The first time you arrive in Bad Ragaz, you'll be gobsmacked and think you've landed in heaven…read more Well, that's sort of true. If the weather's not acting up, then the Grand Resort's location is an absolute dream: Mountains beckon in the distance, a veritable sea of tulips amaze you I was very impressed!
Chef Schmid's cuisine is based on a classical foundation, yet he is open-minded enough to use international influences. His cuisine focuses on big, intensive flavours while remain light. Peas taste more likes peas than peas at this restaurant it's true! My favourite dish was his cold foie gras entrée, a terrine with poultry jelly, morels, morels filled with pea espuma and a foie gras Magnum, encased in luxurious Felchlin couverture (Maracaibo Classificado 65%). I was speechless. This was one of the best foie gras entrées I've had yet. Inspite of the mountain of food we ate that evening, we never felt overstuffed.
He's also well-known for his bison filets with which he cooked up his first Michelin star back in the day, while he was the head chef at the Alpenhof in Zermatt. We're now know why: The meat is incredibly tender and very tasty, fitting wonderfully to the asparagus and ravioli it was served with.
Markus is a grey-haired pastry veteran who spoiled us rotten with five gorgeous dessert plates, including three variations, caramel, rhubarb and chocolate. The desserts were made and presented with great precision. There were certain elements which had us pleasantly astonished, such as a particularly moreish ricotta cheesecake slice, a muscovado sugar savarin (very rare!) or the most perfect rhubarb compotte imaginable. The best dessert was undoubtedly the Chocolate Dream, a chocolate variation centered around Felchlin's luxurious Grand Cru couverture made from Bolivian Criollo cocoa beans. He tamed the somewhat stronger notes of the couverture and transformed into a light parfait, ice cream, soup and moelleux. The moelleux, this time done as a cake slice (melted half-way, brilliant!), was particularly delicious.
My insider's tip: If you ask for it when you make your reservation, you can eat in the kitchen. This is no ordinary chef's table, but a metal bar table right next to the heated pass. You'll be in the eye of the storm, observing everything, asking questions, tasting things a truly unique experience for curious gourmets like me!
There was nothing to criticise about our evening, but rest assured that such food doesn't come cheap. The Michelin Guide has, for some unknown reason, been reluctant to fork out a Michelin star for Roland Schmid's cuisine. Nobody knows why. I think he deserves a star, the sooner the better.
For a detailled German photo report, including an interview with head chef Roland Schmid and head pastry chef Markus Brutscheiner, please visit:
http://dessertblog.ch/2011/07/restaurant-abtestube-in-bad-ragaz/
