Girardet's Gripes Re: Rochat

[cabrales]

The November 2002 edition of Food Arts confirms a previously-described (by Girardet) sense of dissatisfaction on the part of Girardet with respect to his former sous-chef and his chosen successor, P Rochat. The general complaint on the part of Girardet is that Rochat pushed him out of the kitchen in a manner Girardet had not anticipated.

[vmilor]

I was just cruising and read this. GREAT. Girardet was a top chef but very greedy. They cashed their deposit before you came and they gave you a terrible exchange rate. Rochat is a nicer fellow and every bit an accomplished chef. Despite his unmentionable tragedy the food did not suffer. I had 3 meals there in the last 18 months and will consider him to be belonging to the pantheon of all time greats. He does not need any coaching. By the way with Pont de Brent and ridiculously 2 starred Chateauvieux, the area around Lac Lemon probably possesses 3 of the world top 10(or so ) restaurants.

[cabrales]

By the way with Pont de Brent and ridiculously 2 starred Chateauvieux, the area around Lac Lemon probably possesses 3 of the world top 10(or so ) restaurants.

vmilor -- I took in a below-average (for a three-star) meal at Rochat within the last two years. I acknowledge I need more data points to evaluate this restaurant; I am particularly interested in taking in omble chevalier at this facility. The restaurant's decor leaves much to be desired. I have never taken in Girardet's cuisine.

However, I am very interested in Pont de Brent and the third three-star in the general vicinity of Pont de Brent and Rochat. Could you provide input on how to access these places using the train and other public transportation? What is positive about the cuisine at PdB and similar places?

Girardet was ... very greedy.  They cashed their deposit before you came and they gave you a terrible exchange rate.

With all respect, I do not see anything negative about greed in a cuisinier. Restaurants are around to, among other things, maximize profits. Restaurants should feel free to choose to demand deposits and to cash them before a diner's arrival. Under what mechanics would the restaurant be the party giving you the exchange rate, as opposed to your credit card company or another third party? Did you send a check or money order to the restaurant directly?

I see to be in the minority on the board in my views on restaurants being appropriately profit-maximizing.

Edited January 22, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[lizziee]

I had 3 meals there in the last 18 months and will consider him to be belonging to the pantheon of all time greats. He does not need any coaching.

vmilor,

I agree completely. My post on Rochat:http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=10&t=11893&hl=rochat

[cabrales]

If members recall, what dishes is Rochat known for?

[lizziee]

Cabrales,

My post didn't make the link easy. It is not a matter of what Rochat is famous for rather it is a matter that what he does is better than anybody else.

Hotel de Ville--Phillip Rochat, Crissier, Switzerland

This obviously does not belong in a French thread, but....

There are 3 Star Michelin Restaurants that survive on reputation alone. Rochat's Hotel de Ville is a 3 Star that provides 3+ stars in every sense of the word -the only word that comes to mind is perfect.

We had been there once before. It was one month after Rochat took over from his mentor Freddie Giradet.

The dining room is much lighter with an oval lit ceiling with seats for only 32-40 people. As you enter the restaurant, there is another dining room on the right that does not seem to serve the gastronomic menu as the diners were not as "dressed." This is only a guess as we did not have a way to check it out.

Arnaud, our server, suggested that we do the tasting menu as it was the best way to sample the chef's cuisine. At 170 Swiss francs it was a decent "value" particularly in light of our Ducasse and Veyrat experiences. (see earlier posts)

With our champagne, we were served 3 amuse on a long rectangular plate arranged vertically in front of us - razor clam in its shell in a light vinaigrette, 2 chunks of tuna served on a small, silver skewer, and diced crab mixed with a mayonnaise tasting sauce.

1st course--a tomato gelee soup that had finely diced tomato and cucumber in the bottom and the whole thing topped with a 1 1/2 inch round of oscetra caviar. The caviar added the necessary salt to the soup and elevated the dish from simple to sublime. It was served with a feuillete composed of salt and lemon--100% wonderful.

2nd course--a small covered casserole was presented and Arnaud and another server lifted off the tops in perfectly synchronized fashion. This was not done in a serious, profound, food temple way--it was done with a "twinkle in the eye" - let's have fun eating great food in a great atmospheric way. In the casserole were small mussels in a carrot, fennel and dill sauce. The fennel was subtle and not at all over-powering.

3rd course--3 pieces of grilled St. Pierre (John Dory) exactly the same size with chanterelles in a stock that tasted like a light chicken stock. Tiny pieces of walnuts were added for crunch. At first it felt like this dish would be heavy--but not at all--light and delicious.

4th course--2 langoustines were perched at an angle on the plate. They had been wrapped in a spring roll -wonton wrapping and deep fried. Rochat calls this tempura. The sauce was a madras curry sauce and there was a small mound of chutney on the plate. This is where word descriptions of food fail me - I can't convey with words just how good this dish was.

5th course--small rabbit cutlets gently seasoned with garlic and served with haricot verts in a garden herb vinaigrette. It was absolutely essential to eat the haricot verts with the rabbit--you needed the counterbalance and moisture from the greens. On the side were thinly sliced deep fried potatoes - haute cuisine potato chips.

6th course--cheese cart--Arnaud teased me that they only serve cheese from Switzerland-- brie, I questioned, "just consider all cheese is from Switzerland regardless of origin."

7th course--a sorbet of peach with coulis of fruit. An amazing, refreshing sorbet served in a large martini type glass. On the bottom was a red wild berry, then dark purple blueberries, a layer of yellow--pineapple, the pink layer of grapefruit, followed by red--watermelon, orange mango, finally creamy yellow/orange--peaches on top of a peach sorbet.

8th course--from a serving table with 8 cold silver canisters, we were presented with a course of sorbets and a course of ice creams-wild berry, grapefruit, banana sorbets, and peanut butter, lemon and vanilla ice creams.

9th course--an actual dessert cart with three tiers with about a dozen or so rich pastries. We passed on that.

[cabrales]

It is not a matter of what Rochat is famous for rather it is a matter that what he does is *better than anybody else.* ... Rochat's Hotel de Ville is a 3 Star that provides 3+ stars in every sense of the word -the only word that comes to mind is *perfect*.

lizziee -- Were you literally intending to indicate that Rochat does certain things (cuisine?) "better than anybody else"? Could you clarify which restaurants you are including in the "anybody else"?

I will post in the next little while on a poor meal there.

Edited January 22, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[lizziee]

Cabrales,

I meant to say that Rochat is on a par with Arpege, L'Ambrosie, Guy Savoy, Ledoyen et al. We had a great meal with no flaws from cuisine to service.

[vmilor]

I seem to be in the minority on the board in my views on restaurants being appropriately profit-maximizing.

I chose a bad word:"greed". Essentially I agree with you. But what Girardet did was odd. We had sent a $100 check. They cashed it out at a rate I have not found anywhere because when they brought the bill they gave us credit (in Suisse Franks) for what I calculated to be the equivalent of $ 75 or so. Other restaurants of the similar caliber in 1985 when this happened( I was still a student then) used to give your check back to you when you honored the reservation.

I promise to go to my notes and write extensively on the 3 restaurants around Lac Leman I know well tomorrow. Right now (almost midnight) our 10 months old girl Ceylan(pronounced Jaelahn) is craving for my attention and in the meantime I risk to:

a. Lose all my shoelaces

b. Part with all the folders relevant to some past work

c. get scolded by my wife whom I earlier teased about her spelling of pistachio(well, she was born here).

[pauladsous]

<hey y'all !

Being Lausanne-based, may I suggestyou check out the following http://www.suisse-gourmande.ch/journal.php#j3

Suisse Gourmande's creator cum amnagor and sole contributor is a close buddy of mine and we go out together on a regular basis,including recent stints at Rabaey's Pont de Brent, Ayer's le Pérolles in Fribourg and of course ph Rochat's Hôtel de VIlle in Crissier...everything we had is thoroughly described here although we sometimes disagree

At Rochat's, I thought the tomAto app was a tad disapponting: looked gorgeous, excellent pscietra, but the seed-pulp thing waslackluster, acidic, bland....WTH?

However, thought the ceps were to die for & that the mussels were just fine =) Avocado thingy? whaddeva....otherwise agreed with everathing else he said! Would just add that the service was excellent, very attentive yet not obsequious, and friendly and smiling! In the region, really liked Pont de Brent, le Pérolles and la Table d'Edgard at the Lausanne Palace & Spa(currently closed for refusbishment but due to reopen in October '09 as far as I know..

A bientôt chez nous, tout de bon ou bien!