Margeaux's -- a veritable 'palais de cuisine'

Having been treated to scrumptious French food at the Shangri- La's famed Margeaux's only once before, I had almost given up all hope of ever going back. It was an ambrosial experience which left me sated and in love with life.

But there is such thing as luck, after all. Margeaux's is holding a French cuisine promotion from March 4 through March 16, and, what do you know, the honor of reviewing it is mine.

Bursting with anticipation, I tried to keep my composure. Sashaying into the stately elegance of the dining room in my best outfit, I tried to look blase, as though I did this kind of thing everyday. But the poster at the front almost made me choke: Not only did it tell me that Biarritz's Cafe de Paris master chefs Didier Oudill and Edgard Duhr had won the Chef d'Or Award for innovative regional cooking, but that they were also holders of three Michelin stars and a rating of 19 in the Gault-Millau Guide. By the way, that's out of 20.

Coming from the French, to whom food has been elevated to the status of a minor religion, such distinctions are not to be taken lightly. I personally could have settled for dining at Batifol every day -- it's refined enough. But no, this time it was a different realm altogether, so be still my beating heart.

Steeling myself with skepticism, I decided to go for the Menu Degustation, a recommended set menu consisting of a cold appetizer, soup, two main courses (yes, two), cheese and dessert. Priced at Rp 145,000 (US$60) plus taxes and 10 percent service charge, it was based on the simple formula of removing the burden of decision from its customers.

Nibbling on French bread with my aperitif, I drank in the ambience surrounding me. The butter was, naturellement, beautifully fresh and, like every other element of French nouvelle cuisine, refined.

It didn't take long before the entree was presented before me, La Tuile de Mais Craquante aux Ecrevisses a la Salade Potagere, Creme Douche au Curry (Crayfish and Fresh Herb Salad with Corn Flour Cracker and Mild Curry Dressing). I won't even comment on the presentation, as aesthetic is the least skill that you should doubt. These guys are consummate masters at what they do.

But nothing prepared me for the taste I was about to encounter. Delicate chunks of imported crayfish glistened in olive oil. The mild curry dressing suggested the most refined of mustards, vinegar, curry powder and other fine ingredients. Two corn flour crackers atop the bed of fresh salad tasted like a combination of crisp, caramelized nougat and the dough of a honeyed Anzac cookie. They blended to create a taste of heaven, so elegant and cultivated in its proportions. Although Rp 43,000 a portion seems a staggering price to pay for an entree, this is worth it.

The salad's fresh ingredients -- parsley, mint, basil, rosemary, marjoram, multicolored lettuce, red cabbage, which were to be found in almost every meal -- had been flown in from France, and they conjured up images of Provence.

The sheer perfection of my entree rendered my partner's choice, Lobster Salad with Mangoes and Mild Spices, slightly inferior. The lobster wasn't as fresh as the crayfish and the local mangoes, not being in season, were too sour.

But who was I to complain when the next course, Soupe Mousseuse de Houx Verts aux Chapons de Foie Gras (Duck Liver and Cabbage Soup with Truffle and Warm Buttered Toast), was, put quite simply, fit for the gods. Now, I am no expert in truffles, as the truffle world is secretive, and you just have to wing your way to the French countryside to see groups of men sniffing and weighing wart-encrusted, earth-covered lumps worth thousands of francs with reverential care.

Relishing this epicurean wonder bit by bit, I understood why people say that nothing in the world smells or tastes like fresh truffles except fresh truffles. Slathered atop two pieces of warm buttered toast and brimming deliciously in its own juices, they were simply recherche. And, while the title "Cabbage Soup" might inspire tedium, this is, don't forget, the fantasy land of Oudill and Duhr. So the soup, boasting the most fragrant creamy bouillon imaginable, was perfection in itself.

This near-spiritual journey peaked with Le Saumon tiede larde a la doux et confit a la graisse d'ole verdure et esparges au vinaigre de lavande (Salmon Steak with red capsicum and garlic served with asparagus tossed with lavender vinegar dressing). I've tasted salmon steak so many times, but from the moment I partook of the juicy pink flesh of the fresh Norwegian salmon, I knew I was put in touch with greatness.

First, I tasted garlicky tenderness of the rarest kind. Then, there was the delicious nip of the crispy, salted edges, but it only lasted a while, as the taste of the garlic dressing once again took over. Slivers of fresh asparagus atop a bed of fresh herb salad was slick with exquisite lavender vinaigrette. At Rp 43,000 a portion, this is undoubtedly your best deal in town. Memories of the best places I had dined in dissipated into thin air. I was living for the moment.

In fact, so superior was the salmon steak that the following main course, Les Noisettes d'agneau "croquantes", marmelade de legumes au lait de cocombre en chaud et froid (Roasted noisettes of lamb with a herb crust, marmalade of vegetables in cucumber dressing) tasted somewhat mediocre. Maybe the filling rendered it a tad heavy. Or maybe I simply had had too much.

By the time I arrived at the cheese course, Le Fourme d'ambert aux raisins et aux meridiants salade fraiche et jus de viande (Marbled "Fourme d'ambert" blue cheese and marinated raisins, almond, hazelnut and pinot wine), I was struggling. Eaten without four preceding courses, however, this vintage Roquefort-like blue cheese would have tasted excellent.

My dwindling appetite was resurrected by the dessert, Le Damier au chocolat et praline, conversation tiede et sorbet cacao (Symphony of Chocolate and pralines mousse, almond mille-feuille and cacao sherbet). Sporting three flavors and textures, it danced itself merrily to the top of my list of favorite desserts. At Rp 16,000 a portion, this is dessert like you've never tasted before.

The epistemology of reviewing necessitates me to be judiciously discerning, but I'll be abashedly complimentary. This is a veritable palais de cuisine.

-- Epicurus