Auberge du Pommier

Visited Auberge du Pommier during or ongoing tour of winterlicious restaurants. I had high hope for Auberge, along with Bymark, to deliver phenomenal food and I don't think I was dissapointed at all.

I started with the puree of celeriac and onion soup with chive chantilly and parfume du truffe. The description alone had me salivating and I could already imagine the taste of the savory celeriac and onions and could smell the truffles wafting in the air. The actual dish lived up to my expectations with its smooth and rich texture and wonderful aromas. It is dishes like this that I love to eat at restaurants; dishes that I couldn't imagine creating myself at home. Dishes so wonderful they exceed expectations.

Next up was the blanquette de fruits de mer which was a seafood and vegetable stew with fresh herbs and puff pastry vol-au-vent. The dish was presented wonderfully with deep fried stems lanced through the pastry sitting atop a sea of creamy white stew flecked with dazzling hues of green and orange. The taste itself was rather simple though. This was not a detriment though as the flavours, although simple, were not plain. Every vegetable tasted fresh and was not overcooked. The creamy stew fluffy and light and filled with flavour but not dense at all. And the puff pastries lived up to their name. Light and flaky like buttery clouds.

The finale to the evening was their warm winter tarte tatin which was described as an upside down apple tart with cinnamon anglaise and vanilla glace. Although this was a fantastic dessert in its own right, it didn't stand out from the rest of the meal. As great as it was I don't think it is any better than the cake you might find at Sen5es or Dufflet.

All in all it was a great evening and I would certainly go to Auberge again soon. I would also recommend it to anyone else who is looking for a fine french inspired meal.