christopher terry
Google
Zucker's a smart kind of place. Its unprepossessing setting in an anonymous office block on Braunschweig's inner ring road, almost adds to its smartness, in a paradoxical sort of way. Not picturesque? We don't need such frills and fripperies, it seems to be saying.
If the setting lacks a little warmth or charm, however, the very friendly and helpful staff more than make up for that.
So does the cooking, by and large: expensive and contemporary but not so modern as to frighten the horses.
The fried foie gras first course was the meal's indulgent highlight. I'd come back just for that. Ditto my partner's Ikarimi salmon tartare. Really well executed.
I took the Côte de Boeuf from the specials board all to myself (the table next to us were going halves on it), because it was my birthday and, as I say, indulgence was the name of the game. Carved from the bone at the table, it's a spectacular chunk of gorgeous beef. And thank you for leaving the bone with me. You know what they say. The closer to the bone, the sweeter is the meat.
I wish two things, however. I could have done with a little jug of the excellent sauce being left at the table too. I wanted more than I was given.
And, even though everyone's English was pretty good, "medium rare" seemed to get a little bit lost in translation. What I got, was nearer blue (or as they say in Germany, "English"). Make no mistake, still very enjoyable -- but, for me, not quite right for this cut.
My partner's duck breast was, on the other hand, spot on.
A really great crème brûlée finished us off but again a tiny reservation. I don't drink any more and my partner only has an occasional champagne or, with puddings, sometimes a glass or a half-bottle of Sauternes. The Sauternes served by the glass by Zucker, was decidedly below par. Its cough-medicine nose was apparently reflected by an aggressive attack on the palate. The glass went unfinished. Had the bottle been open too long, I wonder? Or maybe the relatively low price was a bit of a quality giveaway. If so, why spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar?
The devil is always, always in the detail. And that applies just as much to the restaurant game.
