The Grand Cru of Gastronomy in Burgundy (Part 1)

Burgundians are passionate about their wine and food. After indulging myself for four consecutive days on eight big meals in the Bourgogne, I think my new and expanded waistline may add some weight to what I have to say about the standard of cuisine in this region. Only two words for it. Tres Magnifique!

All the meals I had ranged from good to excellent - the choice of seasonal and prime ingredients - beef from Charolais and chicken from Bresse, big flavours and exquisite presentation far exceeded my expectation.

The famous Boeuf Bourguinon, Escargots a la Bourgogne, Coq au vin and Jambon Persille can be found almost in every restaurant serving classic Burgundian fare.  These hearty traditional dishes are invariably made with the addition of Burgundy red wine or Chablis white wine from this region, but have been updated and refined to suit modern taste.  It is hardly surprising that the proud Burgundians have as many Michelin starred restaurants under their belt as their Grand Crus. My favourite restaurants on this trip are Stephane Deborde in Dijon, Le Ciboulette in Beaune and Le Montrachet in Montrachet.  

Cathedrale a Notre Dame de Dijon

DIJON

Dijon is perhaps best known for its mustard. Funny enough, most of the mustard seeds used for the production of Moutarde de Dijon nowadays are coming from Canada. 

For some time I have been under the impression that being the capital of Burgundy, Dijon must be a big city with little character.  And I could not have been more wrong - the place is full of interesting sites in the old town centre - primarily churches and historical buildings that feature a wide spectrum of architectural styles from the Gothic, Renaissance to Neoclassicism.  

Colourful tiled roof in geometric patterns are typically
 seen in Burgundian architecture

A good part of the city centre is designated pedestrian walkway and to discourage people from driving, a free shuttle bus runs pass all the major sights from the railway station, which makes getting around Dijon a breeze.

Stephane Deborde was recommended by my tour guide as THE place to eat in Dijon and I still have her to thank for the wonderful discovery. The restaurant is situated slightly off the beaten track but the location would not pose the slightest problem once you have eaten there. Nothing will deter you from returning.

Amuse bouche

The dining room is classy without being too formal. Each course on the lunch menu was exquisitely prepared.  From the moment the amuse bouche duo arrived at my table, I knew I was in for an amazing culinary experience. The delightful asparagus veloute and smoked salmon mousse were followed by a crispy pastilla of pigeon confit served with a bed of salad leaves. Both were delicious and refreshing.

Pastilla of pigeon confit with salad leaves

The succulent fillet of veal was roasted to the exact cooking point between medium and medium rare appropriate for this cut, and garnished with potato dauphinoise, cream of celeriac and of course, a veal-based sauce. This classic dish was spot-on and really did it for me.

Fillet of veal with pomme dauphinoise and cream of celeriac

As an establishment for fine-dining, I think it is in the dessert department where Stephane Deborde really flexes its muscles.  The elaborate dessert, another duo, consisted of a multi-layered joconde biscuit and jellied raspberry puree, topped with raspberry glaces.  And next to it was a champagne sorbet perfumed with rose petals.  Every element on the plate was perfectly in tune with one another - not overpowering, just pleasing to the eyes and the palate.

Raspberry cake with champagne sorbet

To finish, the petit fours comprising bite-size concoctions of mangoes and strawberries were simply too tempting to skip, although I was most definitely in the overload mode. 

Believe me, they taste as good as they look.

Strawberry macaron and mango mousse