Pure Delight

“Sir, If you were spending only one night here in your entire life and if you intended to make it a source of great memories, where would you go for dinner?”

I was going with my new haircut asking this same question to 3 local people, in the internet café, in the movie house then in the supermarket. Without any hesitation the 3 said “I would try to have dinner at “ C’est la vie “If they say “try” It is because it is a place you have to book well ahead , probably . So of course when I went around 71/2 pm to see if by any chance they would have a room for me, the answer was the two sittings were fully booked for over a wee . I must have looked quite disappointed as the lady server called me back in the street to say that in fact as the weather was so good I could maybe have my dinner outside! And so I was lucky enough to soon see myself sited at a little round and wobbly table facing the green and the sun setting sun. it was a choice of 6 main courses .

Fillet of steak with blue cheese, assorted fishes hollandais , chicken , duck à l’orange, pork fillet and apple or venaison . Not that original , I thought and I ordered the pork just to order some thing . My God what a surprise! What a treat! I was then served a salad with such fresh ingredients that I thought it was the first real tomato had tasted for years! The hot pan was brought with the fillet perfectly cooked, roasted apple slices and nuts in such a subtle sauce that I can’t be sure yet of its composition : brandy and cream possibly , butter and scotch maybe ; A wonder of a sauce . This was served with a very hot gratin of sliced potatoes baked with cream slightly brown on the top. Simply divine! I could hear as the windows were open on that warm summer evening, the people sharing their excitement about their own choices from table to table. Exceptional food, exceptional service. You would not even eat, only taste. It was such rare feast for your eyes, your palate, your nose; you could ear and feel every guest’s pleasure. Mine was so great that I decide to come back for at least 3 more samples and I do hope I can make it before leaving the country .It is a sufficient reason to go back and spend 4 nights in Akaroa . The cook, a lady, is either French or Belgium. It was not clear. All the inside walls are covered with appreciations and laudatory comments. That is the decoration! Thousands of signatures; Not a single line left . So, now grateful clients have started to sign and praise on the outside walls! Imagine such a success! How proud the cook can be. I do not think I had such a pleasure to dine in the past 40 years. The last time I can remember such a pleasure was on July the 11^thof 1966 eating a sole at “Les Troisgros” in Roanne. We didn’t even know Michel and I that we were in a 3 Michelin’s star’s. “Establishment”. We were going down south for honeymooning and had stopped there because it was raining and already late and I thought that if we were going to find a room in this tiny town it had to be only by the train station. And I was right we did find the impossible to miss e “Hôtel de la Gare. And we did. All the customers had gone. The restaurant was closing They said we could have something to eat if we were happy enough with a sole each by instance. We were starving. We did agree. The restaurant room was old and sad I found. We were a bit surprised to see a waiter standing up just behind our chair while we were eating . I thought it was terribly provincial as well as the rose made of candy which was on our table as a decoration. Soon we couldn’t stop to make noises and grunt: yummy! It was so tasty , so scrummy, so delicious so lip licking that it was unbelievable ! But believe it or not even then we didn’t realise where we were. I personally thought it comes from the fact that I was so much in love that even food tasted that divine ! The next morning when we paid the bill as more than 1/10thf of the money we had for the whole week we kind of wake up and saw on the paper that we were in the most renowned and very best restaurant in France !!!!We had sandwiches for lunch the following days! C’est la vie!