C'est la vie!

Mushroom crepe

L'Auberge Chez Francois, French
332, Springdale Road
Great Falls, VA

Located in the woods of Great Falls, this family-run French restaurant, is one of the finest in the DC region.

Mussels

I will confess that when I saw the cost of a Norwegian salmon priced at $80, I experienced sticker shock. However, that was alleviated by the realization that for that price came an appetizer, entree, salad and a dessert. The fixed price menu is not intended for casual dining, but marks the restaurant as a destination for special occasions. The menu also benefits from its diversity. It includes proteins suitable for just about any non-vegetarian diet - seafood, duck, and red meats such as lamb, pork, beef, and deer.

Before our appetizers arrived, we were served a basket of garlic and whole wheat bread accompanied by a cheese and chive dip. A peas soup was the chef's selection for the amouse bouse.

This was followed by two appetizers. One was a mushroom crêpe with chives, and a tomato concassé. The other was a plate of mussels flavored with garlic herb butter. Although a bit too buttery for my taste, the appetizers were just substantial enough to be satisfying while not spoiling the customers' appetites. 

Maine lobster

A homemade apple cider sorbet was served just before the entree to cleanse the palate. By the time we were served our main dishes, my expectations were high. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. Both the dishes - poached Maine lobster and the roasted quail with medium cooked venison tasted as good as they looked.

For dessert, we were served a maple tulip shell with a variety of homemade ice cream & sorbet. This was a perfect end to a perfect meal.

My father always said that the recipe to good life was good food eaten in good company. C'est la vie!

Indian flavors across the Indian Ocean

Home-made Matoke

Last summer, I had the fortune to travel to a very remote village in north-eastern Uganda.



One of Uganda's traditional dishes Matoke, is made of mashed raw plantains.  Matoke is filling and a good substitute for rice that is widely eaten all over Uganda. Matoke was not my favorite of the dishes - perhaps it is an acquired taste. It was often served with a side vegetable curry, lightly spiced, and cooked in a groundnut gravy. This made a good pair with the chappati, bread made of flour or wheat. The curries in particular were close to their Indian equivalent, though perhaps less spicy.



On several occasions, when we ate out, I was curious to try the Indian restaurants. Fairway Hotel in Kampala, run by Indians, reminded me of home. Their restaurant was called the Asian Fusion and served an eclectic menu with several Indian dishes. Missing Indian food, I ate much more than I normally would. However, the food would satisfy in any context. Everything I tasted, from butter chicken to chicken korma, reminded me of some of my favorite restaurants in India. On two other occasions, I tried the Indian cuisine in Mbale and Jinja and my experience was similar. The food, though relatively expensive, was completely worth it.

When it came to food and the hospitality, this trip felt like a return home.