Taking an overnight break from Paris to explore the gastronomic heart of France was out plan, turns out we got a whole lot more.
Staying at the Intercontinental was a bonus, an incredible hospital with a long history of supporting the residents of Lyon, and them supporting it back (there’s a list of benefactors going all the way back to 1787 on the walls of the Dome, the bar in hotel. This is a bar not to be missed, refined, elegant and architecturally stunning.
Taxi drivers were great from the start, suggesting restaurants, joking and sharing a tale or two. Our first food stop was Restaurant Le Neuvième Art, (the two Michelin star venture of chef Christophe Roure situated in the Brotteaux district. His accolades are astounding including winner of the ” Meilleur Ouvrier de France ” accolade in 2007. Doing his apprenticeship to Paul Bocuse , Pierre Gagnaire and Régis Marcon, his pedigree is remarkable.
The dining room is stark on first impressions but the staff are above reproach. I had booked online with an Australian mobile phone number and on arrival our menus were in English (it’s the little details that count). Choosing the four course degustation with matching wines we were ready for the journey, and oh what a journey it was! Fresh crab meat, avocado, cucumbers and verbena foam to start, followed by fresh scallops, mushroom and the most delicate gnocchi I’ve ever tasted. The fresh water fish is cooked in beeswax, that itself is a wonder to watch as it’s done at the table and goes from the liquid oil to slowly solidifying as the fish cooks in the oil and the oil cools. Truly inspired. The cheese trolley was magnificent, a sight to behold, followed by pre-dessert (because we needed more food) and then an orange bloom panna cotta – I’ve never been a fan of panna cotta but this one, this one was special, subtle but full of flavour, light but seriously creamy. So, all in all an experience that will be remembered, not just for the quality of food, which is seriously some of the best in the world (hey I’m not food critic, and they don’t give Michelin stars away lightly but it was incredible), the precision of the wait staff, knowledge of the Sommelier and the incredible front of house welcome.
The next day we headed to the old town, an area with a history all of it’s own. “Open every door, there’s traboule’s everywhere”, was the advice from our guide – I’ve always been 50 / 50 on tours as such… are you just seeing what they want you to see? Having said that on a short overnight trip it sounded like a good idea. 4 hours of a walking food tour through the old town with Lyon Food Tour. Our guide was Meghan, an absolute gem who loved to talk but was passionate about Lyon, food and the history. Apparently the three pillars of Lyon are the Church, heavily Catholic, secondly produce, both food and wine and the silk trade. These three things are inextricably intertwined in every day Lyonnaise life. The bouchon’s, for example, were where the skilled silk weavers, called les canuts, and their families ate at. This was paid for by the silk traders as the workers were only paid on full competition of a project, and the intrinsic nature of silk weaving meant that jobs could take up to years to finish. Then comes the pot Lyonnais, the glass bottle wine is served in with a distinctive thick glass bottom. During the 16th century, when the silk traders were providing for the workers, the agreement was two pots– which equalled around a litre of wine. Then in 1843, with times getting a little harder, the silk traders joined together and changed the measure from 50 centilitres to 46 centilitres – it was made law and is still the traditional measure that exists today.
This meant that one litre of wine could be stretched to fill two pots and the typical glass bottom was thickened to compensate for the missing 4 centilitres! Smart for sure, but not exactly ethical!
We tasted some of the authentic bouchon food at les Fines Gueules, it has the distinction of being a not only having a top class chef who trained with Paul Bocus, but is also holds the title of being a Maître Restaurateur. It’s a title only issued by the State for French catering and is based on specifications that combine the Chef’s professionalism and qualifications, traceability and seasonality of the products, plus the kitchen, the room, the service. On top of this, les Fines Gueules has Les Bouchons Lyonnais certification – what does this mean? It is a quality guarantee in terms of products, cuisine, welcome, ambiance and respect of Lyon’s history and heritage – you’re getting the real deal here, not hamburgers and pizza to go! On the mirror it’s written, “We peel, we bone, we simmer, we cook”, it says it all, simple, authentic and absolutely delicious.
This goes to the heart of Lyon, as explained by Meghan, and the women known as the Mères Lyonnaises… the mothers. They were cooks for the silk traders and bourgeois families, creating dishes that were more complex than the bouchons. In the early 20th century, there was somewhat of a down turn that meant the Meres were laid off, this gave them the chance to open their own kitchens and share a different style of cooking with the community. In 1921 it was Mère Brazier who started the gastronomic revolution in Lyon, and once again, that name comes up… chef Paul Bocuse who began his career in her kitchen.
It was a great experience to meet local artisanal producers, hear the stories, fact and fiction, and the history of Lyon. It was crash course in all perspectives of the heart of gastronomy, and well worth doing.
Gourmet stops….
Mix of regional cheeses & white wine – Thierry at La Fromagerie du Vieux Lyon – Crèmerie Lyonnaise
Lyon’s specialties at the bouchon – les Fines Gueules
Mix of regional cold cuts with red wine – Laurent at BMD Wine bar
Lyonnais beer and grand cru chocolate – Embassy Bonnat Crozet
Pink Praline tart – Le Luminarium
