Modern Italy
Off to Lausanne this week! This short trip allowed me to discover a wonderful restaurant that celebrates Italian gastronomy… in an ultra-modern version (without solitude). After being under French culinary influence, the Eligo restaurant changes its spatula and switches to transalpine culture broth 2.0. Located just a stone’s throw from the lively Flon district, its location is an asset for continuing the evening. Impressive high ceilings, raw materials, an open kitchen, a bar as a backdrop, plenty of light, elegant furnishings, music at a reasonable volume… this place really does have it all!
Edouard Amoiel
Carbonara 2.0
The evening begins with a glass of sauvignon blanc. Eclectic and appealing, the names of the dishes on the menu arouse curiosity despite the requirement to view them on a screen. Covid or no Covid, iPads should be banned from the restaurant world. There’s nothing like flipping through real pages rather than scrolling through a menu with your index finger. These pseudo-new sanitary practices break the charm of an appetizer. With a swipe of disinfectant after each use of a traditional menu, it’s all over.
No matter what anyone says, the basics of cooking are learned with the purest respect for tradition. Such is the case with chef Enrico Ferrari who, having worked at Senigallia’s Uliassi restaurant, has the professional experience to offer a contemporary culinary approach with a hint of classicism. The egg carbonara, for example, is a real eye-catcher. Cooked at low temperature, the notched yolk spills onto a pecorino mousse. Accompanied by jowl bacon (guanciale for those in the know) and chunks of black pepper bread, this appetizer seduces from the very first spoonful.
Edouard Amoiel
Pacchieri surprise
What follows is a promising risotto with Franciacorta, cime di rapa (broccoli sprouts), Vallorbe snails, piacentinu de Ennea (saffron-flavored brevis cheese), marrow and saffron aioli; a real gourmet invitation and a very daring reinterpretation of the traditional risotto alla milanese. But it’s the surprising pacchieri, saddle of venison, parma ham, sage jus and green apple granita that take the prize. When the dish arrives, it’s a big surprise. Contrary to Italian tradition, which calls for all ingredients to be mixed together in a simmering sauce, each piece of perfectly cooked pink venison is placed on a pacchieri. Bewildering, bewitching, surprising, gourmet, sharp… it’s all there!
The waitstaff, available, smiling, helpful and a perfect connoisseur of the food and wine list, are worthy ambassadors for the chef’s cuisine. A rare feat that deserves to be highlighted! With this consistency, the sky is not about to darken over the Eligo restaurant.
