Geoélia was a small place opened in mid-June by Chef Camille Saint-M’leux who named it after the name of his grandparent’s sailboat.  They offered 2 tasting menus in the evening for 5 or 7 courses or an a la carte menu.  The cloth covered tables were nicely spaced and most used couch like bench seating for one side.  The white walls seemed unfinished yet there were 2 lovely chandeliers providing light for the cozy room.   Windows to the street were mostly covered with heavy drapes.  We were excited to be able to meet up with a friend and fellow foodie for dinner so my notes are less detailed but it was a wonderful meal and one I’d recommend to anyone interested in a flavor filled tasting menu.  Also, it was raining that evening so I got no exterior photo of the place.   Chef was on hand and did bring out and serve some of the courses.  We all opted for the 7 course tasting and ordered our own bottle of wine but I did note that they offer wine pairings.  The menu nicely detailed what was in each tasting and I’m so glad we did the 7 instead of the 5 in that my favorite courses were the ones only included in the 7 course option.  Portion control of the tasting was good however some of the timing lagged but when you’re with friends the extra time is usually filled with fun conversations.  The opening date must have put off this place being awarded a Michelin star but it feels really headed that way so get there now before the prices go up.  You will be rewarded with a truly fine meal.

Set-up

 

Food

The amuse bouche included several bites.  Poached oysters were topped with lemon seaweed foam.  Absolutley lovely.  Lettuce leaves were topped with anchovy, toasted crumbs and seaweed.  The fun crunch of bread combined well with the saltiness of anchovies and mild crisp lettuce.

 

Cockles were smoked with chili and served in a lightly salty broth mixed with shellfish liquid.   They were not as spicy as they looked but did have wonderful flavor.

 

Ocietre Caviar was used to top sushi rice, lightly smoked cream and another caviar.  The sturgeon caviar was on the top of the pile.  It was delicious with the rice blending into the mix and the smoky essence combining nicely with the salty caviars.  It was a yummy dish.

 

Whelks with bay leaf in their own broth were served with buckwheat ‘pancakes’ topped with a sprinkle of salt.  Inside the cakes were some toasted bits of buckwheat that added crunch to their heartly flavor.  The toasted bits were also on the whelks which were in sauce with some of the shellfish water and mayo.  The idea was to use the cakes to dip in the sauce and eat with the tasty shellfish.

 

A round loaf of buckwheat bread was served with shrimp butter topped with red powder.  The crusty bread had a soft but dense interior with great flavor.  The butter did have a bit of shrimp flavor and it was fun however the bread didn’t really need butter it was best for soaking up extra sauce on the plates.

 

Buttered cabbage cooked on the barbecue was with oyster seaweed and fermented juice.  Some cabbage leaves were crisped and placed on top and a beurre blanc sauce was under all.  The sauce’s wonderful flavor tied all the parts together in a delicious way with fun textural variations.

 

Poached langoustine was served in several dishes.  The  body was was lightly cooked and covered in a hot broth tableside which finished the light cooking.  Beside was a soup made from the heads of the langoustines and oh my this had an enormous depth of flavor and was so good you really wanted to lick out the bowl – and there’s where the bread came in handy.   You also were served a ‘brioche’ roll that was made like a puff pastry croissant – made of layers of buttery flakey pastry.  I don’t know which of the 3 dishes was my favorite they were all simply marvelous.

 

Red mullet with scales was in fish stock and XO.  The skin was a perfect crisp on the top and underneath was cous cous.  At the  bottom was the sauce made with mullet bones and chicken broth.  Another wonderful dish.

 

Charcoal cooked Jersey beef, cuttlefish lard and smoked herring roe was next on the tasting.  Those of you who have read my tasting notes from other places know that the beef dish is often my least favorite but not here.  This was called one of chef’s signature dishes and I can see why.  It was truly hard to photograph in that it was totally black on a black plate and so I’m sorry you can’t really see it well but under the blackness were slices of medium rare, extremely tender delicious beef.  A sauce made from beef juices and a touch of lime were melt in your mouth fabulousness.  On the side was a dish of cuttlefish with cuttlefish fat and herrring eggs.  Also lovely but the beef was really the star with each bit exploding with flavor in your mouth.

 

A pre-dessert dish was yogurt ice cream with prunes that were cooked in an eau de vie.  The very tender prunes added a bit of tart to the sweet ice cream.  Really tasty and felt so healthy to eat.

 

A combination of oysters and citrus made up the main dessert.  Candied and glaze coated lemon was plated with  oyster sorbet and herbs (mint, dill and oregano).  The oyster sorbet was the cream colored one while the herbs seasoned the green sorbet scoop.  Under were gel, confit and fresh pieces of citrus.  Lots of texture in this one and surprisingly good flavor combinations.  A few ‘kisses’ of meringue added a crunch.

 

Lastly they brought a tray of fruit jellies for you to pick what you want.  There was pear, passionfruit and plum flavors.  With them came a tray of buckwheat pastrys that were folded over with the very thin layers being totally crisp.  They were fabulous  and the jellies good too but give me those pastries any day.