Back in January 2008, I posted my first review of one of the best restaurants (if not the best) in Strasbourg, France. As I had the chance to eat at "Au Crocodile" once again last night, let me take this opportunity to give my readers an updated review of this fine dining restaurant.
First of all, it is to be noted that this venue does not belong to Emile Jung anymore as this renowned chef sold it to Philippe Bohrer upon retirement. Phillippe Bohrer is also a distinguished chef, known for his restaurant "A La Ville De Lyon" in the famous city of Rouffach, Alsace, home of a no-less famous Psychiatric Hospital.
As far as the setting goes, we were happily surprised by the remodeling of the place which used to look a bit out-dated. It now boasts a very cozy setting which melts classic and contemporary traits with elegance.
The food was no disappointment either as everything we had was delightful and subtle to the palate and beautiful for the eyes to behold. We chose their "Menu D'Agrément" and replaced the sweetbreads (we're unfortunately not fans of this delicacy) with a beef tenderloin. We did not have cocktails before dinner as we opted for our favorite option drinkwise: a bottle of champagne followed by a bottle of red wine. As I spotted on their wine list that the price of Dom Perignon 2000 champagne was quite reasonable (for such a bottle), we decided to splurge and went ahead and ordered a bottle. In my book, you cannot go wrong with this choice and I still stand by it. The delicate flavors of this champagne were a perfect companion for the first half of the menu.
Our gustative journey started with a chestnut veloute:
followed by lobster:
frog legs:
scallops:
and truffles:
It was, at this point, time to order red wine and we opted for a bottle of Chateau Beaucastel 2005, a Chateauneuf-du-pape from the French Rhone valley. This choice made us enjoy even more the following beef tenderloin:
cheese:
and finally desserts:
Au Crocodile Restaurant gained a Michelin star in March as they had to start from scratch after the property changed owner. Remember that the maximum Michelin (the famous fine food red guide) stars a restaurant can get in France is 3 and there aren't many of them. Having 3 Michelin Stars is the holy grail of gastronomy in France. Au Crocodile used to have 3. I believe that what we experienced last night deserves no less than 2!
If you're in Strasbourg and want to try Fine Dining in France, it's a no brainer, just make a reservation there!
1 comment:
Hey, I am checking this blog using the phone and this appears to be kind of odd. Thought you'd wish to know. This is a great write-up nevertheless, did not mess that up.
- David
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