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The next day we thought
we would go back to St Jean Du Luz for lunch
and sought the advice of the friendly manager
(Older Son) of the Ithurria. He pointed
us in the direction of Chez Dominique.
From the outside the restaurant
belittles the standard (and prices) within.
This is a very serious restaurant with a
very good patron/chef. The food concentrates
on the products of sea, which is barely
surprising when the fishing port is across
the road.
The presentation is well thought out and
clever with some nice original touches.
The finest products from the nearby ocean
are often offered as special dishes: thus
we had Turbot: now days a rare and therefore
expensive fish. The desert menu is well
worth saving space for. There was a desert
items that had to be ordered at the outset
of the meal: something we were not told
and thus were disappointed when we saw
the said desert going to another table
and then asked for it. Lord Toad threw
all his toys out of his box: but still
no joy.
My one reservation was
the boss lady, presumably the Patron's wife,
seemed to be less than keen on “Les Anglais!”
As the hotel restaurant
was closed that night we had been recommended
to use the Oppoca, almost opposite the Ithurria.
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With that
recommendation we felt more confident that
a quick peer at the outside might have engendered.
In the end we were more than pleasantly
surprised. We had a menu gastronomic which
would not have shamed some of the finest
chefs. We found innovation and a certain
style with both the ingredients and the
presentation. The starter a millefeuille
of goose liver, smoked duck and cheese was
fascinating with the ingredients quoted
being placed between slithers of light chocolate
cake and finished with a caramelised sugar
on the top. I can not say it worked that
well: it was not bad but I think certainly
the smoked duck was an ingredient to far.
And I was not sure about the caramelised
top. The other dishes were an artichoke
dish and a duck with ceps. Both were okay
rather than excellent although once again
the question was more over the finished
product than excellent ideas. Certainly
worth a visit and set off our two days in
Ainhoa nicely. |
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