La Bourgogne French Restaurant; Hawaii

After dining in some very nice French restaurants in France I never thought that I would feel good about complimenting a French restaurant outside of France, especially in a backwater like Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.  Well, I shall now chew on those words.

In a nondescript building just off Queen Kaahumanu Highway rests a very nice French restaurant serving very good French food which they occasionally blend with a bit of Pacific cuisine.  It has been several years since my last visit to La Bourgogne and I must admit to being sorry for waiting so long to revisit Chef Ron's culinary skills.

Once one pass under the awning and through the simple wooden door they will enter a cozy little dining room with nice little alcoves and filled with soothing dinner music.  They will find the service to be attentive and very friendly (certainly not haughty French).  They will find a small but well diversified menu.  They will find a very nice but not overwhelming wine list.  This restaurant was selected for dinner this evening because of their announcement that "La Cassoulet est Arrivee".  Despite the restaurant's French country inn feel it was still easy to be suspicious of it's "frenchness".

This evening had a strong culinary focus but perusing the menu and wine list was interesting.  The menu review, as always, had to be accompanied by a Campari and Soda.  It is, of course necessary to cleanse the palete.

It would be a heavy sauce and meaty meal so the Ridge Monte Bello Vineyard's 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon was selected.  It proved to be perfect with the meal.  My first course was Foie Gras et Scallops.  The presentation was very nice, almost taking the form of a face.  There was a large sprig of fresh garden lettuce between two large seared sea scallops that were moist and tender.  There were two slices of baked apple which added a nice sweetness to the serving.  There were more slices than you would expect of Foie Gras laid across a bed of caramelized onions and surrounded by the most delicious sherry demi-glace reduction sauce.  The presentation and serving would rival even Joel Robuchon's work at L'Atelier in Paris.

Second came the Bisque de Homard Maison.  The Bisque was a bit thinner than I expected but it was very tasty and had many nice little pieces of lobster.  The dish was very nicely seasoned and was a nice respite between two very rich courses.

The entree was, of course, La Cassoulet.  It was beautifully presented.  The meats were succulent.  The sausages were perfectly spiced.  The white beans were al dente.  The broth was thick and rich.  Each bite was an explosion of tastes and textures.  A taste of Cassoulet followed by a sip of the full-bodied wine was simply total enjoyment.  This was French country fare at its very best.

Lastly came a small but intense Dark Chocolate Mousse with Dow's Late Bottled Vintage Port 2000 topped with a very large sliced strawberry.  The bright red atop the dark brown was beautiful.  The taste was so smooth and so rich.  Thankfully this serving was accompanied by a cup of the most mild Kona Coffee, which signalled the finale of the surprisingly wonderful dining experience.  I look forward to future visits.