Luxembourg: the wonder-boy of the Jardins d’Anaïs | Gilles Pudlowski’s blog
We told you about the Jardins d’Anaïs, a beautiful luxury country restaurant, in the heart of the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, opposite the church of Clausen and the house of the “father of Europe” Robert Schumann. This beautiful residence, both a charming mini hotel and a starred restaurant, was invited by a shock and choice recruit in the person of Paul Cabayé. This native of Reims, who is only 28 years old, trained at the castle of Courcelles in the Aisne, spent in big houses, like the Maison des Bois of Marc Veyrat, the Navy of Alexandre Couillon, the Oxalys of Jean Sulpice, plus, in Luxembourg, the Pomme Cannelle at the Hôtel Royal and the Cristallerie at the Place d’Armes, before the Hôtel de Ville in Crissier, on the Romandie side, is firing on all cylinders here.
He also obtained in Switzerland the title of “gold cook”, equivalent to the Bocuse d’or in Helvétie and is competing this year for the Bocuse d’Or France. This future star, who has already been a hit with Luxembourg gourmets since last July, plays the luxury product with finesse and the hunt in autumn with a science that impresses and recalls the good precepts of the master of the genre, the much regretted Benoît Violate Crisser. The examples of a festive menu here, accompanied by classy wines, Champagne, like the owner of charm and character of the place, Annabelle Hazard, ex sommelier for Joël Robuchon in London in the past, but also Luxembourgish or Burgundian?
There will be the spinach and chickpea tartlet, the cromesquis with Kachkéis (a Luxembourg cancoillotte), the carrot and lemon cushion as a nice appetizer, with Baillette-Prudhomme “Héritage” champagne, Blanc de Blancs des Trois Puits , 100% chardonnay, brulee squash and cream of caviar with its very Robinsonian presentation, aestheticizing with its delicate little points, wild duck consomme smoked with juniper and oysters from Yerseke in Zeeland, in the south of the Netherlands.
Next ? Roe deer pressed with foie gras, candied pears with ratafia and Alpine vinegar, paired with “Paradäis” riesling, from Aby Duhr at Château Pauqué in Grevenmacher, in the Luxembourg Moselle valley. Then the scallops cooked over embers and royal caviar, roasted Jerusalem artichokes in brown butter, chicory and coral juice, which provide the opportunity for a beautiful exercise in style in the dining room at the pedestal table, and go superbly with the pinot blanc d ‘Henry Ruppert in Schengen.
We will still love roasted monkfish with spices enhanced with a hint of vinegar, flanked by its superb mashed potato with spinach, flavored with fennel. The bravery piece of the meal? It could be the cordon bleu of venison, served with cancoillotte and white truffle, but the pheasant “bun” with porcini mushrooms, a sort of luxury hamburger with game, is also a king’s dish. And both make a royal wedding with the 2018 Volnay Vieilles Vignes by Nicolas Rossignol with its pretty Kirsch scents.
We finish, in style, with the variation of quince, with its smooth cream and sourdough ice cream, and with apple-pear tatin, with its pear sorbet flavored with cardamom. Here is a great meal in the autumn colors of the Grand Duchy. Long live the new Jardins d’Anaïs! Long live Paul Cabayé!