The last bit of my France trip ends in Lyon. France and its people and sights are something to fall in love with. Especially the French men. Anyways, France was amazing and I hope that it doesn’t take me another ten years to see it again.

Top CW: Roman Ruins, Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere. Bottom: Random building

Dinner at Paul Bocuse!! I was anticipating this Michelin three star restaurant from the time I landed onto French soil. Paul Bocuse is the MAN of French cuisine. He stays true to traditional French cuisine which landed him three Michelin stars for over 43 years. Over 43 year?! If you tell me that this man is not legit I will slap you over the head with a pig’s bladder (see paragraph below). He was awarded chef of the century by CIA (Culinary Institute of America) because he is a culinary genius and inspiration.

Paul Bocuse plate. Paul Bocuse glass. Everything was stamped with the Paul Bocuse label. Quite cute in my opinion. Paul Bocuse can do whatever he wants  and it would be hunky dory to me. Additional to the food, it’s the teddy bear look and the French accent that always gets me.

THE famous ‘Soupe aux truffles V.G.E (truffle soup)’  This soup was invented in 1975 by Paul Bocuse to serve the French President. The pastry was flaky and when I pierced it I saw foie, truffles and smelled the wonderful aromas of the soup. I scooped a spoonful and it was good but I really wished that taste of the truffles would stand out a little more. I am biased though. The soup encompassed everything expensive and everything you would love to eat. Like I said before, the soup was good but I thought the flavor was a little to mild.

I hate that picture of myself but I love it. I love my expression as the guy is about to present me with a plate with a ball on it. Never thought I would shy from something like that but there’s a first for everything. Well that ball is actually a pig’s bladder sealed and inside a braised chicken. The chicken is juicy, moist, tender, and every other positive word that would describe a perfectly cooked chicken. The chicken was removed from the bladder, cut up and served on a plate with a drizzle of a cream sauce and morel mushrooms. By the time the chicken was served my stomach was beyond maximum capacity but it was SO good. I kept picking at the dish and next thing you know, clean plate.

Dessert! Three carts full of desserts and I was able to pick as many as I wanted. I tasted a couple and although I love desserts I thought that everything tasted a little too sweet. After dessert we were taken on a little tour of the restaurant as well as their extensive wine cellar.  That wine cellar was crazy cool. The overall experience was wonderful. The food was excellent as well the tip top service. Legendary.

Ah Lyon. Fin parfaite. I spent my last two days in Lyon and it was a great city to end my vacation. Lyon felt like a miniature Paris. You had the old and new all mushed up together into one magnificent city. I stayed at Hotel Le Royal which was a pretty centralized location that was near a subway stop as well as walking distance into the shopping district. Not only was the hotel beautiful (very Victorian-esque) and filled with friendly staff members but it’s also the hotel school of Paul Bocuse. Paul Bocuse! It’s like living under the same roof as a culinary legend! He’s like the DUDE! I’ll get into Paul Bocuse in my later entry. So! Lyon is also known as the food capital of the world and with a city that holds around 30 something Michelin Stars I think it’s a legit city. Therefor I ate my way through Lyon.

First up was lunch at Le Musée

Top Left Clockwise: Assorted mushroom sald, quenelle, pork cheek, and terrine (SO good!)

I was initially shying away from eating at Le Musée because it was near a museum which I thought might have been a tourist trap. I went anyways because of all the great reviews they had. When you walk into Le Musée you seriously walk into what old Lyon might have looked. The place was small, had a lot of wood finishing, decorated with antiques, and had the hostess with the mostess. The host and owner was such a great, charming, humorous man and he was our walking menu. There was no menu but instead he would come over to your table, sit down, and go over the menu with you which was made from seasonal ingredients. I thought this made even a lunch more intimate and lively. We had a terrine in brioche and oh my it was a freaking delicious terrine. Hands down it was probably the best dish of the meal. We also started with a mushroom salad. Mushroom were sautéed and placed on a bed of greens. Very simple, had the right enough of saltiness, and  played well as a starter. Entrees were pork cheeks and quenelle. Pork cheeks were tender, juicy, and bathing in a sauce that was very flavorful and meaty.  The quenelle. Oh the quenelle. I’ve never had quenelle before and I absolutely loved it. So quenelle is a mixture of egg, bread crumbs, and a seafood cream mixture. The quenelle was warm, fluffy, and had a great texture. The sauce that it was floating on was creamy, had a lot of bold seafood flavors but at the same time very delicate. The overall meal was fantastic and a great introduction to a classic Lyonnais meal.

Dinner at La Rémanence

Top Left CW: A welcome starter, gazpacho, and clams

Top Left CW: Beef tartare wrapped in beets, foie gras with fruits, pureed potatoes, pork and mushrooms

Top: warm chocolate cake with ice cream. Bottom: Assortment of sweets

La Rémanence is an up and coming restaurant and I heard they’re trying really hard for a Michelin Star. With a inspiring 27 year old chef that worked in highly rated restaurants and serving great food I’m sure the star will come in the near future.

The restaurant is found in a very narrow alley way that looks like old Lyon from the outside and a modern wonderland in the inside. The decor was very minimal, sleek, and I loved that this use to be an old chapel so the restaurant encompassed a lot of columns and structures from the past. Lovely restaurant and the food was even lovelier. We chose the “Epicurean Pleasure” which the chef picks out what you’re eating and you don’t know what you’re eating until served. The starter was a gazpacho that was smooth, cooling, and really opened up my palette for the next course which were clams in a frothy sauce. I’m usually not a fan anything with a hinge (bivalves) because it can get sandy but these were exceptional.  Simple and decadent with a modern twist. After that was what I thought HUGE beet salad but when I cut into it I found it to be steak tartare wrapped with beets. I usually can’t have an entree sized steak tartare until now. The sweetness of the beet really helped enhance the flavor so that my mouth didn’t get tired of raw beef. The beef was fresh (I sure hope it was) and well seasoned. Classic French. Foie gras is another dish where I can’t have in a large amount unless prepared with fruit. Guess what? My foie was prepared with fruit. I like fruit and foie because the sweetness cuts through the fatty taste of foie. I cleaned my plate up really fast. Entree was pork with mushroom and a side of pureed potatoes. Pork was cooked well and tender. The mushroom was salty and a good earthy accent that added extra taste and texture. The potato was creamy and smooth. Loved the potatoes but still can’t compare to Joel Robuchon’s potatoes. Dessert! I could have exploded at that point but somehow found some room in my stomach for some sweets. Warm chocolate cake and ice cream. Not really any room for complaint. We also got an assortment of sweets that included homemade marshmallows, chocolate with nuts, and a lot more that I can’t quite remember but it was definitely delicious. I loved the meal, I loved the ambiance, and loved the service. I do hope they get their star.

Part one of Lyon ended. Wait for the next post on more food and some sights.