Anou, the table as an invitation
The former Eaux-Vives service station is now home to the restaurant À table chez Anou. As soon as you enter, the welcoming decor sets the tone: a large, warm room, a long table in the middle and a bar where the chef prepares the dishes. Here, everything is designed to make you feel like a guest in her home, in a lounge with a refined, comfortable decor. A glass of prosecco is offered while awaiting the arrival of other guests, because À table chez Anou is above all a diner club: everyone eats at the same table, from the same menu. Introductions are made naturally, and once everyone is settled, the journey can begin. That evening, a seven-course vegan Indian fusion dinner is offered, a true immersion in Anou’s cuisine and origins.
First bites, first emotions
Even before eating, Anou insists on the importance of preparing the body. So she begins by serving a glass of hot, spicy broth, to be drunk slowly. A comforting, almost meditative elixir that warms the body and awakens the taste buds without rushing them. A first wave of flavors, a harbinger of things to come. A deep-fried lentil dumpling is served with this broth, placed on a bed of herbs and smoked under a glass cloche. The crispness contrasts with the softness of the interior, while the smoky note envelops the whole. From the very first bite, the spices interact with surprising harmony.
The next dish combines fried potatoes with coriander chutney and tamarind sauce, enhanced by a few drops of saffron oil. The clean, slightly tangy flavors sublimate the sweetness of the potatoes, for a balance that’s both familiar and surprising. Next comes a spiced lentil and vegetable soup, topped with a dash of yogurt and fried onions. An enveloping, generous dish that marks a new rise in intensity. With each serving, Anou takes the time to explain the ingredients, their benefits and the logic behind her combinations. Her passion for cooking and for her roots is evident in every word, drawing us fully into her world.
The power of plants
The suite features zucchini, grilled with spices and accompanied by a tofu, moringa and spinach sauce. The vegetal flavor is intense, balanced by the acidity of the moringa and the enveloping sweetness of the tofu. Anou demonstrates that well-processed tofu has its place in refined, expressive cuisine. The next course takes a deliberate break from spices. The chef refocuses attention on a single vegetable: cabbage, presented in three textures. Creamy cream, grilled cabbage and strips of fried cabbage leaves make up a plate that’s both sweet and punchy. Tasted together, these preparations reveal the full depth of the vegetable.
To conclude the savory section, Anou proposes a dish full of memories: vegetables simmered in spices accompanied by rice, just as she ate them as a child. A simple plate, warm and full of flavor, that soothes the palate and gently prepares for what’s to come. For dessert, a pear, cocoa and cashew mousse, both fresh and gourmet. The pear adds a fruity delicacy, the cocoa a slight bitterness and the cashew a silky texture. A disconcertingly simple recipe, which can be adapted according to the fruit in season.
Leaving Geneva for dinner
In this hushed, calm atmosphere, À table chez Anou offers much more than a dinner: it’s a suspended moment to be shared between guests, guided by the chef herself. Here, we take the time to taste, listen and understand. It’s a gentle, sincere experience that takes you away from the dreariness of Geneva and the stresses of everyday life for an evening, to be enveloped by the warmth of spices and the soul of India.
