Part of the prestige of the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne is the excellence of a restaurant open to the public. Following a period of change, Cédric Bourassin has taken over the reins of the cuisines, surrounded by a host of professionals capable of the best.
They offer a luxurious framework to the students, which discover the enchantment of great French cuisine. A charm that works just as well at the table.
Start with a delectable duck cromesquis. Follow with an exquisite bouillon and a melted cheese dough. The real menu can now begin, with a mango crumbled crab, smartened up with citruses and mint (which tends to dominate). Appropriately named “umami” (the fifth flavor which goes beyond the four others), the preparation of the luscious foie gras in hazelnut crisp and shiitake duxelles is a delight. The beetroot delivers its fine crimson tint. It all soaks with harmony in a bouillon, the sublime miso soup.
We then continue with a saline symphony: a sea bass with poached oysters, to which a cauliflower mousse give a delicious touch of sensuality. Even though the fish is slightly overcooked, the ensemble is masterful. The flavorsome pork of Vaud with pumpkin seeds finely blends with the squids together with some delicate squash and orange blinis. The truffled calf sweetbread and its macaroni gratin lined up and dressed with a delicate truffled espuma make a pleasant composition, brought out by a gourmet demi-glace sauce. The feathery honey and beer desert graciously gathers together sweet, sour, cold and warm in a mix that is just as tasty as it is beautiful.
Under André Wawrzyniak’s guidance, the service is provided by enthused and refined students. As for the wine, the young and passionate sommelier Davide Dargenio inspires students to the taste of unusual but sensible pairings that will help every meal reach the perfect outcome.