In Australia, we have Tony Bilson as our godfather of French cuisine but in the UK, none can go pass the popularity of the Roux brothers. The Roux brothers have come a long way since their arrival to England from France and with little money on their hands, they managed to open up the legendary Le Gavroche in 1967. With passion, dedication and willingness to use the best quality produce, they managed to achieve the highest accolades of three Michelin stars after 15 years in the running.
Albert now resides in London managing his chain of restaurants – Chez Roux whilst the legendary Le Gavroche is run by award winning chef and son of Albert, Michel Roux Jr.
Sofitel Sydney initially organised the Albert Roux event last year but due to volcanic eruption and ash happenings, flights were unable to proceed. Postponing the event to this year was not at all a bad thing, having a full booking of the whole restaurant for lunch shows how popular the Roux brothers are, even in Australia.
Garden Court Restaurant
The Wine Menu
The Lunch Menu
The menu is designed by Albert Roux himself and no doubt the menu is based upon his experience of classical French cooking. To go with the courses are three fantastic wines to pair.
Moreton Bay Bug Mousse Wrapped with Spinach, Vodka Sauce
Moreton Bay Bug Mousse Wrapped with Spinach, Vodka Sauce
The Entree of Moreton Bay bug mousse wrapped with spinach was a great way to start the meal. The mousse was light as air and was accompanied very well with the creamy vodka sauce. Not only did the spinach retained moisture when cooking the mousse, it also gives the dish a clean finish and does cuts through the richness of the sauce.
Roast Loin of Veal, Wild Mushrooms, Pomme Fondant, Veal Jus
All the flavours of the dish worked well for me. However a disappointment when you bite through the veal and it turns out to be slightly overcooked. The pomme fondant was lovely and ended with notes of butter, the veal jus does its thing summing up all the elements into one. Tres bien!
Exotic Fruit Ravioli, Kaffir Lime Leaf and Coconut Sorbet
Exotic Fruit Ravioli, Kaffir Lime Leaf and Coconut Sorbet
The fruit ravioli is no doubt a French classic dessert. The base of rice pudding is topped with exotic fruit pieces and then coated with a jelly. The kaffir lime leaf soup was quite overpowering but was well complemented by the coconut sorbet and with tropical fruits to chew on, it makes it all worthwhile.
Petit Four Plate
The Petit Four Plate consisted of berry macaroons, jellies, coconut cookies and chocolate truffles. A great way to finish up the meal was ending it with an espresso.
Albert Roux
At the end of the lunch, Albert Roux made his way to the tables to have a chat with the diners, I was very fortunate to have the privilege of having a one on one conversation with him and also a ‘mini’ book signing session.
Overall the dining experience has had its ups and downs but to know that you are having one of the top top chefs to prepare food for you is not an everyday thing. I cannot wait for my next England trip so I can savour the very best in each of his many restaurants.
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Le Gavroche
43 Upper Brook Street,
Mayfair, London W1K 7QR
United Kingdom
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Albert Roux Consultancy
539 Wandsworth Road
London SW8 3JD
United Kingdom
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Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
May 8, 2011 at 7:00 pm
I was really impressed how he composed different menus for each night. That would have involved a lot more work for him and his team and everyone involved!