La Mere Brazier | Lyon | Dec ’12 | “the most intricate platings”

• Address: 12 Rue Royale, 69001 Lyon, France
• Telephone: +33 4 78 23 17 20
• Price (after tax + tip, excl. drinks): $85
• Courses: (3 main/5 total) 1 amuse / 2 savory / 1 dessert / 1 mignardises
• Price/Main Course: $28
• Rating: 17/20
• Value: 2/5
• Dining Time: 107 minutes
• Time/Course (total): 21 minutes
• Chef: Mathieu Viannay
• Style: French
• Michelin Stars: 2

From the vaults:

A year ago today, I had a 26th December lunch at La Mere Brazier in Lyon. It is a storied restaurant – “The restaurant was established in 1921 and was awarded the prestigious 3 Michelin stars under chef Eugénie Brazier between 1933 and 1968.” [Wikipedia]. In recent years, the restaurant was re-opened under Matthieu Viannay, who has brought it back up to 2 Michelin stars. It is considered to be the second-best restaurant in Lyon, after Paul Bocuse’s 3 star establishment.

Though the food was delicate and quite well-cooked and plated, we didn’t have the best of seating arrangements, which was annoying. We (a party of two) were seated in the front foyer, not the main dining room, and the service staff were constantly milling around in the small front foyer room we were seated, making it hard to carry a conversation.

Notable write-ups:

1. Andy Hayler, on La Mere Brazier

Rating: 17/20

Memory: Mackerel Bridge, Chocolate-Lime Ganache

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Exterior, we had hiked up the hilly northern part of Lyon to get the Rue Royale.

Cream Quenelle in Mushroom Soup (4.25/5)

“Mackerel Bridge” (5/5)

Lightly pickled mackerel stumps two ends of a crispy, savory bridge – which may or may not be fish skin. My favorite dish that lunch.

~

Beef

something

some dessert

Petit-fours

Still-life. You can see us playing the coin game, from Mathematical Puzzles, A Connoisseur’s Collection:

“Coins in a Row”

On a table is a row of fifty coins, of various denominations. Alice picks a coin from one of the ends and puts it in her pocket; then Bob chooses a coin from one of the (remaining) ends, and the alternation continues until Bob pockets the last coin. Prove that Alice can play so as to guarantee at least as much money as Bob.

Have fun! Hint at the bottom.

Chocolate ganache with lime, and sugared mint (5/5)

Brilliant. The sourness of the lime gel on top cut against the dark chocolate, and sugared mint across was delicate.

Something

Because under the old Michelin rules, silverware wasn’t just for cutlery. Swag.

Coffee

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Hint for Coins in a Row: If there are 51 coins instead of 50, it is usually Bob (the second to play) who will have the advantage, despite collecting fewer coins than Alice.