RoF-stuffing at Palace Grill

We celebrated my birthday a little bit early, and the usual tradition is to go out for a no-holds-barred gourmet meal. (Not really something I want to do on a weekday.)

This year's meal was at Palace Grill. The restaurant at Palace Grill used to serve more simple fare such as burgers. Now days, they serve an up to 10-course gourmet meal. But they do not take reservations. This means you have to get there early in order to secure a table. As long as you get there around 5-ish to 5:30-ish, you should be OK. There's a (somewhat popular) bar next to the restaurant where you can hang out and have an aperitif while waiting for your table...

Oh, and the setting is somewhat informal, so you don't need to wear a suit and tie or a fancy dress. Actually, it would be a good idea to wear something that allows you to eat a lot of good food hehe...

We did the "full package" of course. This is what we feasted on (note: click the photos to see larger versions):

1. Dish: Oysters. Raw on the half-shell, served with vinegar and slices of lime. The oysters were very nice and fresh and tasty...
   
   Wine: Daniel Dampt et Fils Chablis 2006
   
   



2. Dish: sashimi of salmon, with salmon roe, cucumber, green onion, sesame seeds, quail egg yolk, and teriyaki soy sauce. The salmon was very fresh and flavorful. The quail egg yolk had quite a lot of flavor...
   
   Wine: Schafer-Frölich Riesling Kabinett 2006. This wine kicked ass! :-D
   
   



3. Dish: smoked eel, eel with sour cream, and salad and capers. The eel pieces were very tender and tasty...
   
   Wine: same as for the 2nd course
   
   



4. Dish: lobster soup with lobster and hazelnut ravioli, raw shrimp, mussels, apples, hazelnuts, and fennel. You could tell that the cooks spent hours reducing the broth for the soup. I would have loved a whole plate of that ravioli! The apple pieces in the soup were a very nice, sweet touch...
   
   Wine: Macon-Chardonnay Récolte, Clos de la Crochette 2005
   
   



5. Dish: halibut with caviar and mango greens. Perfectly prepared fish mmm...
   
   Wine: Chassagne-Montrachet Cru la Maltroie 2005
   
   



6. Dish: cod with oxtails, mushrooms, jordskokk purée, and red beets prepared in red wine. This was probably one of the most interesting dishes I have ever eaten. The cod and the oxtails were a very interesting, flavorful combination. Too bad we forgot to take a photo...
   
   Wine: Cote de Nuits-Villages La Montagne 2005 (pinot noir)
   
   No photo



7. Red currant and vodka smoothie (for cleansing the palate). Very lovely...
   
   



8. Dish: filet of venison, rutebega, lentils with chicken livers and bacon. This was absolutely divine! The venison was perfectly tender, and melted in my mouth. The lentils were also perfectly tender, and the chicken livers were an especially interesting and flavorful touch. The lentils were served on the side so they're not in the photo.
   
   Wine: Roda I Reserve 2003
   
   



9. Dish: cheese board with lots of flavorful, runny, stinky French cheeses :-) Served with nut bread and rye bread...
   
   Wine: same as with #8
   
   



10. Dish: Dessert - raspberry sorbet and a chocolate dessert, both with a passionfruit sauce. The crust of the chocolate dessert was a bit hard but it was otherwise good. The sorbet was fantastic, and the sauce wonderfully tangy and tasty, passing perfectly to both desserts...
    
    

Coffee afterwards.

All in all, a wonderful meal. I left stuffed and happy... :-) It was definitely worth the visit! :-D