A gastronomique adventure: Ma Langue Sourit, Moutfort, Luxembourg

July 25, 2016 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 1 Comment

Couple of weeks ago, my partner in crime Kochi invited me out for dinner to try Ma Langue Sourit, the one-star Michelin restaurant located in Moutfort, just 15 minutes driving from the city centre.

I have been there ages ago, at the beginning of my adventure in Luxembourg, and I had lovely memories. Unfortunately we always end up choosing places around the city recently when dining out, so I did not have the occasion to visit it again. With my mood not among the stars and a lot of thoughts going in my mind, it was indeed great leaving the city for one night and I should do it more often.

We got there around 8ish, during a pleasant evening, and we were accommodated on the outdoor terrace. Only another couple was seated already – it was during the France – Germany match for European Cup, and probably most of the people in Luxembourg were in front of a screen.

The terrace ambience is lovely. Woods all around, very cared settings, you forget for a short while where you are. We started with a pink champagne aperitif that was accompanied by a delicious platter of small appetizers. The fried quail egg enrolled in wasabi powder was definitely my favourite, but all the others were pretty tasty as well.

We moved in, in the cosy dining room, where we went for the 6 courses tasting menu with wine pairing. We only asked to change the dessert with the cheese – as both me and Kochi are not very much for sweets stuff (you seen us, right? 😛 )

The menu was all amazing: foie gras as amuse bouche, marinated sea bass, lobster and potatoes, white fish with coco sauce, lemon and herbs sorbet, duck, poached egg as pre-dessert (as we went for an all salted menu), cheese trolley. With the coffee with had an ice cream with strawberry and meringue and some mignardises.

On the wine side, we had 4 glasses of white wine and two glasses of red. The nice part of the story was that the sommelier was leaving us guessing the wine before coming back with detailed indications – we did not bad, thanks to Kochi’s professional skills. I did my dirty job guessing right the one from Bourgogne – playing at home.

Enjoy the pictures of the dinner followed by my general impressions about Ma Langue Sourit and our time there.

Things I loved about Ma Langue Sourit:

– The ambience: you don’t have to travel 250 km to find a relaxed and quiet environment, cared in details and never boring. Enjoy the terrace for the aperitif and coffee, admire the bold coloured paintings on the walls, sit down and leave behind all the issues.
– The service: if your idea about a Michelin-star restaurant it is still about old fashioned penguins, silver trolleys and white gloves, forget about it. Ma Langue Sourit is the perfect example of how the service in a high-end restaurant could be kinda informal but still polite and rigorous. Dishes are explained in details, questions replied with no hesitation, but still you can have your laugh with the sommelier or the waiter. We were the last one to remain in the house, still enjoying our ciggy after coffee on the terrace and we never felt the pressure to leave.
– The Food: ca va sans dire. Ma Langue Sourit could teach some chefs that, to be gastronomique and contemporary, you don’t have to cook gold foil or have your dish served in a space shuttle. Very traditional ingredients here are presented in a sophisticated yet innovative way, surprising your palate with unexpected combinations and warm aromas. My favourite numbers were definitely the marinated sea bass, the herbs sorbet and the poached egg

Things I liked a bit less about Ma Langue Sourit:

– It is very difficult for me to find something I didn’t like, as I enjoyed very much this special night. If only I have to find an element to improve, I would say that, when going for the tasting menu, portions should be much limited. I enjoyed the food and I was feeling quite fine at the very end, but eating the last dishes I was feeling doing it only because I needed to, while my stomach was begging for mercy.

In conclusion: Ma Langue Sourit is a paradise for food lovers. You get here an inventive and captivating refined French cuisine, the perfect service and a lovely environment just few minutes from the city centre. Perfect for special celebrations and romantic tete-a-tete.

Friday night in Merl: Restaurant La Bergamote, Luxembourg city

June 21, 2016June 21, 2016 ~ Corie Bratter ~ Leave a comment

Last month-end closing at work was so much painful I did not have lots of time to go out, as you might have realized from the recent lack of my review posts. When my partner in crime Kochi proposed to have a dinner out the Friday of that week, I was indeed very glad she has chosen a place in Merl, very close to where we live now.

Last time I have been to La Bergamote, it was still called Stan’s. The restaurant is located in Merl, at a very walkable distance from the city centre and in a quiet area. It has two floors, one at the level of the street and one below, with a cosy terrace, for which it was not yet the time due to the unpleasant rain.

We got there at 8ish, after having reserved during the week, and the location was quite packed, but still not noisy. The settings are those from a brasserie, with a sophisticated accent and a minimal touch. My favourite piece was the ham cutter vintage machine on the corner, next to a neon column of bottles.

After a look to the menu, we decided to go for the evening tasting, that proposes 3 courses at the astonishing price of 35 Euro. I was pretty surprised indeed to find such good deal, as I always retained the restaurant to be on the pricey side. While the “a la carte” menu in fact proposed dishes around 28 – 30 euro, for the main, the tasting menu is definitely competitive if you don’t want to splurge.

For the menu, you have two choices every course: I went for the sea bass tartare as starter and white fish with peas and chorizo for main. Kochi had the meat choice, with chicken as starter and veal with Sardinian fregola and vegetables as main. For last course, we both selected the cheese platter – and that’s the main reason because we are friends, we love cheese 🙂

As for drinks, we started with a house aperitif – an house kir, prepared with cremant and bergamot, delicious – and we continued with a bottle of Saint Aubin – again, cheer up to the friend who always selected the wine to match my course and not hers 🙂

Discover our dinner in pictures and find my general impressions afterwards.

Things I loved about La Bergamote:

We had a high-end dinner with brasserie price tag. All dishes were very tasty and well-prepared, with a refined presentation and cared in the details. My fish dishes were very satisfactory and I liked the combination of tastes, the freshness of the raw materials and completeness of the plats in all their parts. Kochi was very happy about her starter, as she had a similar one recently in a gourmet restaurant and she noted this one was even better. Her veal meat was indeed great.
Service was very professional and attentive. We got wine served, dishes explained in details, requested satisfied and correct timings for the dinner.
The location is very relaxed and you don’t feel stressed by the rythme of the city centre.

Things I liked a bit less about La Bergamote:

While the combination between the location and the tasting menu price is perfect, I would not be much convinced going to La Bergamote for a la carte full dinner, as it might get a bit too much expensive for the kind of settings – for example: tables are a bit too close for my taste.
The only deluding dishes among ours was Kochi’s veal – as per above the meat was extremely good and well cooked, but the fregola is meant to be prepared in a soupy way and as a risotto was plain and overcooked. Same same for the vegetables, that deserved al dente cooking point and missed it very much.

In conclusion: I personally really enjoyed my dinner at La Bergamote. I would definitely suggest to visit the restaurant and go for the tasting menu if you are looking for a sophisticated dinner with a reasonable price. Perfect for a tete-a-tete or a girls gossip night.

Private Dining Event with the Chef Sergi Arola – La Boqueria, Luxembourg

May 24, 2016May 24, 2016 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 3 Comments

Yesterday night I was invited by Guillermo, the owner of La Boqueria, to take part to a private dining event with the best clients of the restaurant, together with their chef Sergi Arola. I was very pleased to come back to La Boqueria for dinner and, above all, glad as not always you get the chance to have dinner seated at the same table with a 2 Michelin stars chef presenting his dishes.

As always, at La Boqueria, the atmosphere was warm and sophisticated. It was lovely for once to get there when the sun was still up and the interiors with day lights are impressive as well as in the night.

I got to meet the bubbling other guests during the aperitif time and then we were accompanied to our table. We started with some “tapas” to share – ceviche, tartare and carpaccio. The tartare was initially taken at the table “to prepare” and we admired the chef composing it: it was one of the best tartare I have ever had. While normally onion, mustard and other spices tend to numb the taste of the meat, in this case the meat itself was the fierce leading role of the plat. I also love the “presa iberica” carpaccio – to me it resembled very much a sausage from the south of Italy, spicy, intense, embracing.
A jubilation of tastes that was cleared in the mouth by the last entrée – a fresh and acid ceviche that was melting in a persistent – but pleasant – aftertaste of cilantro. It was just the brilliant start.

We were then driven through the road of this typical but eccentric cuisine by some fried features: single and unforgettable patata brava and croquetas. Consign to oblivion frozen pans and finger food: I cut the croquetas with my fork and knife and I tasted every smaller bite for an endless time. A perfect, crunchy and dry breading, accompanied by an almost liquid, hot filling. The potatoes, similar to the one I had already at the tapas bar months ago, but filled with hot spicy tomato, well hidden under the sassy topping.
It could have been already a satisfactory dinner till that point, but it was not over.

We still had a tender monkfish – the delicious lobster texture combined with green al dente vegetables and a heavenly sauce (where is the spoon when you need it!) followed by the most amazing dish of the night to me – beef filet with these truffle potatoes – another world, a world of soft sensations, explosions of tastes and unique combinations.

The dinner was concluded by a Crème Catalana – as you probably know I am not much into desserts, this time one would have not been enough – a cloud of sweetness, a surprising discover layer after layer, a summer storm, a goodbye kiss to departing lover at a foggy station. The perfect way to conclude our celebration.

What more to say? Our dinner was accompanied by delightful wines, the chef was able to guide us without being boring, accompanying technical details with anecdotes, laughs and toasts. The night was too short to contain it – it was an amazing experience and I was happy to have shared it with people who were totally strangers at the beginning but ended up being funny road pals through this flavours journey.

After this delicious meal, I cannot wait to visit La Boqueria again!

Indian restaurants in Luxembourg city: New Delhi, Gasperich

May 11, 2016August 19, 2016 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 2 Comments

I was a happy girl after my husband agreed to have our wedding anniversary celebration at an Indian restaurant last Monday! After checking suggestions online and excluded places we have already been, I decided to book at New Delhi in Gasperich, that is indicated by most as the best Indian restaurant in Luxembourg.

We booked our table online at 9.30 pm without issues and we were surprised when we got there, being a Monday evening, and finding it fully booked! The place is on the quiet side of Gasperich, be aware in the evening parking might be an issue. The location is very warm and typical, with orange table cloths, wooden decoration and Indian paintings. A pity only for the very cheap looking plastic small cloths!

We were given the menu and waited a bit before being served. I went for a chicken soup as starter, followed by Vindaloo chicken and Cheese Naan. Hubby chose Meat Samosa as starter, Mixed Grilled of the Chef and Garlic Naan. I had some water and an Indian beer while hubby had half bottle of red Italian wine (you know him, right).

I concluded with an espresso and hubby was offered a digestif.

Things I loved about New Delhi:

Indeed, I think this is among the best Indian restaurants I have been to in Luxembourg. The food was very tasty and authentic. I loved my chicken soup (still dreaming it!) and tried also the samosa and loved them, both naan were very crunchy and not too oily, my chicken was very well cooked as well as hubby grilled meat – I am not a fan of tandoori, but this one really deserved, above all the green marinated one!
Portions are fair and the prices reasonable – 14 euro for a Vindaloo chicken.
Service is very nice: smiling, polite. Even if we were the last clients left, we did not feel the pressure to leave.

Things I liked a bit less about New Delhi:

I liked everything as said and I would considering coming back again. If only I have to find something, I would have liked my Vindaloo a bit spicier – as when I ordered it was pointed out the taste is strong (I know!) and I confirmed I like my Vindaloo very spicy. Next time I would accompany it with some vegetables.

In conclusion: I really appreciated suggestions received to visit New Delhi, as it was among the best Indian food we had in Luxembourg. The location is cosy and the service extremely kind. I would definitely recommend it – book in advance as it might be packed. Perfect for girls night out, friends gathering, date night (not poshy one) and family celebrations.

After-work drink at Kennedy Brasserie – Restaurant, Luxembourg

April 8, 2016April 8, 2016 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 3 Comments

Since my office moved out of the city centre, I tend more to hang out in places a bit decentred as I find too stressful go through all the road works and the traffic, not to mention the huge parking issues – ever tried finding a spot over week-ends?
Moreover, compared to years ago, some neighbourhoods, that used to be dark and quiet over the evening, have seen several new places openings and are pretty animated even after working hours. The most evident example is Kirchberg, where, thanks to new offices, more and more restaurants and bars have open in the last year.
So – it has been a long time since I wanted to try Kennedy Brasserie – Restaurant, located in the new premises of E&Y offices, on avenue J.F. Kennedy.
I see many pictures on Instagram and Facebook and I heard very different feedbacks, so yesterday finally it was the time to check this place.

First – please note there are works currently on the side of the street where all the restaurants and bars are, so the easiest solution is to park for free on the other side of the avenue.

I got at Kennedy around 7 pm with Patricia and we were immediately amazed by the ambience. The place is one of the best for design I have seen in Luxembourg recently. You can immediately spot a sophisticated attention to details – starting from the fresh flowers on all the tables and the immaculate cloths.

Unfortunately the place was totally empty – there was just a table occupied in the bar area where we were accompanied. We asked to stay on the couches but the waitress pointed out that if we were only two, we had to be on a smaller table. Fair enough, but maybe too much considering the place was completely empty at 7 pm?

We had couple of drinks and an aperitif platter, we spent really pleasant time and when we left couple of hours later, there were only few visitors more during our stay. I had Bloody Mary all over the night while Patricia had champagne, that we accompanied with a cheese board.

Find some pictures of our night followed by my usual impressions.

Things I loved about Kennedy:

I love the location, really. For atmosphere, it might easily become my favourite place in Luxembourg. Both the restaurant and the bar area are really refined and there is a perfect attention to details. During summer, the terrace would be really nice for a drink after-work.
The selection of drinks is wide and well priced – cocktails are around 12 euro and wine glasses start from 6 euro. Several offers also for digestifs and bottles. My cocktail was really well executed and the glass of champagne was as well correct.
Concerning the after-work platter selection, there is a nice choice. With the drinks, you are only offered some nuts, so it is clear you might want to have something on side. We went for the cheese board – 9,5 Euro – that was very well presented, with a good and particular options (nothing commercial) and was in a good quantity for two people, accompanied with some olives bread. You can even have only olives and bread for a small 5 euro or move to caviar and oysters for a pricey after-work.
Except for the issue of the table choice at the beginning, service was very fine.

Things I liked a bit less about Kennedy:

As said, we had a pleasant evening. We liked very much the place, the drinks and the food. We noted anyway only a very small issue on our side: service was terribly slow. Drinks and food – that was a cheese platter, so indeed not too complicated to prepare – took ages to come. While in the particular situation of yesterday this did not bother us very much, we wonder how this will be when the place will be fully booked.
Coming from the first point, it was very sad to sit down in a place totally empty. We wanted to have a relaxed chat so for us it was not a big deal, but I think I will be shy to bring there some other friends who might complain about the lack of social atmosphere.

In conclusion: I liked the after-work at Kennedy Brasserie – Restaurant very much. I loved the ambience and I would definitely come back to try the restaurant. Refined location, attention to details, good choice for food and drinks made it for me the best place for a girls night, a drink with a client or couples’ dinner. Really hope I will find more people there when I will come back.

Restaurant MAHO, Luxembourg: an amiable dinner in a lovely atmosphere

October 23, 2015November 23, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 2 Comments

Some weeks ago I was celebrating four years with my husband, so, on Monday, as it was long time we didn’t have a dinner date, we decided to have a special night.
I have a list of the restaurants I am going to visit in the next month, but unfortunately no one of them was open so I decided to use one of the suggestions received during my interviews. One of the thing I personally love about my “Barefoot in Luxembourg meets people” series is that is giving me the opportunity to learn about new restaurants or the confidence to try something out of my comfort zone. So finally we booked at MAHO – that was mentioned as her favorite restaurant in Luxembourg by @fashion_lawyer.

I have been to the premises of MAHO several years ago, when it was still Les Jardins du President, and really like the settings. We were warmly welcomed at the entrance and accompanied to our table on the veranda. The atmosphere was very sophisticated and romantic, with very dim lights (even too dim – hence the bad quality pictures).
We were served water and started with a glass of champagne. We received a small platter of appetizer, followed by a fish terrine as amuse-bouche.
I had salmon fume as starter and beef filet with truffle as main, while hubby had canard terrine with foie gras as starter and entrecote as main.
My starter was fine in average: the salmon was orgasmic, a butter melting in my mouth, but the plat itself was a bit disjointed – I did not like very much the salad and the avocado wasabi sauce haven’t seen any wasabi but has a very strong taste of lemon.
My main course was classically good: the meat was outstanding, perfectly cooked. I loved the al dente green vegetables and the truffle pure’ was yummy – I would have eaten a bigger portion indeed. The only unfavorable point was the wine sauce on the meat – too sweetish for my taste.
My husband on the other side enjoyed very much his plat – he said that it was the best entrecote he had ever had in Luxembourg, and I know how picky he is normally – only point he had was that the plat was super hot and the salad, for this reason, was really dried out, and should have been taken in a small pot.

Find the pictures of our dinner, followed by my general impressions as usual.

Things I loved about MAHO:

– Perfect service – present, discreet, smiling. We really felt pampered.
– Excellent ingredients – raw materials were great and above all the meat was extremely enjoyable.
– Cozy settings – great place for a dinner date and I cannot wait to come back during summer to enjoy the outside garden.
– Smokers’ room – to avoid the cold temperature outside, a nice room with fireplace is available for smokers.

Things I loved a bit less:

– Too noisy – there were couple of business dinner tables that enjoyed fairly much the booze and talked at very loud volume. Considering the size of the room and the fact tables are pretty close, a big bite of romance disappeared. What a pity.
– What about the WOW factor? Our dinner was not cheap one. Two starters, two main courses, two glass of champagne and 2 glass of wines took us around 170 Euro. It was Monday night and I had to drive, so we did not feel having a bottle of wine, but in case we would, our final bill would have overpassed 200 euro.
If you follow my reviews, you see I am definitely fine spending this money for a special date, but I reserve this attention to a place that is not only good, but outstanding. While our dinner was good and the material uses were excellent, I don’t have that feeling of saying “wow, this dish is amazing”. It was fine, really fine, but not amazing.
Indeed, I have to say that my husband felt in love with his entrecote and therefore I will definitely come back to check some more exotic dish.

La Cantine @ Hotel Le Chatelet, a delightful, romantic dinner date

August 6, 2015 ~ Corie Bratter ~ 5 Comments

I had already a chance some times ago to eat at the Cantine of Chatelet Hotel, on a quiet side of Hollerich/Gare area, but I did not write a review as having been there only for lunch, I supposed it was not extremely indicative. I had some lovely fish and chip on that occasion and the service – even if, as said, was just a business lunch – was great.

I came back with hubby this week for our weekly date. We called for booking a short while before and we were proposed a table on the terrace.

The restaurant has in fact an open space on the street – for drinks -, a main dining room, a bar lounge and a backyard covered terrace, that is very pleasant during summer time.

I had a ham/melon starter and hubby a beef carpaccio, while for main we shared a “cote de boeuf“, that was served with vegetables and fries.

Our dinner was just perfect – except for this Spanish guy calling all his f*ck*ng family on Facetime at pretty loud volume just next to our table for hours – nothing could have been better.

We had a great St.Emilion Gran Cru that was always served by the waiters, the starters were delicate and tasty, and the meat was indeed delicious – maybe next time I will go for the Chateubriand, instead, as this cut was just a bit too nervous, but only for my taste, hubby loved it.

The final coffee was accompanied by a yummy almond cake and, with the bill, we were offered two digestives – oh mon dieu, how much time had passed since a restaurant offered me some final drink? Well done and highly appreciated!

I have also to say that, together with the ambience and the food, one of the best thing of this place is the service. Talking with hubby I said: for me, tonight, this is exactly what I consider the real perfect service. Waiters were smiling, kind, affable, always there when you needed them but not bothering rest of the time.

I will definitely visit La Cantine more often and I highly recommend it for a couple or friends date. If you fancy good food and refined atmosphere, you would love this place!