:: the dishes ::• beignets du jour - good
• quiche du jour (spinach) - *phenomenal*
• croque madame - great
• country bacon - great
:: the must try dish ::
• quiche du jour
[ he says ] Thomas Keller, aka Mr. French Laundry and Per se, is synonymous with haute cuisine but ironically Bouchon, a style of restaurant in Lyon, France does not emphasize on haute cuisine but rather on the atmosphere and the personal connection with the chef. For me, quiche is very nostalgic as onigiri (rice balls). As a kid, my mother who does not speak a word of english strangely picked up different recipes to satisfy me and my siblings non-traditional japanese palate ranging from lasagne to enchilidas. Out of these dishes, my favorite was the quiche. a savory pie filled with cream, eggs, bacon, and spinach. I have made this dish many times for my gf, aka mrs. bunnie/the designer. Yet, with her constant praise of how wonderful my quiche is and probably the best in the universe, we went into Bouchon with a showdown in mind.
The verdict? I slowly raise my white flag. The crust was buttery and flaky, the savory inner custard was soft yet jiggly and solid enough to hold the goodness of the cream and spinach. I had many quiches in my lifetime and this one definitely brought me back memories of eating it for the first time again.
[ she says ] Besides knowing Thomas Keller for his infamous "The French Laundry" restaurant and his partial inspiration for one of my favorite Disney movies, Ratatouille, there is not much else that I know about him.
In saying that, knowing that we were going to Bouchon for brunch, I was still very excited. I can honestly say that breakfast is pretty much my favorite meal of the day. I chose the croque madame for my love of sunny side eggs and buttery brioche. I learned from Mr.Bunnie's culinary school days that a well-cooked egg possesses no color of evident cooking when fried, poached, over easy, scrambled...you name it. And after many dozens of eggs tried in mastering this process, I, too have learned to appreciate egg cookery in a whole different light. Just look at the perfectly cooked sunny side up egg drizzled with mornay sauce drowning my beloved layers of brioche toast and sweet salty ham. Delicious!
As much as I loved my dish, I loved his dish more. Mr. Bunnie has made quiche for me many times before and I've always told him it was the best that I have ever tasted. EVER. However, once the soft moan of satisfaction escaped out of me, slight appearance of goosebumps on my arms, and the faint closure of my eyes, I have to admit — I have a new love. The hint of sweetness from the pillowy custard grounded by the layer of perfectly baked buttery crust was pure heaven. Tender creamed leaves of spinach set stage for a perfect balance with the custard that just melted in your mouth. At that moment, he knew as well as I that as much as I love his quiche, I will probably never utter the same adoring praise ever again.
