Souka, Aniane, Southern France
Aniane is a nice village, in the heart of the vineyards of the Terrasses du Larzac, about 36 km inland from Montpelier, in southern France. It is also home to “Souka” , one of the very best restaurants in France, to which my good friend Marie Francoise took me. She always knows “bonnes adresses”!
Souka means tree stump in the traditional Occitan language of the region. Souka is also related to “tchouchouka”, a North African dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion, and garlic, commonly spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper.
In brief, Souka symbolises the commitment of chef, creator and restaurant founder, Philippe Ramon, to using local and seasonal ingredients. While tchouchouka, a dish which blends different tastes and desires, captures the spirit of Souka, and has long been a favourite of Philippe’s partner, Laureen Peltriaux.
Customers at Souka are not given a choice of their food. You are only asked if you have any food allergies.
You are called upon to place your trust in the creativity of Philippe, the “gastronomic artist”. And when each course arrives, there are no explanations of the creation. Indeed, after consuming each dish, you are asked to identify the ingredients and the preparation. This is all rather fun, although I was not very successful.
This was a fascinating exercise, because after learning the ingredients and how they were prepared, one naturally reflects on the subtlety and complexity of each creation.
We ordered basically a “degustation menu” – two entrees, main course and dessert. Only 53 euros! So what did we eat?
The first entree was a “veloute” of squash and butternuts, with a sauce which combined mussels, butternut honey confiture, smoked mussels and saffron.
Then followed what can only be called a “symphony of cepes” (a wild mushroom), with cooked cepes, cèpes confit, licorice butter, sauce XO, pickled ham, and mustard leaf.
The main course was a filet of pork, with a symphony of leeks. Dessert brought together crumbled shortbread from Brittany, ice cream with olive oil, grapes, olive powder meringue, and a little black olive pate.
In sum, it was more than a meal, it was a voyage of discovery. I enjoyed my meal with a lovely glass of local white wine, Pelican Le Blanc Estate, which was a blend of Roussanne and Marsanne grapes. I followed up with an excellent red, Benastra, la Garrigue, 2020, which was a blend of the Mouvèdre, Carignan, Syrah and Grenache grape varieties. Marie-Francoise, the driver, stuck to water.
In life, anything can be an art. It depends how you live it and practice it. And there can be no doubt that Philippe Ramon, at his restaurant Souka, is an outstanding gastronomic artist.