I remembered reading an article about pastry chef Philippe Rigollot and how he found his passion to become a pastry chef. I believed he said something clicked when he had a mille feuille at Lenôtre, the world-renowned bakery, catering service and cooking school empire at a very young age. Ironically, that's where his career began to take off, when he was working for Lenôtre from 1991 to 1998. After a stint with fellow Lenotre alumus Frédéric Anton at 3-star Michelin Le Pré Catelan, he went on to work alongside Anne-Sophie Pic in Valence, another 3-star Michelin restaurant for 7 years, winning the title of World Pastry Champion in 2005. In 2010, he started his own patisserie in picturesque Annecy, a beautiful town in the French Alps, often referred to as "Venice of the Alps". That's where I'm right now.
Among the must-try desserts at Pâtisserie Philippe Rigollot is Mr Smith, an award-winning apple tart with sweet pastry, almond cream, apple marmalade and sparkling vanilla mousse.
Burger Rigollot (5.7 Euro) - Instead of the famous Mr and Mrs Smith, I went with another gem, an ultra realistic cheeseburger shaped cake called Burger Rigollot. For a moment, I thought it was a real cheese burger!!!
So the buns were real homemade brioche but the beef patty (chocolate ganache), cheese (passion fruit gelée) and tomato (raspberry confit) were all fake. This tasted really good. Never thought a brioche would work so well with all these sweet ingredients.
Sphere Soleil (5 Euro) - Drawing inspiration from the sun, this lovely creation has a layer of delicate lavender mousse with honey.
In the middle of the sphere were pear compote and dried fruit biscuit. Very nicely done and very delicious.
Entering Annecy's Old Town feels like I've just been sucked into a fairy tale with all these amazing attractions (Palais de l'Isle, Lake Annecy etc.) in front of my eyes. But what made my stay even more rewarding was the opportunity to experience Philippe Rigollot's creations first hand. This breakfast by itself was already well worth the detour.
Food Rating: 8.2/10
Price: €€€
Address: 1 Place Georges Volland, 74000 Annecy, France
Tel: +33 (0)4 5045-3135
Website: www.philipperigollot.com
Post a Comment
Please tell us what you think