L’Ourson qui Boit, Lyon France

I planned only one dinner in Lyon – at L’Ourson qui Boit, a small restaurant on the Presque’île, just a bit north of the Opéra.  It’s run by a Japanese couple – the husband cooks and the wife runs the front of the house – but the food is French, with a touch of Asian influence.

The adventure began when I tried to make a reservation from Chicago – it’s definitely necessary, as the restaurant was completely full on the Monday evening we were there.  I called about ten days in advance, at about 5pm Lyon time.  My rusty French was just good enough to successfully reserve.

We arrived in a misty rain, and were seated in a small, stone-walled room just off the main dining room.  Each night, there are just two choices for the appetizer and two for the main course; those plus an amuse-bouche and a dessert cost 28 Euros.

There were apéritifs to start, of course – pastis for D and Suze (a bittersweet liqueur made from gentian root) for me.

The amuse was a small dish of diced scallop with diced duck, cold and tossed with a tart, light yuzu dressing.

D and I ordered the same courses – “raviolis” filled with poulet de Bresse, served in a gingery consommé with vegetables and seaweed, and then a crépine of veal wrapped around roast eggplant.  The raviolis reminded me of chicken gyoza, with the same tender-chewy wrapping, pan-fried on one side.  The veal and eggplant was an interesting combination of flavors and textures; D and I also both noticed the chef’s light hand with seasoning.  Unlike so many restaurant dishes in the US, even at the finest places, the dishes we had in France were never noticeably salty. There was an intensely delicious Marsala sauce on the plate, along with artichoke hearts and roasted mushrooms.

We added a cheese course, ordering the two that are ubiquitous on Lyonnaise menus: a demi St Marcellin and fromage blanc.

For dessert we both had the chocolate option, a slice of dense, dark chocolate terrine served with fresh figs, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberry.  (The fruits were so much sweeter and better than the ones I’m used to in Chicago!)  There was also raspberry sorbet and mint ice cream; the latter is made with fresh mint leaves so it’s brightly herbal, nothing like the usual bright green mint chocolate chip.

I loved the cozy atmosphere (it was fun to be off the beaten track of touristy spots), the charming service by the chef’s wife, and of course the food.  If you go to Lyon, definitely check it out!