From Spain to the delicious Taubenkobel in Austria!

It takes about 9 hours at the airport without sleeping and three hour flight for me to eat something amazing. A real treat was awaiting me on my way home for Easter holiday - short visit to Austria and especially Taubenkobel - a Relais & Châteaux hotel with continuously awarded restaurant. I was so excited that sleep deprivation didn't exist in my world. 

Taubenkobel is one of those beautiful examples showing how a restaurant even in such a small village such as Schutzen/Gebirge can work and thrive . The little boutique hotel has an adjoining shop and little garden inviting it's visitors for a bit of exploration. It is a little place to eat, buy interior decorations or treat yourself with special local produce. I have to admit that it is a very charming little idea.

The shop

The garden even though it was still chilly outside gave one an impression of romantic, but planned disorganization as well as of everlasting peace. Unfortunately, we were very unlucky and didn't find any Easter eggs hidden behind the bushes or colourful pillows in the garden. 

The garden

Finally, we moved to the heart of the restaurant and I suddenly found myself in heaven. In the heaven of perfect service and delicious exciting food. The waiting staff definitely knows what they are serving and why is every single element on the plate prepared in the way it is. The table set up is charming and the overall atmosphere just breathes and lives comfort and peace. You just feel like a spoiled lazy cat on a soft pillow in a warm cosy countryside cottage. 

Teble set up 

Local corn caramelized pop corn with charcuterie

Most certainly we didn't protest to be served  little appetizers and amuses before digging into some of the more refined and more complex plates. Caramelized pop corn, local charcuterie and speck, three kinds of home made butters (nuts, salty, smoked fish) and hot white bread right from the oven.  I remember my first bite of the bread with melting butter and how my eye lids slid down in the sudden sensation of ultimate pleasure. 

Home made butter - salty, smoked cod and nuts flavours 

This moment of pleasure was followed by another completely new experience - frog's leg in chervil sauce. It was the first time I have tasted frog and even though some of you might think I am just crazy it was an absolutely delightful little bite of freshness and smoothness at the same time. One of the favourite bites of my life! 

Frog's leg in chervil sauce

Following the Easter theme another favourites of the afternoon arrived to the table in a little paper egg box. A take on de-constructed egg served in the original shell. The egg has been de-constructed in a beautiful layered manner - speck egg yolk cream followed by horseradish foam and topped off with frozen yoghurt powder. The egg yolk cream with the horseradish foam is a marriage made in heaven! Lots of love going on in that little shell! 

De-constructed egg 

After all these little treats I couldn't feel more excited about what was yet to come. Fresh water crayfish served on a bed of fresh herbs, green apple, sheep's milk panna cotta and watercress sauce. It looked like a piece of art and tasted so refreshing. I have been analysing this plate with a glass of perfectly matched Gruner Veltliner in hand and I hope all the components identified correspond to the reality. 

Crayfish served on a bed of fresh herbs, green apples,  sheep's milk panna cotta and watercress sauce

The fish course was poached perch with fennel, dandelion and little bacon cubes. The perch has been followed by a black feather rooster with young leek and black root foam. I still wonder how did they make the skin so flat and crispy - I am thinking of squeezing my chicken under a flat baking tray next time. 

Poached perch with fennel, dandelion and little speck cubes

Black feather rooster with young leek and black root

With main courses over a little refresher arrived on a rustic wooden plate - A glass of carrot sorbet with no added sugar and cinnamon macaroon. I have to say that the sorbet was the least favourite thing out of the whole afternoon, however the macaroon was just perfect. Living in Belgium for six months and having a friend in France obsessed with macaroons I have already eaten some in my life, but this one was just perfect. 

Carrot sorbet and cinnamon macaroon 

The main dessert came picture ready served in Martini glass with colourful spring edible flowers on the top. It was a mixture of candied and jellied figs accompanied by dried cream. It was very interesting and light molecular experiment, but for a strong flavour dessert lover like me it was a little bit too light and I kept on thinking where my real dessert is. 

Candied and jellied figs with dried cream

My little bite of satisfaction came just a few minutes later in the form of a little cornet miniature and a dark chocolate praline. Unfortunately, the base jelly was too hard and didn't make a good enough match to the Irish coffee praline which just melted in my mouth. However, the crispy cornet with its lemon curd zing filling and cute meringue cap was just perfect. What a feast with a perfect finish! 

Lemon curd and meringue cornet and Irish coffee dark chocolate praline

This beautiful Austrian experience will stay with me forever as a very beautiful dream come true and as a source of indescribable inspiration. I most certainly didn't want to leave, but my home and my grand parents were waiting for me for almost seven and half months - no excuses there! I hope you had an amazing Easter too!

Austrian village