FOOD FOR AN INSTANT HAPPY FIX!
CREDIT MAIN PIC: ROYAUME MELAZIC
by Chené Koscielny
While everyone appears to be going sober for October and detoxing around me, I increasingly feel the need for deeply satisfying and soul-enriching comfort food.
I share some of my favourite comfort foods in the city – for when you’re having one of those days when nothing’s going your way.
The criteria for my selection:
- Delicious food
- Generous portions
- Comfy setting
DECADENT BURGER AND CRAZY SHAKE COMBO
Obviously not for you if you’re aspiring to be a size 0 by Christmas, but we all sometimes need something more substantial than salad or juice. And if you’re going for it, you may as well go the whole hog and choose the most decadent burger and shake combo in town.
MY FAVOURITE:
The new croissant burger and the Oreo cookies and cream shake!
TOP TIP
The burger is great hangover fair, the shake not so much!
WHAT
Crazy shake
Burgers
HOW MUCH
Crazy shake – CHF9
Burgers – CHF19-CHF30
WHERE
Cours de Rive 6
A POSH PARISIAN TARTINE
A dressed-up, grown-up version of the plain toast – a decent-sized slice of bread laden with a mountain of generous, interesting, tasty seasonal toppings.
MY FAVOURITE
The Viva Canada: Crispy bacon and yummy avocado on toast topped with two runny eggs.
THE CHALLENGE
Eating this without getting egg stains on your beige trousers.
WHERE
Route de Chêne 6, 1207 Genève
WHAT
Viva Canada tartine
HOW MUCH
CHF17.90
COFFEE IN A CONE
A shot off caffeine will always lift my spirits and if it comes in a crunchy chocolate-coated cone served by a smiling male barista with broad shoulders and stunning blue eyes, you have ticked all the right boxes for me!
Add to that, a homely café with comfy seats and a laid-back vibe where you can hang out for days without anyone ever raising an expertly groomed eyebrow and it becomes a home from home.
The sort of place where you’ll get that warm, fuzzy feeling that brightens up the bleakest day.
TOP TIP
The energy cocoa and date balls in the glass jars on the counter are a good option if you want to lessen the guilt factor by going for something healthier, but you need at least 3 of these to have the same effect!
MY FAVOURITE
Coffee in a cone or a milky sweet Chai Tea.
WHAT
Coffee cone
HOW MUCH
CHF6.20
WHERE
17 Rue du Mont Blanc
STEAMING BOWL OF JAPANESE RAMEN SOUP
An enormous seemingly bottomless bowl of thick, chewy noodles in a tasty, salty and slightly spicy broth that will send your tastebuds into a tingling tailspin.
MY FAVOURITE
Ebi tempura Udon noodles (CHF23.50) – ultimately satisfyingly thick and tasty white wheat flour noodles made fresh in the restaurant every day. The noodles are served in a dashi – a tasty broth flavoured with wakame (a type of edible seaweed), tempura flakes and spring onions and served with a slice of kamaboko. (a type of cured surimi – a processed seafood product).
TOP TIP
Wear the plastic apron they give you– it get’s pretty messy.
WHERE
6 Avenue de Frontenex
6 Place de Grenus
WHAT
Ebi tempura Udon noodles
HOW MUCH
CHF23.50
THE CUTEST CUPCAKES
I’ve yet to find a girl (or a guy for that matter) who failed to be cheered up by the sight of a fairytale pretty cupcake. (OK, there may have been a few German exceptions)
Melt in your mouth sponge cake, covered in layers of buttery pastel-coloured icing and sometimes with a surprising burst of flavour oozing from its plump centre or topped with edible flowers, sparkles or sweets. What’s not to love?
You can’t have your cake and eat it in the shop, but they give you sweet little take-away boxes to open in the comfort of your own home.
TOP TIP
Buy at least 12, as the cupcakes re small and you’ll want more…
MY FAVOURITE
The Cacao choc blanc – a cacao sponge cake and a white chocolate filling topped with blue vanilla flavoured butter cream icing. Satisfying on so many levels.
WHERE
Place Grenus 5, Geneva
TOP TIP
You can even order them online.
WHAT
Box of 12 petit cupcakes
HOW MUCH
CHF3 for one, CHF2.50 when you order 6 and CHF2.25 when you order 12.
Order 12 – it’s a no-brainer!
FABULOUS FRENCH TOAST
A generous portion of French toast doused in a toffee and salted butter sauce and served with bananas – to die for!
BE WARNED
You may have to answer the question:
“Are you going to finish all of that yourself?” quite a few times.
Our advice? Say YES in a loud voice and scoff the whole lot in front of their eyes.
FOR DIETERS
If you insist on having something more healthy, the superfood bowl which features just about every wholesome vegetable and grain under the sun… is pretty filling and satisfying too.
WHERE
Rue des Eaux-Vives 3
1207 Genève
WHAT
French toast or superfood salad
HOW MUCH
CHF16 French toast
CHF20 – Superfood salad
FRENCH LYONNAIS SOUP
Soup is like a hug in a bowl and my friend Chef and photographer Caroline Blackwell does a French onion soup that will make you go back for seconds and thirds.
This is a hearty, filling peasants soup, made with cheap and easily available ingredients. The secret in creating a really good soup is in the cooking of the onions. One can’t hurry the caramelisation process! She then added the Savoyard twist by using Chignon wine from the Savoie and Haute Savoie Reblochon cheese
You’ll find the recipe here
.
BELGIAN CRAMIQUES TO DIE FOR
These heavenly pastries are well worth getting out of bed for. Traditionally a ‘cramique’ is the name given to a type of sweet breakfast bread with raisins sold in bakeries in Belgium.
Baker Frédéric Vaucamp reworked the traditional brioche bread into a delightful teatime treat – or anytime treat for that matter! The cramique looks like an oversized scone but is much tastier! Sweet, buttery and soft…heaven! You can opt for a plain, chocolate, raisin or raisin or sugar option. Bonus is that they are open on Sundays! Enjoy with a creamy cappuccino or a strong cup of tea.
WHERE
Rond-Point de Plainpalais 9, 1205 Geneva
WHERE
AuxmerveilleuxdeFred
Rond Point de Plainpalais 9
WHAT
Cramiques pastries
HOW MUCH
100g – CHF2.90
250g – CHF5.90
TOP TIP
