Have you ever experienced a long term food coma? Where the slightest flashback of the amuse-bouche alone sends you tailspinning into a salmon and cucumber haze and before you know it you're drooling on a strangers shoulder whilst sat on the bus. No? Just me? Well tea at The Maquis for Sophie's birthday was one of these such meals.
In keeping with Philippe birthday tradition we piled ourselves, and our accidentally coordinated outfits, into the car and made our way to Sophie's favourite restaurant, L'Arbousier at The Maquis.
A birthday bellini santé.
A very suave Monsieur P
We started off with a salmon and cucumber amuse-bouche. It sounds unremarkable but it was anything but.
Then they brought out the godfather of all breadbaskets - wholemeal, walnut, cheese, sesame, olive, hazelnut and raisin, sundried tomato, multi-seed.
I wholeheartedly wish I could give you some hardcore food porn but as it was, we all ordered exactly the same. For starter, main and dessert. 7 x Tuna & Caviar Tartare with a pesto dressing. One word, sublime. Although I am a bit of a PAA (Pesto Addict Anonymous) and would probably call beans on toast sublime if it came with a pesto dressing.
Taking a digestive pause we tried to get a group photo. But our outfits were the extent of our group coordination, somebody managed to blink each time the shutter clicked.
Beautiful mama-daughter shot
Then our gallant waiters in white bustled around the table and placed a gleaming silver dish in front of each of us.
Then using some weird waiter psychic skills, lifted the silver lids in synchronised silence to reveal each of our dishes... 7 x Sea Bass with Aubergine.
The food was THAT good I almost missed the sunset. Almost.
When the dessert menu arrived there was a chocolate molleux but no chocolate soufflé, Sophie's favourite. Seeing her crestfallen look, the owners said they'd talk to the chef and see what they could do. Riding on the birthday girls luck, we went ahead and ordered the same.
Chocolate souffle x 7 si vous plaît!
Now I was a Maquis first-timer, the others are veterans. To me the soufflé was light, airy and fluffy, like eating a chocolate cloud. For the veterans it didn't meet usual Maquis soufflé standards... so we ordered a molleux to share, for purely comparison purposes.
I wish I could show you the oozing chocolate centre, but unfortunately seven spoons attacked the poor chocolate pud with such ferocity that my 5 second reaction time was 5 seconds too late.
I could go on and on and on about the night our tastebuds met heaven but for fear of slipping back into yet another Maquis food coma and dribbling on my neighbours shoulder it's probably best I go to bed...
Pin It Now!
