Restaurant La Cape
Apricot Nectar
Sesame Olive Cracker with Pepper Puree, Crispy Trotter, Cumin Scented Carrot
Cream of Nettles with Scallop Emulsion and Tomato Gelee
Sourdough with Mushroom Butter
Oysters, Coconut, Caviar, Cauliflower
Scallops, Jerusalem Artichokes, Rhubarb, Pomegranate
Veal Sweetbreads, Vanilla, Salsify, Passionfruit
Moelleux du Revard, Cherries, Breadcrumbs
Raspberry Marshmallow, Financier, Pistachio Opera, Mint Loli
Whte Chocolate and Kiwi Tart
No stranger to multiple tasting menus in a single day, the late dinner hours of Europe even more conducive to such things than back home in the United States, it was entirely the result of a misprint on the agenda that saw me arrive at Restaurant La Cape in the middle of Staff Meal, a gracious Maitre d’ informing me that dinner service did not begin for an hour, the surrounding area unfortunately not much fun at 19h30 on a Monday evening.
More than once receiving a Michelin Star, Chef Thomas Brasleret’s minimalist space decidedly contrasting the innovative ingredient pairings put forth on the plate, Restaurant La Cape is located on a side streetin the town of Cenon and delineated by white on white letters a greeting adjacent the glass wine cabinet is followed swiftly by seating, no bar present at which to order an aperitif.
Featuring a la carte options in addition to prix-fixe and carte blanche it was with one specific request that the latter was requested, a five course menu converted to eight by way of canape, amuse, and mignardises with apricot proving the best Alain Milliat nectar sampled to date plus a warm loaf of sourdough and mushroom infused butter that was liberally spread.
Starting off with a briny cracker dressed in herbal aromatics and crispy bits of pig’s foot before moving on to a soup that boldly presented bitterness amidst the flavors of scallop and naturally sweet tomato gel, the proper menu began with a slate a starkly as the building itself, a trio of poached oysters featuring all the expected seawater sapor while textures of coconut and cauliflower added nuance, the plate actually quite elegant if not particularly consisting of ingredients that I crave.
Next presenting scallops a second time, an odd choice given the range of items offered a la carte that night, course two saw the tender rounds presented with Jerusalem Artichoke cream and a puree of poached rhubarb, the intrigue dialed up by pomegranate paste and kernels of fruit though the sear on the bivalve seemed to have gone a bit too far.
Ignoring my fatigue for passionfruit, a desire to see Brasleret’s take on sweetbreads as I’ve never had a bad one in France, it was with good fortune that the crispy fried slices were of the richer variety considering the potency of the accoutrements, the yellow spherification set aside until the end with flavors of vanilla and salsify well pared to the characteristic gaminess of the gland.
Using a foamy fruit cup with buttery notes of cheese as a transition to dessert it was with mignardises on the table that the final plate arrived, and confirming once again that the Chef’s palate varies substantially from this diner I tried as best as possible to enjoy a tart of kiwi, the cloying flavor of the fruit finding some balance in white chocolate, though not enough for me.
www.restaurantlacape.com/