Carême column Gary Rhodes In his inaugural column for <strong>Food</strong> and <strong>Travel</strong> <strong>Arabia</strong> Michelin starred chef, restaurateur, and ambassador of British cuisine Gary Rhodes OBE shares his passion for food when he recently visited Lyon, the home of French Gastronomy. When thinking about a topic for my first column for <strong>Food</strong> & <strong>Travel</strong> <strong>Arabia</strong>, I couldn’t help but focus on a recent holiday I went on to Lyon, with my wife Jenny and two dear friends - as it was literally one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had. It was my right-hand man Wayne Tapsfield’s 50th birthday, and together with his wife and mine, we decided – this is the time to go to Lyon. I’d never been there before, and as a chef, I’d always wanted to go, of course. Both of us were like excited schoolboys on this trip! We were staying in the old town, which was just beautiful – incredible architecture, history, and the smell of food everywhere. We walked everywhere on the cobblestone streets, and it was just a short walk across the river to the newer part of town. While it wasn’t anywhere near as modern and shiny as Dubai, I did draw parallels between the cities - just the way you cross the creek here and enter the old part of Dubai. I remember thinking how different it was, the first time I went to the Deira side… The highlight of our trip was a meal at Paul Bocuse, which we’d already booked, but there were several other restaurants we went to that were just unforgettable. There was a little place, about 20 minutes from town, called Le Comptoir du Vin, run by an old man. It’s tiny, with just 14 seats; he’s got one little hatch with one stove; there’s no menu, just four dishes on the blackboard you choose from. We had braised veal, trotters, and a steaming bowl of mussels, plus bread and Lyonnaise potatoes – the food was basic and simple but had the best flavours. Just around the corner there was this lively bar, with a younger crowd, and it showed off the personality of the city, I really loved the extremes I saw here. The next day, on our way to Les Enfants Terrible, a restaurant I was looking forward to trying, we saw another tiny little joint with beautiful seafood on offer. We stopped there on the spur of the moment, and just ordered some fresh oysters and langoustines (with lemon, red wine vinegar and shallots) - it was just amazing. We did go on to Les Enfants Terrible for our meal as well, where I had some pan-fried veal with a classical Grenobloise garnish - again a really simple dish, but it was so lively in flavour. I have to say, if you want to eat really good French food, there’s no place like Lyon. And where better to see this than at three Michelin-star restaurant Paul Bocuse! It’s located on the outskirts of Lyon, and opens at 8pm – but when we got there a few minutes before 8, people were just queued up outside waiting. It’s a beautiful building, so we got some nice photos while waiting as well. I’d been worried that, as I’d been looking forward to it so much, in the end, the experience might be deflating. But no, it souffléd’! You almost feel like you’re walking into a culinary museum… there’s so much history, and the place is full of endless stories, that I felt very privileged to be dining there. We had the nine-course tasting menu; which included some of his most famous dishes - including his famed truffle soup; Bresse chicken cooked in a bladder à la Mère Fillioux; filet of sole ‘à la Fernand Point’; pan-cooked scallop of foie gras with passion fruit sauce. Without doubt, it was one of the greatest culinary experiences in my life. And I really don’t think that there’s any other restaurant that will hold its three Michelin stars for 50 years as this has done. (Well, maybe the Roux brothers are getting there…) Paul Bocuse is an inescapable part of Lyon’s soul. If we needed any further reminding, there is a huge indoor market in Lyon named after him, with a giant mural of his face painted on a building across the road from it. Going into that market was a chef’s dream, without a doubt. There’s every kind of ingredient imaginable. We took a pit-stop at this truffle place, one of a group of little eateries at the back specialising in everything from foie gras to desserts, where I s<strong>amp</strong>led a foie gras ravioli with finely grated Périgord truffle running through it. It was such an ordinary looking dish, but it tasted divine. My wife’s ravioli had a cream sauce, while mine had a chicken jus, and we couldn’t stop arguing over whose was better. We decided to agree that Wayne’s truffle salad with duck confit was the winner! There were also endless varieties of oysters, mussels; there were charcuterie items… just a sensational array of fresh, fantastic produce. Capping off our foodie explorations was a meal at Michelin star restaurant L’Auberge de l’île Barbe, located on a little island in the river. Another incredible operation, where one of the dishes I can still taste in my mouth is a pike mousse roulade with caramelised nuggets of frogs legs. It was one of those meals where I was so excited, I had to put my spoon down, just to take it all in! It was an unforgettable trip of good food, good friends and good memories. I have to say to any chef, go to Lyon. Just as I’d say, <strong>com</strong>e to Dubai. To experience something you never have before, to experience the magic. 86 FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA
Opposite: L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges’ grand dining room. This page, top to bottom: mural of Paul Bocuse; soupe aux truffes; Auberge de L’lle dining; Lyon old town; Auberge de L’lle exterior; Les Enfants Terrible Lyon town photo by: Marie Perrin FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA 87
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