We headed to Versailles for the last 2 nights of our Paris/Versailled long weekend to be close to the chateau where we would attend the French premiere of the opera GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES in the 18th century opera house of the chateau! We had a free night and I found the top place in town where chef Jean-Baptiste Lavergne-Morazzani and his team earned one Michelin star(they deserve more!) four years ago when he opened the place at age 24!
The place has indeed only 11 tables and everyone here was French with no tourists(save for us!). The manager Laurent welcomed us warmly and we sat down in the modern setting with cushy fabric chairs facing the open kitchen (even the bathroom was gorgeous porcelain walls and décor!) for what would turn out to be truly a gastronomic performance. The menu is simple listing a 5 course or 7 course(110Euros) option with courses being listed only by several ingredients (Cabbage, Ginger for example). We also opted for the Prestige paired wines and settled in as the sommelier, Enzo, poured Robert Moncuit Grand Cru Champagne that had a gutsy terroir and as we prefer, not a ton of gas. Of course, the water was Badoit, but we now realize we have to ask for that as the French seem to always serve Pellegrino!
Homemade grain bread arrived with emulsified wasabi-infused butter. Each plate had a small brown ostrich leather "place round" to keep them from sliding around on the wooden round tables. The first pair of amuses arrived and I don't have a clue what they were, and then I forgot to photograph the second one which was an amazing Beetroot emulsion with Smoked Eel and Purple Mustard that was like eating air! The wine was one of my favorite varietals, a Condrieu from the Rhone winemaker Montez, 2017 "Les Grandes Chailles." The wine also paired with the first course of Cabbage pressed and cooked and marinated in Ginger Vinegar with Sweet Red Chili Chantilly, Coffee and Mustard Seed. There are photos on FB of the rest and you can see how complex each dish was and how much love and work went into each course.
By the second course we figured that our server(they really all work as a team), the most handsome Clement, spoke perfect English as was able to tell us what we were served in English: Normandy Scallops came with a coiled barely cooked Butternut Squash topped with Lemon Finger Citron "caviar" and a Fish & White Balsamic Vinegar Sauce!! Pulilgny Montrachet 2015 from Monnot was another amazing gem of a wine that Enzo served with wonderful explanations(in French, of course).
The third course had us switching to another Monnot wine 2017 Mersault Xavier "Les Chevalieres." We oohed and aahed at each wine and each bite; perfect pairings throughout. Monkfish with EVOO, Sweet Onion Extraction, Fennel Emulsion, Crispy Turnip and Dill with a dab Organic Orange as a condiment on the edge of the plate. We were warned by Clement that it was intense and only to take a dab. It was the perfect foil to the amazing fish dish as long as you did take just a dab.
We moved to red wine with a superb Nuit Saint Georges "Vieilles Vignes" 2017 from Domaine Alain Michelot which had huge legs and an intense earthy terroir, paired with Lelandes Organic Poultry from Arnaut Touzen with Jerusalem Artichoke puree, Salsify and again a Menton Lemon Organic Condiment also on the edge of the plate. We opted for the supplement of superb white truffles which Laurent shaved over the dishes with flair. The meat was more gamey than your usual chicken and reminded us of what we get at our farmer's market back home; the dish won our applause!
The Burgundy remained for the "cheese" course of Brie de Meaux(which we learned is actually a locale where the specific brie is made!)which camed whipped with syrups and sauces and natural ash, muesli mix, nuts, pumpkin seeds, etc and pear. This was a novel take on the cheese course where chefs are now preparing a dish around a specific cheese and we always love it.
Clement (ever so adorable) explained the next dish was Tegete flower with Tagete Ice Cream, shortbread, apple and tuille. I googled it and discovered it is marigold! The flower and ice cream were almost minty with intense flavors, but a wonderful refreshing idea and paired with a Chenin Blanc "Les Grenouillieres) 2017 La Grange Tiphane.
The last course of the set menu was Chestnut, Citrus from Corsica, Crema yogurt & Chestnut Crisp served with an amazing Josmeyer 2015 Late Harvest Gewurtztraminer from Alsace that was truly a climax and conclusion to the perfect meal.
Plates with Apple Gelees and Lime Meringues arrived along with a presentation of Chocolate praline truffles.
I would come back to La Table de 11, even if we were not in Versailles; it is worth the trip just for the meal!
