Cheval Blanc
Cheval Blanc table setting
Cheval Blanc Review at-a-glance
Basel, Switzerland
+Classic french cooking with just a hint of Asian influences to keep it fresh
+Generously priced when compared to everything else in Switzerland (and the other three Michelin star restaurants in the country)
+Service struck the perfect balance between taking care of your every need without being overly formal
+Cheval Blanc has a luxurious dining room overlooking the Rhine with well-spaced tables
-No real negatives other than if you are looking for more modernist cooking this won’t fit the bill for you
Verdict: What particularly impressed me about Knogl’s cooking was the consistency, not only in the technical execution but in putting together well-composed and balanced plates. Even in the best restaurants, there is usually some puzzling flavor combination or lapses in standard over the course of a tasting menu - the overly strong spice here, a completely forgettable dish there. There were no such issues at Cheval Blanc, each dish being at a three-star level with memorable and precise flavors. Perhaps the price of this consistency is less adventurous flavors but if the familiar tastes this good that is a price I will happily pay.
Review Score: 97/100
Value: 16.5/20 (higher if you consider it by Swiss standards)
Awards: Three Michelin stars
Cheval Blanc background
Cheval Blanc, the newest of Switzerland's three Michelin star restaurants (receiving its third star in 2016), is nestled in the swanky Les Trois Rois hotel in Basel. The hotel itself has quite a bit of history, dating back to being a modest inn all the way back in 1681 before being rebuilt as a more grand hotel in 1844. This tradition carries on today with the hotel offering all the classical luxury touches you would expect from a five star in Switzerland.
The restaurant itself occupies a grand dining room overlooking the Rhine. While not as over the top as Louis XV or Le Cinq, this is still one of the favorite classical dining rooms I have been to. Tables were well spaced around a serving station that featured a striking centerpiece of purple flowers, matching the plush purple chairs. Each table featured a candelabra with three lit candles and chalice like water glasses to complete the look.
The head chef at Cheval Blanc is German chef Peter Kongl who trained under Heinz Winkler among a handful of culinary stops prior to his current residence in Basel. Knogl’s cooking is distinctly haute french cuisine with some Asian and Mediterranean flourishes to give it its own unique style. While you won’t find any passing culinary trends in the kitchen, I found the cooking to be perfectly balanced between honoring classic French techniques while still expressing enough of the chef’s personality to avoid becoming staid or dated.
Review of what we ate at Cheval Blanc
Mushroom crisp
Signature amuse of foire gras and grama masala at Cheval Blanc
The meal started off with a number of amuses, all of which were excellent. The first two were crisps, one with mushroom and one with crab meat. The only quibble on these was the mushroom was quite delicate and difficult to pick up. This was followed by the best of the bunch, a garam masala and foie gras macaroon topped with a yogurt crisp and an orange gel. This has a fantastic combination of textures and flavors, the foie gras taste being nicely pronounced on the finish and lifted by the gentle use of the spice and balanced out by the acidic orange. A world-class amuse.
Next-up was another impressive bite, mussel with lemon foam. The shellfish was of excellent quality and the lemon foam nicely restrained so as not to obliterate the mussel. Lastly, the impressive array of nibbles concluded with a jalapeno mousse on top of carabinero prawn. Jalapeno mousse seems to be in trend these days as it had popped up on a number of meals this year. This was certainly an accomplished rendition, offering a pleasant and refreshing amount of bite while still letting the sweet prawn shine. An attractive basket of four types of bread was offered and served with excellent quality butter. Given there were ‘only’ four types I managed to try them all with my personal favorite being the olive although the baguette was a standout as well. The parade of small bites from the kitchen was a dazzling start to a meal and a good sign of things to come.
The Asian influences in the cooking were front in center in the first proper course, Hamachi with ponzu, radish, and avocado. Familiar flavors but everything was well executed, the seasoning spot on and lifting the flavors of the fish where so many lesser crudos fall flat. Beyond being a good presentation, all the components were well proportioned so you got the right amount of fish, radish and avocado in every bite. A strong start from Knogl.
The second course put together a classic pair, langoustine and curry, while smartly adding some granny smith apple to punch up the dish with a welcome bit of tartness. The langoustine, in particular, was a fine specimen and was beautifully cooked with great texture and inherent flavor. I think Faroe Island’s spoiled langoustines for me but these came close. On par with the curried langoustines at L'ambroisie.
The main fish course, sole with imperial caviar and champagne sauce, was a real stunner. Caviar and champagne are a natural combination so it does not get much better than putting them together in a dish on top of a nice moist piece of sole. The sauce on this dish was a true pleasure with the caviar adding a good dose of luxury and a nice bit of salinity to the rich sauce. As with every other dish, the presentation of this dish was spot on, featuring a well-formed quenelle of caviar and the vegetables shaped with what looks like the smallest possible melon baller. Another stunner from Peter Knogl.
Cheval blanc is particularly known for having some great pigeon dishes and it did not disappoint with the main course, Bresse pigeon with Tasmanian pepper, artichoke and mushrooms. Silky smooth meat with a nice jus which paired well with some fall flavors brought to the party by the mushrooms. This was a classically prepared pigeon breast cooked to the highest level. My only complaint would be I think it would have been a more attractive presentation on a white plate to give more contrast with the dark jus. Beyond this critique on the presentation, it is hard to think of a way the flavor of this dish could be improved upon.
Like any good French restaurant, the waiter rolled over a cheese cart teeming with an almost overwhelming selection of cheese from the famous Maître Antony (who supplies cheese to some 19 3 Michelin star restaurants) as well some more local Swiss cheeses. The cheese was served with some country bread but nothing else - I much prefer when cheese also includes some nuts, dried fruit or homemade jam to help cut through some of the richer helpings. Nevertheless, the cheese was in excellent condition and on par with the best cheese carts you get in France.
Cheese was followed by a pre-dessert of Japanese cress, yuzu, and sponge cake which packed the right amount of tart citrus flavors to cleanse the palate for dessert without blowing it away. The effort and balance of the pre-dessert were particularly impressive, a far cry from the one-note, one-bite acid bombs many Michelin places are serving these days.
Dessert was a classy affair featuring many different versions of Apricot from Valais and creme of gruyere and verbena. This was a bit like a deconstructed cheesecake, the varying textures and presentations of apricots going well with the creamy gruyere based ice cream and meringues. A well balanced, refreshing dessert that represented the pastry team well and made me regret that it was the only proper dessert course included.
This dessert was followed by an armada of petit fours including a plate with a mille-feuille of hazelnut & nougat, yogurt mousse with yuzu, raspberry marshmallows, and lemon cream (top 2 pictures), an excellently made grapefruit macaroon (bottom left), and last but not least two spoonfuls of fruit-based bites - one passion fruit and the other I can’t recall (bottom right). More excellent work from the pastry section and a fitting end to an exceptional meal every bit deserving of its three-star accolade.
Stray thoughts on Cheval Blanc
The dining room was not particularly busy when I visited for lunch on a weekday (only 2 other covers). Chef Kongl actually came out and apologized and offered a glass of wine on the house as it was usually much busier. No apology was necessary - I have been to plenty of less than full dining rooms where it impacted the experience due to lack of energy but that was not the case here.
The pacing of the meal was pretty spot on, clocking in at 2 hrs and 45 mins with course relatively evenly spaced out by around 15 minutes with the exception of a brief lull prior to the pigeon dish which was served 25 minutes after the fish course.
Service was efficient and thankfully not as uptight as you’d expect, anticipating your needs without being overbearing and even offering a flourish of friendly conversation. The way service should be.