratuitous, here it mostly works: some of the flavour experiments come off well, and there is a faultlessly high level of technical execution. However if you want a classic traditional 3 star meal then this would not be the place to come.

Amuse-bouche were numerous: a simple oyster in a little meat stock, a Parmesan biscuit, some very delicate beetroot with caviar, an anchovy with chopped celery and carrot and a surprising but effective dish of cold pigeon soup. Perhaps 18/20 overall for the amuse-bouche. We went for a tasting menu, which indeed almost everyone seemed to follow.  First we had cold lobster and tomato, the lobster delicate and the tomato having great flavour, a counter-flavour being a caramelised onion (20/20).

Next was a very fine red mullet, beautifully cooked, with a little oil of basil (20/20). Next was a roast watermelon topped with a layer of tomato and herbs. As before, the tomato was great, but was this really an idea that worked? I remain unconvinced (17/20). Better was foie gras with lemon oil, an interesting idea since the lemon oil cuts through the richness of the liver – again the ingredients were of the highest quality (20/20). My wife had superb potato pieces topped with black truffle (19/20).

Next we had cappuccino of peas, the peas being rather oddly flavoured with almonds, the soup topped with a little chocolate. This is where I part company from the bold approach, as here these flavours just are not harmonious (15/20). A far better idea was pigeon breast in fine reduction with wasabi mustard. The mustard was used sparingly and added an excellent taste dimension to the classic pigeon, which was served with little turned root vegetables (celeriac, beetroot, carrot and apple). This was unusual (I have seen this tried with veal and wasabi at Tetsuya in Sydney) and yet worked well, with the flavours working together rather than clashing.

Cheese was superb, and interestingly went off the beaten track. I tried an excellent Livarot from Normandy, a Tomme du Larzac from Auvergne, a Brin Armour from Corsica and a Tamie made with Trappiste beer from Savoie (20/20). There was an array of desserts then brought. Most memorable was a gossamer-like tuile with wild strawberries and almond mousse, a banana sponge, a lemon jelly, a fruit crumble, melon balls in jelly, fudge with nuts, passion fruit jelly and a menthol tuile. These were skilled, even if some of the combinations were rather bracing. A strawberry tart with pistachio waffle was followed by coffee with excellent truffles and nougat. Overall clearly a fine 3 star restaurant.

Further reviews: 25th Sep 2011