My girlfriend and I were looking for a place to eat late in the evening. The bartender from L'Antiquaire informed us Hector was open across the street (it was about 9-10pm). This place reminded me of Vedge back in Philadelphia, PA. Their dishes are so unique and full of flavor. I appreciate their level of detail, attention to color and knowledge of ingredients. I was amazed to discover they have only been open for a couple of months.
We started out with foie gras and toast topped with mushrooms and somekind of sweet butternut squash jam. They provided us with plenty of bread, a must with foie gras! Next was Betteraves Ricotta. From what we deciphered from the server, it was diced, cooked white beets infused with parsley sauce. It was sprinkled with ricotta and on top was a scoop of red beet sorbet. It was very different but it worked well together. We also ordered Hampe Tataki with slices of butternut squash and pulpo, which we thought was the star of the night. The octopus had a smoky taste, slightly chewy but provided very nice texture that complimented the creamy mashed potatoes. Our server convinced us to finish the night with Clementine Chantilly. The desert was composed of clementines, buttery cookie crumble and whipped cream. Simply amazing.
If you are the type of person who likes to guess what ingredients are in the dishes, Hector is the perfect place for you. The presentation and cooking style can be viewed as nontraditional, especially in the French cooking world. But it suits Hector's personality very well. The servers and chefs took time to explain the menu, to the best of their ability in English. In Lyon, I find less people speak English compared to Paris. But if you attempt to speak a few words in French, sometimes people open up to you more. They are willing to speak English to you! We will definitely be back in the summer of 2018. I hope Hector continues to thrive and inspire, feed many foodies like us! read more