Continuing from yesterday, when we learned about how famed chef Paul Bocuse has the Lyon market cornered with – count ’em! – five casual bistros. Our correspondent ate at the newest address, L’Ouest. Here, his review.
L’Ouest is a fairly cavernous spot in a rehabbed warehouse-style bit of business with a façade lined in narrow wood blinds. The look features lots of sleek wood and steel; multicolor lights; lucite ceiling fans; a bar area with raised tables and stools; flatscreen monitors with cooking shows; and a nice white-umbrella shaded deck area outside where you can watch traffic meander up and down the Saône river.
And then there’s the feature Bocuse told me makes it the most “American” style, in his opinion: the brightly lit open kitchen, running almost the full length of the dining room.
I came in with a French-American group of friends, and we were settled in at a nice big corner table not far from the colorful, old-fashioned calliope organ (I’m told they crank it up to sing “Happy Birthday” and such).
Perusing current chef de cuisine Cédric Boutroux’s bilingual menu, among the foie gras de canard, beef tartare, and veal kidneys in mustard sauce, I spotted some of the multi-culti dishes that characterize Bocuse’s more contemporary bistros: acras de morue antillais (Caribbean-style cod fritters), nems de gambas à la menthe fraîche (shrimp spring rolls with fresh mint), and minute de thon rouge aux parfums d’Asie (Asian-spiced stir-fry of seared red tuna and veggies).
Meanwhile, guacamole and chips seemed to be a popular item going to tables around us. We all ordered different things and passed plates around, ranging from the more exotic stuff mentioned above to such examples of French “comfort food” as sole meunière or Bresse chicken in brown sauce with salad and Amandine potatoes. At the same time, it’s the kind of place where they’re not afraid to put a bottle of Heinz ketchup on the table. Lubrication was provided by a nice, full-bodied 2005 Syrah from Rhône Valley winemaker Jean-Luc Colombo.
The upshot: A fine meal was had by all. The flavors were robust; the good looking young waiter’s service attentive and reasonably cordial (the Lyonnais seem to have to work less diligently at being friendly than Parisians); and the atmosphere lively and fun in that medium-energy way reminiscent of hitting the town with pals and colleagues after work in Manhattan.
In short, I went back to my hotel more than satisfied, but hardly bowled over â I’ve certainly had plenty of as good or better meals in my life. It’s fine, though. Really just revving up for the big kahuna: up next is the Auberge du Pont de Collonges, Bocuse’s three-star restaurant farther up the Saône river, just outside the city. More about that tomorrow.
–David Appell