cabrales

Jinmyo -- Below is the La Tour d'Argent menu of Autumn-Winter 2000-2001. Due to the need for translation of all items, I'm going to hold off on providing the same for Taillevent at this point. Appetizers -- Bisque Cafe Anglais (Bisque, Cafe Anglais style) -- Saumon fume d'Ecosse, crepe au poivre noir, creme a l'herbe des vikings (Scottish smoked salmon, crepe with black pepper, herbed cream of the vikings?) -- Brouillade aux truffes Vincent Bollore (scrambled eggs with truffles, Vincent Bollore style) -- Caviar oscietre, blinis tiede (oscetra caviar, lukewarm blinis) -- Quenelles de brochet, Andre Terrail (pike quenelles, Andre Terrail style; A Terrail is a former chef at the restaurant and a member of the family that operates it) -- Salade de Saint-Jacques a la vinaigrette de truffes (Scallops salad with a vinaigrette of truffles) -- Foie gras d'oie des Trois Empereurs, brioche tiede, gelees de Porto et de Sauternes (Goose foie gras Three Emperor style, lukewarm brioche, gelee of port and Sauternes) -- Feuillette de champignons et homard aux aromes du Perigord (Feuillette of mushroom and lobster scented with truffles) -- Huitres chaudes de Belon a la Brolatti (Hot Belon oysters, Brolatti style) Fish -- Filets de sole Cardinal, riz blanc de Camargue (Filet of sole, Cardinal style, with a white rice from Camargue) -- Rouget poeles aux supions, mariniere anisee, sauce a l'encre (Pan-fried red mullet with a relative of squid (?), mariniere with anise, a sauce of [squid] ink) -- Goujonnettes de sole aux deux sauces (Sole with two sauces) -- Turbot etuve au Jurancon, pommes Roseval au beurre demi-sel (Turbot with Jurancon, potatoes Roseval style with half-salted butter) -- Homard a la Winterthur (Lobster, Winterthur style) Seasonal offerings -- Sole belle meuniere et pommes grenailles (Sole _) -- Feuillete d'asperges et de morilles (Feuillete of asparagus and morels) -- Salade de Saint-Jacques aux truffes (Scallops salad with truffles) -- Croustade de Barbue Lagrene (Croustade of brill, Lagrene) Ducklings (all 2 person dishes) -- Caneton Mazarine a l'orange (Duckling Mazarine with orange) -- Caneton Tour d'Argent (this is with blood sauce, in two servings) -- Caneton Claude Foussier -- Caneton Marco Polo au poivre vert (Duckling Marco Polo with green pepper) -- Caneton de l'An 2000 au vin de Bourgogne (Duckling of the year 2000 with Burgundy wine) -- Caneton Elie de Rothschild Upon Special Request -- Gigot d'agneau du Grand Seize (2 persons) (Leg of lamb of ) -- Cote de veau de lait, puree truffee (2 persons) (Side of milk-fed veal, puree of truffles potatoes) -- Filet de boeuf de Salers, a la fondue d'echalotes, pommes aux amandes, flan aux epinards (Filet of Salers beef, with a fondue of shallots, potatoes with almonds, a spinach flan) -- Vegetables -- Cheese Dessert -- Valse de sorbets, tuile craquante a l'orange (Waltz of sorbets, a crunchy veil of orange) -- Profiteroles au chocolat chaud (Profiteroles of chocolate) -- Poires caramelise "Vie Parisienne" (Caramelised pear, Vie Parisienne style) -- Flambee de peche, a l'esprit de fromboises sauvages, glace vanille et gateau a la fleur d'oranger (Flambeed peaches, with sensations of wild rasberries, vanilla ice cream, and a cake of orange flower blossom) -- Souffle aux liquers d'orange (20 min) (Souffle with orange liquer) -- Douceur au carmel et aux noisettes (Caramel and hazelnut dessert) -- Millefeuille au chocolat (Chocolate millefeuille) -- Crepes "Belle Epoque" (Crepes, Belle Epoque style)

Bux -- When I've been able to identify the "end" piece of chicken at Chinese restaurants, the chicken has been chopped up and the set forth on the plate based on the relative locations of the various parts. This might be the case for certain fried chicken in Chinese restaurants, or chicken one might find at the congee stores. When that's the case, the "end" is just the part that is where the chicken terminates and which is not the head. No French restaurant I know has this item actually set forth on the menu, though, and I have not experienced it with any frequency at French restaurants.

Pan -- Here's an indicative menu from Lorain's website, in English. It includes, of course, the "Bresse Chicken steamed in Champagne (allow 1 hour - for 2 persons) per person 70 €" (not inexpensive). Note the dish is placed in a section of the menu entitled "THE MUST -- some of the dishes for which La Côte Saint Jacques is famous". Depending on when you arrive at the restaurant and whether the meal is lunch or dinner, you might want to prebook the dish in advance. http://miseajour.apicius.com/lorain/uk/carterestaurant.asp Steven Shaw has also written about this dish, and liked it, I believe. I will post tasting notes on the dish shortly. The relatively new facility across the road from the old is nice, to the extent of the salon/library seating area on the ground floor and the dining rooms. The Lorains have a decent library of cook books and books on restaurants (although not as nice as the Troisgros'). If you arrive early, you can sit on an outdoor terrace facing a river. If you are interested in staying at La Cote Saint Jacques, there is a range of prices for rooms from which to choose. One of J-M's siblings (I don't know if there's more than one) operates a hotel on the other side of the river (?) that has very reasonably priced accomodations. I have not stayed in any rooms operated by the Lorain family.

I'm not sure. How is it accessed and when is it served? Bux -- Sorry. I should have been clearer before, but it's the meat towards the end of the body of the chicken (so it's associated more with the derriere than with the tail, I suppose). I see it served at Chinese restaurants alot, although the only times I have taken it are at a French restaurant. I guess there's no "tail" meat for a chicken.

Some background for members on Bras' coulant, which was credited: http://www.boncolac.fr/fr/bras.htm http://www.michel-bras.fr/francai....ant.htm (2000 version) The indicative menu on Bras' website has the following types of coulants (rough translations): (1) Sur une interprétation du coulant, originel de 81, le biscuit tiède de chocolat "coulant", aux arômes de café ; crème double glacée, trait de caramel-café (an interpretation of the original coulant from 1981, lukewarm chocolate biscuit coulant, with coffee aroma; ice cream (?? unclear translation of creme double glacee) with a trace of caramel-coffee) (2) Le biscuit tiède de chocolat "coulant" aux arômes de cardamome ; crème glacée au lait entier d'ici (lukewarm chocolate biscuit coulant, with cadamon aroma; ice cream made from "full" milk of the region) (3) Le biscuit tiède épicé à la pulpe d'oranges "coulantes", cornet de sorbet aux amandes amères (lukewarm biscuit coulant spiced with orange pulp, sorbet of bitter almond) The reference to "coulant" means runny (typically used for, for example, cheese). It refers to the interior of the biscuit, presumably. I have never tasted this biscuit, but have known about it for a while.

I drink Pellegrino or other sparkling water primarily, or boiled water that I refridgerate. (I would drink Badoit or Chateldon if it were available conveniently.) My refridgerator has an automatic ice maker that does not depend on bottled water, so I try to minimize use of ice cubes. I am considering adding light hints of orange flower blossom, honey or gingseng (it's supposed to be beneficial, and it also adds an interesting slightly bitter taste) to water I boil for refridgeration. I was drinking almost exclusively bottled or boiled water prior to 9/11. I am not convinced boiling of water would eliminate any additives provided by terrorists, and, if I were not already drinking so much bottled water, 9/11 considerations wuold only marginally push me in the direction of bottled water.

pirate -- Welcome When you have a chance, could you please discuss the taste of ortolans a bit? For example, (1) your post makes it sound like you might have eaten the beak -- did you eat the whole head?, (2) how gamey was the ortolan -- would its flesh be closer to woodcock, for example, or more like pigeonneau? (3) did you taste the organs with the flesh (e.g., liver, heart)?, (4) were there any special aspects to the tail area?,(5) what was the wing area like, if you remember?, and (6) how fatty were the little ones? Sorry for all the questions. On Guy Savoy, do you have any reactions to the summary of the meal described towards the end of the "Guy Savoy" thread in "France", or of mao or vivin's description of their meal there around the same time?

Two new national finalists were added to the website. Fulvio Pierangelini is representing Italy, and Jun Yukimura is the Japanese representative. I am not conversant in the cuisine of these chefs. The French representative is not yet available on the Website.

Samantha -- I agree that, within the UK, it's inappropriate to expect that *every* server, even in a French cuisine restaurant, be able to speak French. I have a personal preference for speaking French with dining room team members, such that it would be a "bonus" if French were the main language for dialogue even with non-maitre d' members of the dining room team. I would imagine that a maitre d' and most sommeliers in a French cuisine restaurant in London should be capable of speaking French, should I choose to speak the language with them. It's a function of the restaurant being French and the special position of maitre d', I suppose, that make me feel that way (I'm not saying it's right for me to feel that way). One assumes that sommeliers have to go buy wine in France, and that speaking French is appropriate for that process, for example. At Petrus, now that I think about it, there were two men who seemed to have supervisory responsibilities in the dining room. One was fluent in French; the other could not speak French. Both were dressed in their own suits, and thus could have been the maitre d'. Do you frequently encounter French dining room team members who cannot speak English adequately?

Samantha -- The petit fours were good. They included a yellow-colored macaron (tasty), something medium brown wrapped in a piece of see-through paper (perhaps caramel?), a white chocolate-covered log-shaped item, and a chocolate with a coffee bean sitting on top. Note that there were certain 1/2 bottles of champagne (I didn't check the producers). If you took 2 glasses to begin (Pounds 20-24), an alternative would be to see how much the 1/2 bottles would cost and how much further in the meal you could get with one (unless you were contemplating a full bottle, of course)!

Basildog -- Not appreciating your particular circumstances, I would think that your appearing in chefs' whites while performing front office duties would be fine. Here are some considerations (as you know, not based on any experience in the restaurant industry, so to be taken with a grain of salt): (1) If you are out in the dining room area too much during the service, some clients may wonder who is preparing their meal. This issue is more of a concern for instantly-recognisable chefs like Guy Savoy in Paris. If you were similarly known by your community in Padstow that makes up your clients, they may wonder who is preparing their dishes. (2) I assume that your whites are not all stained up and very dirty-looking. If they are that way, consider using a cleaner apron to cover up some of the dirtied areas near the front of your whites. Also, now that you are appearing up front more, it might be good to ensure (as you have been, I am sure) that your hair, nails, etc. look appropriately clean. (3) I assume that, when you are visible in the dining room area, you appear relatively calm and in control of the situation. You might want to reconsider if, for example, you are walking around so briskly that clients may perceive you are somehow frantic about something. (4) Then, there is the question of selectively greeting diners as you walk into the dining room. If you greet some (e.g., the ones who are repeat clients) and not others, you should consider how other clients might take it (I am not suggesting a different course of action on your part, just to be cognizant of "perceptions" of disparate treatment by diners.) Sorry if the above seems obvious, and represent what you are already mindful of. What would you recommend I preorder if I were to come by in early May? Are there dishes that you consider particularly delicious? On dressing in general, it is reality that at least restaurants in Paris do take note of how diners dress. Regardless of whether it is appropriate for restaurants to do so, one does get treated better by dressing stylishly and dressing as though one intended to go to a restaurant. For example, I always use small clutch handbags. I notice some women utilizing large tote bags that they might bring to work or use to carry things around in in general. While they are, of course, free to continue to do that, particularly in the evening one could consider a smaller shoulder bag or a clutch handbag. I dress up. I am not saying this is right, just that at times it can respond to practical considerations. Plus, significantly, I can get ready very quickly. (I might balance things out differently if it took me a long time to get ready in this way.)

Speaking of liver, BON or other members, do Japanese people tend to eat fish liver other than monkfish and fugu? I recently had a liver of cod at a friend's place, and it was very yummy (not at all reminiscent of cod liver oil). Leads on fish liver sampling (incl. monkfish liver) in NYC, London or Paris would be appreciated.

Bux -- On the area surrounding chicken's tails, that is something that is considered among the best parts of the bird in France (and by certain Chinese people). I have eaten it a bit now (but only at one restaurant, in which I have complete confidence), but it might be an acquired taste on which I am still working. Do you appreciate the meat surrounding chickens' tails?

Michael -- Outside of Paris and assuming you are interested in visiting restaurants of this type, perhaps your father could consider (1) the Bresse chicken preparation at Lorain's La Cote Saint-Jacques, Joigny that is prepared (steeped in a large pot) in champagne (does that contain any items inappropriate for him?; if I remember correctly, the sauce is brought separately), or (2) the Bresse chicken "Alexandre Dumaine" style at Bernard Loiseau's La Cote d'or, Saulieu (this dish is intense-tasting, but likewise is a Bresse chicken dish that appears to have limited cream; it does contain some liver tastes). In the meantime, at each place, your mother should have no problem and you will find things you like a la carte. I would recommend Loraine over Loiseau, and also Loraine's chicken dish over Loiseau's. Also, I think Loraine's chicken dish (without the sauce) is less fatty than Loiseau's. On Burgundy, I was reading in a French magazine that some French wineries have very reasonably priced eateries on premises. I know some might consider Leflaive a shipper, but O Leflaive has one such facility, as do some producers in Aloxe Corton, among many others I imagine. I haven't visited wineries in Burgundy meaningfully, but perhaps members who have could speak to this route.

Bux -- Why are you not interested in this food? For example, are you not curious about what the meat tastes like, or how, as a reporter on the Mitterand dinner described, the organs are tasted together with the rest of the bird? Or how, for versions drowned in Armagnac, Armagnac might leave slight residual flavors in the meat? (For other members -- The post to which Bux refers is under "Pierre Herme" in this forum. It refers to the reasons why some diners might find gratification from different restaurants.)

Apologies for my ignorance, but what times are Borough Market open?

magnolia -- You mentioned the small portion sizes at Hiramatsu with respect to the tasting menu. At Mju, weren't the dishes even smaller (esp. the venison bits), even though there were more of them? On my first visit to Hiramatsu (tasting menu), I left feeling full (with full = "don't want to eat anymore"). On my second (a la carte), I did not leave feeling full but that was not due to small portion size, it was due to the dishes being not tasty and my leaving considerable food on the plate (in some cases, 75% plus). I have visited Mju three times, and have not once felt full. I had enough food at Mju, though. On whether Hiramatsu offers an experience comparable to Mju's, I left Hiramatsu thinking the cuisine was French. When I think of Mju, the cuisine would be better considered Japanese with certain French and other touches, or nebulous "fusion" cuisine. I know the distinctions are difficult, and both places accord emphasis to presentation.

Steve Klc & Bux -- Below are excerpts from a NYT article (December 31, 1997, by Marrian Buros) describing the Relais Gourmand dinner to which I referred. "Part of the mystique is the use of the napkin, which, according to Larousse Gastronomique, was initiated by a priest who was a friend of the 19th-century French epicure Brillat-Savarin. Several reasons are advanced for this ritual. One is that by placing the napkin over the head and face, one can better appreciate the fragrances from the tiny casserole in which the birds are cooked. Gerard Pangaud [Gerard's Place in Washington] went a step further. 'You smell the ortolan,' he said. 'You salivate, and that protects your mouth from getting burned, because you must take it in your mouth while it is very, very hot.' Then because it is very hot, diners may have to hold their mouths open part of the time while they chew, and others may not want to watch. . . . " T Keller admitted to eating an ortolan, and indicated that it was a "cerebral and sensual" experience. Another aspect regarding the use of the napkin that I am curious about is how it affects the visual appeal of the ortolan. A diner will have seen the ortolan prior to putting on the napkin, and presumably would place the bird inside his mouth without the napkin on. Yet doesn't that somewhat reduce the effect of trapping the aromas of the birdie? Also, I wonder how one lifts the ortolan into one's mouth -- is it by hand, using the head or the feet? Is it using some sort of sauce spoon? One would presumably have to do this quickly, and I would have thought some type of tong might be ideal, although not visually appealing. Another intriguing question relates to the tail of the ortolan. First of all, I don't know what the length of the tail is relative to the bird itself, even though all features are small. But Keller reported this: "Around the tail it was extremely sensual, and there was like crackling duck skin which encased fat." Finally, apart from Marenne oysters and chapons, I imagine there must be certain foodstuffs that are appropriate lead-ins to ortolans. I would appreciate any member input on what tastes might be appropriate for the build-up.

Wilfrid -- It's good you booked before I reported. I'd feel less "responsible" if you ended up not liking the meal.

Steve Klc -- I couldn't detect where in the dish the cumin was, and I was interested by its inclusion in the name of the dish and was looking (in view of prior discussions by board members on cumin in non-dessert dishes). There was no palpable sauce, to my recollection, which makes the cumin caramel reference a bit difficult for me to interpret. I was disappointed that I was unable to begin to unravel the mystery of the utilization of the cumin in the caramel. If I go again, I'll ask the dining room staff members. There were no ground nuts spread along the plate (whose shape I cannot recollect). The only utilization of nuts was inside the "slab" of caramel itself. I have to say that I didn't mind the harder texture of the caramel. When you mention petit fours/mignardises, it occurred to me that the texture of the caramel was like that one finds in certain mignardises. LML -- Thanks for the links.

I had lunch at The Capital today. Below are my thoughts on the Pounds 27.50 prix fixe lunch (coffee included): -- Escabèche de Saint-Jacques, sardines et gambas à la vinaigrette safranée (Sea scallops, sardines and tiger prawns "en Escabèche" with saffron dressing) -- Poëlés de sole de Douvre, petits pois, fèves et lardons au jus de volaille (Fillets of Dover sole, broad beans, peas and bacon with a chicken jus) -- Chocolate fondant with coffee parfait Glass of Gosset Rose, NV (Pounds 11-13) Glass of French White, Chateau Beaucastel The meal did not impress me, although there was nothing to which I could point as being poor. The dishes were generally well-prepared. Perhaps this speaks to the fit, or lack thereof, between a diner and a particular restaurant. The amuse set a promising tone for the meal, and was in hindsight my favorite part of the meal. It was a small deep-fried cake of confit rabbit, atop tartare sauce (nice when paired with meat, as well as fish) and with a bit of frissee as garnishing. There was a relatively-brighter-green-looking olive oil surrounding the central items, and a puree of parsley. Very nice because the deep frying had occurred at the last minute, and the effects on the outside of the cake made that clear. The appetizer was average, although the scallops were quite fresh. They were slightly overcooked for my taste, although I should note that I like my scallops very minimally cooked. Two little rings of deep-fried squid were helpful, and the pan-fried (?) fillet (small, obviously) of sardine was nicely salty (this was the case). The single prawn was overcooked. The vinegar prominent in the saucing was nice, especially with small cross-sections of baby, baby carrots. However, the saffron was not noticeable and there was a bit of that olive oil surrounding the edge of the dish again. Then, a Dover sole entree that featured very well-prepared fish fillets. What I disliked about the dish was the use of very significant amounts of parsley on top of the fillet, mixed in with breadcrumbs and finished off using a salamander (sic). The breadcrumbs, while softened by the parsley and oil and not too large, were distracting and a bit too aggressive for the dish in my assessment. (I generally like parsley a lot) The fillet had been placed above 4-5 asparagus stalks, which were nice, as well as fava beans and peas (surprisingly similar in taste). The bacon bits were helpful, and the jus of poultry was nice too (it was salty, but in this context, that was appropriate because sole tends to be aided by flavoring). Overall, quality fish (all the ingredients were good quality), but not prepared quite to my liking. The dessert was appropriate. The coffee parfait had quite strong creamy elements, and was dusted with dark chocolate to form a disc for presentation purposes. The chocolate fondant was very small -- no bigger than some macarons -- but quite good-tasting. The interesting part of the dessert for me was the inclusion of certain toffee elements. There were about 5-6 small bits of a sweet item (I don't know what it's called, but it's made from sugar and the texture has honeycomb effects; I have seen it on many occasions and its color tends to be a somewhat bright yellow, bordering on orange) that was supported by a medium-soft, delicious bit of toffee (not particularly elastic-like). Overall, a restaurant worthy of a visit (probably during lunch, when it's more reasonably priced), but not one I have an eagerness to return to. Note this was my second visit to The Capital after Chavot took over. I should perhaps emphasize that the food was well-prepared and nothing negative should be inferred from my subjective experiences. There is a classicism in Chavot's cooking that has been updated a bit. For example, the maitre d' noted that Chavot uses cumin and saffron, and certain other "Indian" spicing. I didn't see that prominent in his cuisine, and, while there are some more updated touches, I continue to see the classicism in the cuisine (not a negative, obviously). Helpful aspects included: (1) a female maitre d' who was knowledgeable, (2) a nicer, less aged, overall decor impression than I remember (perhaps due to the light streaming in, and the nice etched glass effects of the inside window doors), even though the tapestried chairs and chandeliers add to the formal effect, (3) the inclusion of tomato bread in offerings, (4) a selection of four coffee varieties (including a strong coffee from Honduras, which I ordered), and (5) the restaurant's recommendation of wine by the glass, instead of accepting my choice of 1/2 bottle of Chassagne-Montrachet, which I noted from the get-go was a better match for the smoked flavors of the bacon and the volaille jus in the entree than for the appetizer. Less favorable aspects included (1) the sommelier's forgetting to bring me the glass of wine for the appetizer, although this was met by immediate apologies and a "gratuit" glass of Sauternes for the dessert, and (2) refusal to provide a copy of the menu (although the refusal was nicely framed in terms of the restaurant being small and not having that many copies). As Scott pointed out, the menu available during lunchtime was almost as indicated on the website, except that (1) a Nicoise salad has been substituted for the ham and potato salad in the appetizer section, and (2) the desserts differed somewhat from the ones on the Website. http://www.capital-london.net/capital-restaurant/menus1.html

Bux -- I'm not sure either. I suspect that the napkin does have the effect of not offending third parties visually. I imagine chomping on bones (even fragile ones) and taking a whole bird into one's mouth would also result in juices and other unsightly aspects. Another potential effect is the concentration of the aromas of the birdie. One way to address the hot temperature of a birdie taken whole is apparently to take in air into one's mouth a bit initially (this is according to a description of the Relais Gourmand dinner). If the taking in of the air results in the release of some of the aromas of the ortolan even more than usual, the use of the napkin might aid to entrap the aromas. I am quite curious about the sampling of ortolans, including (1) what wines might be appropriate pairings (Skortha suggested an Echezeaux or Grands Echezeaux), (2) whether the head and tail are also eaten, and (3) how one can sip wine underneath the napkin.

magnolia -- Thanks for your meal description A couple of thoughts on my part in response: -- The menu appears to be the same for lunch and dinner, with the menu d'affaires not available for dinner. One early report of Hiramatsu indicated he intended to change his china each season, and not just his menu! -- The maitre d' is indeed quite solicitous. Were he only somewhat humble, with respect to the restaurant's aspirations and achievements to date. I wondered if you engaged him in discussions about the restaurant, and, if so, what he said. -- The formal English translation for citronelle is "citronella", typically. I've been told by maitre d's that it is a form of lemongrass. Interestingly, a translator indicates that the French term for lemongrass is "schénanthe", but I have never seen that used on menus. I think "melisse" in French might have something to do with lemongrass as well (?). http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/faqs/culi-2-19-lemong.html http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer....it.html -- Was the magazine article you describe the Pudlowski one, or is there another one with a picture of both the chef and the sommelier? -- On the "foie gras de chevre", which does not appear listed on the website, could the reference perhaps been to "foie gras de chevreuil" (or foie gras of deer)? It is an unlikely explanation because Hiramatsu should not be able to procure foie gras of deer in sufficient quantities and I have never heard of liver of deer being served.

Steve Klc -- I'll do my best to describe the Blumenthal dessert in non-technical terms, using only your description of the Roellinger dessert (I have not yet purchased the book, and, as you know, still have never visited Cancale). But here goes... -- The caramel at FD was harder than you describe ("soft") because it was evident it could stand up and it was almost a solid piece of caramel (although, of course with elastic and "gooey" textures associated with caramel). The caramel took the form of an approximately 1 cm-high "slab" (not as large as slab might connote). It was darker in color than medium brown. Its shape was somewhat rectangular, but not with clear definition in such way. -- The pistachios were crushed, and the taste of the pistachio was more pronounced than that of the peanut (although that could be tasted too). -- The chocolate sorbet was indeed on top of the caramel, and it was nice-tasting. One could, I believe, slice through the sorbet and get at both the sorbet and the caramel together. However, this would require the application of considerable force to the sauce spoon. Indeed, just the caramel itself was not easy to cut with the sauce spoon provided (obviously, no knife was available at this stage). I had to hold the piece carefully with my fork, while making some effort with the sauce spoon. I ate the chocolate separate from the caramel, although I liked the melting of some of the sorbet onto the caramel. -- There was no fan on top of the chocolate sorbet. -- On saltiness, salt had been worked into the caramel. Also, a bit of saltiness was provided by the roasted pistachios and peanuts. Hope the above helps. It appears that Blumenthal might have been "inspired" by Roellinger? It's not surprising, from a practical perspective, that Blumenthal only credited Bras' dessert (which is well-known) and not Roellinger's (less known), but the theoretically the same standard ought to be applied with respect to attribution, no? You'll be amused to know that today lunch, at The Capital, I ordered a dessert completely unrelated to toffee (chocolate fondant with coffee parfait) and it came with toffee, among other things.

PaulaJ -- I like the outside areas of L'Esperance, with the stone statue of a woman with uplifted arms holding a hat, the creek (which was stunning even during the wintertime, my preferred season), and the various trees (powerfully barren when I visited during 4Q 2001). Meneau's vegetable garden was off limits when I visited. However, for me, the interior of the dining room appeared quite outdated. Its main color schemes are an evergreen green color (green dining rooms are a pet peeve) and gold and white. Yes, to each his or her own. My dining experience at Meneau's was only so-so, and the service was mixed. I believe he deserved to lose his third star (although others who deserve to do so still have it). Portions of my L'Esperance experience are set forth in "Argan Oil" under "Cooking", "What are vegetarians missing" (p. 3) under "General", and "Whife Truffles; Woodcock" under "United Kingdom & Ireland".