Aix marks the spot

And that would be the: Restaurant Pierre Reboul in the heart of Aix en Provence. This is a shout out for all you foodies out there.... You will be in for a treat,I guarantee it.

 Before I get to the divine menu served in the restaurant at present (the menu is changed every month and 1/2) let me tell you a little about this quiet genius: chef Pierre Reboul . He calls his cuisine "creative" but also concedes to the fact that it is by and large "molecular gastronomy". And it is molecular gastronomy at it's best and most playful:Reboul revisits the old french cuisine classics and not only gives them a twist,but turns them on their head. Call it topsy turvy cuisine that is so lighthearted and playful you feel like a child in a candy shop. Your taste buds are titillated, your mind will be blown and sensory confusion will set in , eg:  a "rocket/arugula" lollipop with all the flavours you would find in that flavoursome dish had it been served to you in a conventional manner....I had to close my eyes in order to enjoy and appreciate the subtle flavour and divine joyfulness of it.....

".....and there is far more yet to come" as the delightful sommelier Sebastien Lelouch will tell you...and as sommelier's go, he is the bomb! Lyrical and poetic this wonderful gentleman enhances the adventure tenfold.

Pierre Reboul may be Aix's answer to Heston Blumenthal....but with less aggressiveness and weirdness...I have of yet to eat at a Blumenthal eatery and await the opening at the Mandarin Oriental in London...but the idea of Snail Porridge leaves me not only cold but positively freezing.  Reboul is a positive initiation and one that will have you coming back for more...and more....and more.

This is the Amateurs menu we chose on Saturday and you get to share the experience visually .

FYI :The menu comes in 3 categories: L'initiation 39€ , Les Amateurs 81€ and finally Les Experts 138€.

Enjoy.

 *Bib alert...you may be subject to severe drooling*



Step 1 :  Transparent ravioli filled with Pertuis green asparagus in asparagus jus served with langoustine and shards of raw asparagus .

Step 2: Mini organic carrot from Provence done 3ways: sorbet,froth and with an orange coconut twist.

Step 3 : Roasted fillet of John Dory with its microcress salad in a miniature garden.

Step 4 : Carbonara 2011.....divine.

Step 5 : Parmesan cheese espuma....with rocket lollipop.

Step 6 : Strawberry from Chateau de Virant done 2 ways :with its caramel swirl , in a macaroon with a touch of basil served  alongside a "cream" of olive oil in its "pipette".

Step 7: The Chef's grandfather's egg and full cream flan served with the chef's favourite childhood caramel.

NB: There were custard cream lollipops served with it but they were eaten before I remembered to photograph them!

...And just when you think you can't handle any more food let alone dessert...Step 8 comes along: Grand Marnier mini cones with crispy pistachio cigarettes and.....bubble gum marshmallows.

Aaaah, coffee..... and not another morsel more....the chocolate came and left intact.


So there you have it and for all the info on the chef,the restaurant and the glorious menus please visit the website:
http://www.restaurant-pierre-reboul.com/

                                                                                             Plunk plunk fizz fizz...Oh! What a relief it is....