The next stop on our trip where we indulged on a fun foodie night out was in Switzerland - this was our most expensive meal for the whole Europe trip! And I doubt that it'll be capped by anything in Asia!
Welcome to the rich and beautiful world of authentic Swiss fondue...
One of the things I love about eating out in true restaurants in Europe is that they always have candles, and not the small plastic flickering tea lights, but long elegant white tapers spreading warm light across the table... this was no exception!
This restaurant, Baracca Zermatt (technically in the Zurich Airport area), even had a rustic wood fire going with throws of fur on chaise lounges should you wish to be even warmer... We didn't, since a restaurant full of lit tapers and a roaring fire plus all the fondue burners makes for a pretty toasty room!
Matt and I selected the three course tasting menu - it included a deceivingly manageable starter, main fondue, and dessert.
Before our starters came out, we were given a large shot of cream of broccoli soup with a cream topper with chives... It was really good, if rich - which is why I suppose they start you off with a mere shot. I was also excited since I had been convinced that I was going to die of scurvy due to the lack of veggies in the pub and street food of Europe. Unfortunately, thusly so excited to see something even remotely green - I ate it before I got get a picture (sorry).
I selected the house salad to start, while Matthew picked their Zermatter Tavolata or otherwise known as a charcuterie board... they were huge - AND delicious! I won't bore you with the salad (even though it was just as good), but the Tavolata had various types of local cheeses including two different types of goat cheese, it had pickled mushrooms and zucchini, it had smoked wild poultry (duck we're thinking), various types of locally made salami, nuts, dried and fresh fruit etc.
Next came our two fondues... and it put the Grizzly House in Banff to a horrible shame...
I got the: ‘Morchel Matterhorn’ which had Gruyere and Vacherin Fribourgeois Cheeses with finest morels and stripes of leek. Matthew got the: 'Baracca' or otherwise known as the house fondue with the same cheese mix but with apples, walnuts, bacon and a special apple cider…
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| Baracca is in front, the mushroom/leek fondue in the background |
As part of the fondue, you are given a shot of Kirsch to which you dip your bread into before putting into the cheese fondue.. we also got small, sweet baby potatoes to dip in the cheese as well... YUM!
We also had some awesome wine with our fondues - although I didn't see any indication that this particular brand was being exported - pity because it went so well with all that cheese.
We then got dessert - which definitely took us to the edge of full - but they were very good. We had a dark chocolate cake and what they called a "toblerone parfait" but was really more like toblerone ice cream.. the ice cream was miles ahead of the cake - so just go with the ice cream if you visit!
And then, they also brought out a sniffer of peach brandy as an after dinner liqueur... it was delicious, just delicious.. with a lovely amber colour.. but it was definitely just filling in between the cracks of our bellies!
It was a wonderful, if heavy, evening of Swiss food delights - however for those who know me and my allergies to dairy - yes... I was most definitely paying for it until I was able to take some meds.... BUT IT WAS SOOOOOO WORTH IT! (Matt was fine, grr.....)
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