Continuing with the Michelin restaurant adventure in Alsace, we got a reservation at JY's. Similar to the other experience at Restaurant Villa Rene Lalique, this was one of the must go to restaurants on the list.
Chapter 1: Getting a reservation
Well I couldn't. And then I subsequently gave up.
Chapter 2: Getting a RESERVATION!
Le wife called, and got a reservation for lunch...
She should really just be in charge of getting reservations.
Chapter 3: Arriving in Colmar
Colmar France is a very beautiful little village. This village is more unique than a few of the other villages you pass getting here. It has a river in the middle of the town.
But it is a really nice river and they have certainly made the local aesthetic pop with the vibrant colors and the natural beauty.
Like most of the small villages in the region, parking...is...a...pain. Get to the area early enough so that you can find parking that is within walking distance of where you want to go. We managed to squeeze the rental car* into a spot across the bridge, after circling the other tourists for about 15 minutes.
*Oh you know I like to go off on my stories. The interesting thing, well not interesting as more as frustrating, about getting rental cars in France, well is obviously filling the gas up. So the thing about self serve gas stations in France(probably other EU places) is the credit card payment system. The first time we tried to fill the gas up was when we were returning the rental car from Nice, FR. It wasn't that Nice. You look at the gas pump as normal, click the button for the English settings, and put the nozzle into the fuel tank. Here comes the credit card. You insert the card, and then quickly remove it, but then the pump asks for a PIN. So, wanting to be unique, us silly American's *spoke with a French accent* don't have PINs typically for our credit cards. At stations we enter our zip code(looking at it in hindsight a PIN does seem like a better way to authenticate a credit transaction) and French gas stations DO NOT read zip codes as a PIN- kind of. Anyway back in Nice, we're sitting at the returning rental car gas station (yes, it was conveniently expensive) and we were trying to pay for the gas to return the car. Credit card goes in, it asks for a PIN, I enter the standard zip code. Error. Ok, lets try this again. In order to clear these types of errors its always best to wipe the black strip on your shirt in order for the machine to really read the card. One, two, three swipes later. Error. Out comes the debit card with a PIN. Error. Now this is the part when worry, annoyance, and frustration (or WAF) comes out. Worry coming from having to pay extra on a empty tank! Annoyance that we need to get to the airport and still drop off this car!Frustration over this stupid machine not working! Lewife uses a different card and it works. Problem solved. No rhyme or reason though.
So happened once in Nice, surely it can't happen again in Alsace right? That's right, only this time it was at 5 AM and the interior gas station wasn't open, only the self service machines were on. MUUUUUUUCH better :-/. We tried probably 5 different credit cards and all came back with the same: ERROR. The machines don't take cash, and now this escapade is cutting into our drive back to the train station in order to catch a 6 AM train. Here comes the WAF! And my friends, "one last swipe, let's just try this card one more time"(Lewife's special credit card) and it goes through
We make it back to the drop off location, catch the train, and make our way home. Five weeks later we received a speeding ticket from a speed camera, but that's a story for another time.
So...food at JY's?
Chapter 4: Lunch at JY's
If you read our other post of Restaurant Villa Rene Lalique you should've seen that we enjoy the lunch at Michelin restaurants. JY's was certainly no exception.
Sitting outside in the pleasant July sunshine next to the famous river anyone? Sold. There isn't too many people in this section of seating either, which makes it a more exclusive experience.
The Menu:
Amuse bouche
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Fresh duck foie gras burned with black pepper, quince cheese cake
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Scallops in pretzel crust, tortelli stuffed with mushrooms, tandoori sauce
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Arctic char cooked in almond milk, dressed in Brussels sprouts and corn, butternut puree and green curry sauce ----------
Veal filet mignon with chanterelles, crispy carrot compote, smoked eggplant caviar, satey sauce ----------
Pre-desserts
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Poached pears with a 70% cocoa chocolate ganache, vanilla flowers and cocoa pear juice
---------- 64% Guayaquil chocolate shortbread with a milk caramel and sesame ice cream, nougatine pieces ----------
Sweets
Yes that's right four desserts.
So lets start with the Amuse Bouche!
The Amuse Bouche came in five different dishes. The first that was brought out was a three tiered dish. It was placed on the table and the waiter proceeded to remove the layers to showcase the amuse. Or did he showcase the bouche, not sure. The three dishes consisted of a coffee cheese mousse, watermelon with coriander, and raspberry beet compote, all served with a cheese popover pastry. Following the tiered dish out came a take on olives. The olives, ya guessed it, not olives . It was an olive mash for the outside and a french cheese mixture inside. Ohhhhh yeaaaah.
Following the Amuse Bouche was a duck Foie Gras, and scalops
If this isn't starting to make your mouth water, then nothing will. Following the appetizer course(yes that has been only 7 dishes so far) came the entrees. Veal filet mignon with mushrooms, and artic char (that's fish) with a carrot. I remember the food being very excellent but don't quite have the words to describe the flavors. Perhaps I can take a lesson from sommelier's:
The veal has a vast complexity that only rivals its nature to be eaten.
The char, quiet, robust, with hints of cinnamon and earthy essence only brings summer to mind in a rain storm.
We finished the meal with four different desserts:
Something to refresh our tastebuds from the meat
Something to sink our tastebuds into flavor country
Something to rejuvenate and refresh the mind and soul
And lastly something to tuck us in bed at night after a long long day of eating food.
Another wonderful restaurant highly recommended by the Michelin tire man. I salute him!
Colmar and JY's is a definite stop on your Michelin food tour through Alsace. Be smarter than me, and make your reservation in advance so Lewife doesn't have to make it for you too.
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