Here I am again with my Michelin quest, this time in the beautiful city of Bordeaux. Le 7 is the newest member among the eleven Michelin star restaurants in the city. Eleven! Houston doesn’t even have one. Anyhoo…that’s another talk for another time. The Michelin rating system is just so….complicated.
Le 7 Restaurant Panoramique is inside Cite du Vin, which is a marvel in itself as a museum of wine.
Speaking of marvel – the building has no corners; just curves. It is supposed to invoke the swirling of wine onto a glass
On the 7th floor is the restaurant, with its panoramic views of the city. The interior is spacious with really good decor.
The greatest thing about being in this city is that ALL restaurants have marvelous wine menus by-the-glass.
Here’s D with his 2013 MargauxHere’s my Mandarin Imperial – Champagne, Grand Marniere and mandarin juice.Filet Steak “Blonde D’ Aquitaine” – sauce is a Bordeaux wine reductionCuttlefish glazed in Ginger and Lemon Grass – it is set on top of confit pork and wakame seaweed pestoDessert is a chocolate sphere with chocolate gelato and some gold-sprinkled macadamia nuts. I hope I didn’t pay too much for the gold because I cannot taste it.We paired the dessert with this lovely Armagnac then lots of coffee to sober us up.
Surprisingly, Michelin dining here is not atrociously-priced compared to the Michelin restaurants back in the US. The whole meal, with all those drinks, was south of a 100 euros. This emboldens me to try another one tomorrow!
Aubergine is another name for eggplant. It is also a restaurant within L’Auberge Carmel, a hotel and spa. When D and I were dating, Carmel-by-the-Sea was our usual go-to weekend get-away. We were not big on wines back then so we preferred this quaint beach and artsy city than that of Napa. That will never happen now. We go to Napa every chance we get when in California.
This summer is no different. After a few days in Napa and SF, we were ready to head south so we booked a few days here. It sure has changed. There’s a lot more options now for wine-tasting. Proof that wine industry has indeed taken over tourism in a big way. That point will soon be made even clearer as we drive towards Paso Robles where every inch of the hills and valleys now grow grapes.
DInner in Aubergine is on the form of an 8-course tasting menu. Growing up Asian, I always think of multiple course dining like that of a traditional Chinese banquet. I always end up so full and guilty afterwards. This experience was the furthest thing from that. Portions are well-thought of in terms of quantity and the quality is definitely above par.
We started with this absolutely amazing Bordeaux. No Cali wines tonight!kumamoto, caviar, seawaterpotato, uni, soy, shisoasparagus, roe, shiro dashisquid, pepper, nasturtiumabalone, cranberry bean, celerycelery root, radicchiolamb, eggplant, quinoagin & tonic, fennel, limezucchini cake, sweet corn ice creamchocolate, blackberry, anise-hyssopFresh from their bakery- macaron and white choco truffles
I cannot believe this restaurant is not Michelin-starred. I spoke to the chef and we discussed how Michelin rating has a lot to do with location and campaign. This restaurant has achieved every honor and distinction in the culinary world and rightfully so. I am a big fan of campaign and suggestion so I will definitely write to the powers-that-be in Michelin and give them my 2 cents.
Aubergine, Monte Verde at Seventh
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, 93921
