Leaving Vienne

 Leaving Vienne

So my internship is officially behind me! The last few weeks there were a brilliant kind of

hectic. There were plenty of regular services, a few more special lunches and dinners, nights

out with friends from the restaurant, “weekends” packed full of visits to my favourite spots in

Lyon, or wandering around Vienne. Highlights of the small town were definitely the park a

short walk from the restaurant, and visiting my favourite patisserie on my walk home. I was

so lucky to have learned so much in such a short space of time, with some really talented

chefs.

The standout dessert, the reason that ‘La Pyramide’ caught my attention, was the piano. With

its tempered chocolate piano shaped moulds, praline, coffee espuma, gold leaf covered

chocolate sorbet, coffee anglaise, and so much more, this dessert was more impressive than

its pictures suggested. During my time in the restaurant, I had the opportunity to work on

each element of the dish, in preparation, and plating. I developed a stronger appreciation for

the time, dedication, and patience it takes to produce a dessert of this standard.

I finished out my internship with an invitation for a complementary lunch at the restaurant.

While I’d tasted a couple of the dishes from other sections during my time there, it was

something else entirely to sit down for my 11 course meal (they were too good giving me a

second dessert). It was so surreal to sit at the table and have dishes that I had spent the past

few months working on come to my table, seeing the service from a different perspective.

Working in France is something I’m so glad I’ve done, and absolutely hope to do again in the

future.

Signing off for good, Erika.

La Pyramide 2

 La Pyramide 2

With a few weeks under my belt, I can gladly say that my French has much improved, and

my fear of sinking under the pressure has disappeared. The pastry team has gone from 5 to 8

in a very short amount of time. Two members of our team work in the bistro ‘PH3’, and those

of us on the team for the gastro restaurant welcomed a couple of other interns. I never

thought there would be this many people on the pastry section, but given that there is a lunch

and dinner service every day, it’s given us a break in terms of hours, making everything run

much more smoothly.

The menu changes regularly here, and a new dessert is usually introduced during one of the

special lunches or dinners with special guests. Never forgetting the impressive history of ‘La

Pyramide’, a dessert named ‘La Marjolaine’ has returned to the menu. Originally created by

the great, chef Fernand Point, during his time as head chef and owner of ‘La Pyramide’

during the 1950’s, it was extremely exciting to see its return, and the modern twist it was

given by the head pastry chefs here.

While I’ve spent a lot of my spare time in the city, I’ve had no issue finding entertainment in

Vienne. For such a small town, there is so much to see. The place is littered with bakeries,

chocolate shops, gorgeous parks, and plenty of landmarks to visit. To top this off, there was a

carnival-style festival for a week. Not a 10 minute walk from my apartment there were

amusements, games, and food trucks down by the river. The festival is completely fitting for

this town, seemingly understated, but offering so much when a closer look is taken.

Catch you guys in the farewell post! Erika.

La Pyramide

 La Pyramide

Hey guys, It’s Erika again here to fill you in on my semester two work placement. I loved life

in France so much I decided to come back. It was amazing to see how different life can be

just a 20 minute train journey south of Lyon. The small town of Vienne, where the restaurant

I’m working in is located, is extremely quiet and traditional, compared to the bustling

‘melting pot’ Lyon is known to be. The change of pace is much appreciated, but it is still nice

to know that there is such a short distance between me and all the places, and people, that

made me want to come back.

The restaurant itself is part of the hotel ‘La Pyramide’, named for its proximity to the statue

of a pyramid in Vienne. My internship coincided with the 200 year anniversary of the hotel’s

opening, with special meals, and guests, chefs, and otherwise, making appearances

throughout the year. I found out that this was a special year when I saw the camera crew

wandering through the kitchen on my first day. If I had any uncertainties that my experience

here would be memorable, this definitely gave it away.

Since the hotel, and restaurant, close for the month of February, it’s cool seeing the place re-

stocked, with everyone learning a new menu at the same time. Even though the chefs here

have held 2 Michelin stars for years, they couldn’t be more humble, with all of us tasting

each dish, and our opinions taken into account. Since the pastry kitchen is separated from the

main cuisine area, it’s hard to know if I was the only one that felt like a deer in headlights

initially.

Catch up with you guys soon, Erika.