Auberge sentimentale
It’s probably from the presentation of the butter at the start of the meal that you can imagine how far chef Benjamin Breton has come. Daily churned from raw cream emulsified with hazelnut butter and Guérande fleur de sel, this lactic soul enhancer is sure to capture the hearts of gourmets from the very first bite. Spread on a thick slice of homemade farmhouse bread, the tone is set and the ambitions clearly stated. Always with the humility that sticks to his skin, the chef assumes them, perhaps for the first time. Why pretend when you’ve got talent? As with the recent opening of his gourmet restaurant, he’s not one to shout it from the rooftops. With a menu that evolves according to what nature has to offer, he makes a remarkable entry with modesty and commitment. Although he has never left the culinary world, he marks his comeback by expressing a sentimental, clear-cut style.
Living space
The Auberge de Lucinges, whose tables welcome guests on Thursdays and Fridays, Saturday evenings and Sunday lunchtimes, is off to a gentle start. Adapting to the frustrating realities of recruiting qualified staff means adjusting schedules to guarantee the expected quality. Do differently to do better! Benjamin Breton understands that young people don’t work the same way. A young owner himself for almost two years now, following the opening of his Bistrot Madeleine alongside Pierre Lelièvre, he is well aware that the profession is evolving.
But it’s behind the stove that he practises his art, restoring the reputation of a cuisine that’s always on the move. An auberge is a place to live and a place where life is good. L’Auberge de Lucinges meets all the criteria necessary for a sentimentally gourmet and spiritually engaging experience. “When we change the way we grow our food, we change our food, we change our values.” With this mantra from Masanobu Fukuoka prefacing the menu, the tone is set. Refocus on the essentials for better cooking. Focusing (really) on the seasons to better share.
Iodine bath
It’s the world of the living that allows the brigade in place to concoct a series of technically refined dishes. Behind-the-scenes producers are honored for the hard work they put in every day to deliver top-flight products. Cooked white asparagus with smoked ham consommé. A richly flavored broth with a surprising intensity. On a more opulent note, the chef proposes snails cradled in a purée of smoked garlic, black garlic, herb cream, candied egg yolk… all topped with a marbled raviole. The pleasure curves are exploding!
Continuing with a char lacquered with watercress and spinach is a memorable lakeside treat. Lounging alongside a horseradish cream, tapioca rehydrated in dashi enhanced with a multitude of herbs, it will be remembered for its elegance. It’s the pork chop cooked in a crust of seaweed-scented bread that slaps us in the face with its assured power. Accompanied by a turnip and turnip purée, the intense juice of pig, periwinkles and pig’s trotter plays with our senses. On the side, an oyster is served with a beurre blanc. Land and sea take on a new dimension.
Charming kitchen
As we savor a dessert that honors rhubarb, how can we fail to fall under the spell once again of the cuisine of this young chef, who continues his incredible journey with as much maturity as intimacy? His cuisine is the image of a character who has never ceased to make a name for himself through his dishes. Geneva may have lost him, but he gives us the gift of not having gone far. Every trip to Lucinges delights the heart, delights the mind and reminds us that without the human touch, all this is nothing.
L’Auberge de Lucinges, 67 place de l’Eglise, 74380 Lucinges. Tel: +33 50 59 64 74
