Restaurant Session (in Bergisch Gladbach): Vendôme

In the evening, we went for dinner at restaurant Vendôme✨✨✨, from chef Joachim Wissler.

Our table.

 

Interesting salt dispenser :-)

 

Next to each table, a small supporting table with a drawer containing all cutlery needed for the evening.

With the aperitif, a selection of amuse bouche.

Spanish tuna with cucumber and wasabi vinaigrette.

 

Toffee from caramelized foie gras and piedmont hazelnut. This was excelent!

[Toffee von karamellisierter Gänseleber and Piemonteser Haselnuss]

 

Tartelette of snail.

[Badisches Weinbergschnecken-Tartelette]

 

As second amuse, salad of tafelspitz, linseed and beetroot sabayon.

[Tafelspitzsalat, Leinsamen Rote Bete Sabayon]

 

The bread arrived in a paper bag. Interesting choice, but doesn't really fit with the elegance of the place and it is visually not appealing.

 

A selection of different types.

Bread and butter.

The first dish of the menu Frühsommer JW: grilled langoustine and vinaigrette of juniper and elderberries. Together with the pair, a little langoustine espresso, full of flavour - loved it!

[Gegrillte Langoustine und Holunder - Wacholdervinaigrette. Sepia | Topinamburcreme |Sauerklee]

With the langoustine, a glass of Gewürztraminer Vom Lehm from Castelfeder.

 

As second dish, octopus salad & new potatoes, with pimentcreme, green salad, peas and mint. This dish was disappointed: the potatoes were cut in thick slices (and a bit raw) and were quite predominant over the other ingredients - making the dish very bland.

[Octopussalat und neue Kartoffeln. Pimentcreme | Kopfsalat | Zuchererbseen | Minze]

Pairing with the salad, a glass of 2020 Erdödy from Groszer Wein.

 

As third dish, Breton sole and sauce vin jaune, with little chanterelles, pig snout, parsley spinach, green almonds and pickle cucumber. Very nice, I enjoyed it very much.

[Bretonische Seezunge und Sauce Vin Jaune. Kleine Pfifferlinge | Schweineschnäuzchen | Petersilienspinat | Grüne Mandeln und gepickelte Gurken]

 

With my dish, a glass of beer prepared with the same methods used for champagne, from the Freigeist Bierkultur. Interesting.

 

Roger chose the red mullet and oister in bouillabaisse, with saffron kohlrabi noodles, bouchot mussels, glasswort and smoked potato mousseline

[Felsen Rotbarbe und Tarbouriech Auster in Liebstöckel.Bouillabaisse. Safran-Kohlrabinudeln und Bouchotmuscheln | Passe Pierre | mild geräucherte Kartoffelmousseline]

The oister was very good!

 

Pairing with Roger's red mullet, a glass of 2019 Sauvignon Blanc et Sauvignon Gris from Weingut Schloss Ortenberg.

 

 Behind Roger's chair, a nice sunset.

Also with view...

 ...to Cologne and the Kölner Dom - far, far away :-)

 

As fourth dish, Badischer asparagus, piccata from calf brain, jus from Perigord truffles, and cream of tonka beans and celery cream.

[Badischer Spargel und Kalbshirn Piccata. Perigord-Trüffeljus | Tonkabohnen-Selleriecreme]

Pairing with the asparagus, a glass of 2018 Al Posto dei Fiori from Le Pianelle.

 

As main dish, mieral guinea fowl & foie gras, with mumbay curry emulsion, macadamian cream and mango salad.

[Mieral Perlhuhn und Gänseleber. Mumbai-Curryemulsion | Macademiacreme | Mangosalat]

Together with a steam bum.

With the main dish, a glass of 2018 Zweigelt Reserve from Alphart.

 

A bowl of water and lemon to clean the fingers after eating the bum.

Cheese time - delicious! Goat cheese 'Crottin Chavignol' with sesame and radish, thyme and honey vinaigrette, nutcrackers and coriander pesto. 

[Ziegenkäse "Crottin Chavignol" mit Sesam-Radieschen. Thymian Honigvinaigrette | Nussbrotcräcker | Koriander Pesto]

With the cheese, a glass of 2018 Apotheke Spaetlese from Weingut Joseph Milz.

 

First dessert: lemon foam & buckweat hipoe, curd cheese ice cream, spruce sprouts infusion. Very good!

[Zitronenschaum und Buchweizenhippe. Topfeneis | Fichtensprossenaufguss]

 

Pairing with the dessert, a glass of 2016 Uroulat Jurançon from Charles Hours. Very nice!

 

As second dessert, banana (made of chocolate and coconut)...

[Banane und karamellisiertes Erdnusseis. Jivara-Gewürzganache | Kokos]

 

...caramelized peanut ice cream, ganache of jivara and spices, and coconut.

 

Pairing with the second dessert, a glass of 2014 Tokaji Aszu from Oremus. We enjoyed it very much! 

 

Coffee and gourmandises.
[Süsser Abschluss]

 

 

Including a popsicle.

With two desserts, no really appetite left for gourmandises. We asked if we could take it, and they were very nice to pack it in small boxes. 

 

As the restaurant is at the Hotel Schloss Bensberg, we only had a small walk till our room. Perfect :-)

 

We enjoyed the restaurant, but we missed a bit the wow effect on the dishes like we had on our first visit to Vendôme. It was good, but we didn't think it was a 3 stars Michelin level. In 2022, they lost a star.

Jul 18th, 2021.