Chez Rica's on the Hill

Our Rating: 10

Date of Visit: December 2018

Address: Undisclosed

Reservations: Impossible

Chez Rica’s on the Hill is part of Chef Rica’s eponymous empire. After graduating from culinary school in Switzerland, she established Rica’s Cafe and Rica’s Sports Bar. Today she operates two, by invitation only, undisclosed locations — Chez Rica’s on the Hill and Chez Rica’s by the Lake.

As she describes it, her philosophy of cooking is: “I go with the flow, what I find fresh, what’s available. I would say I’m not structured—very spontaneous.”

The results cannot be argued with. The day of our invitation she found ten pounds of oysters at the market.  Hence she concocted two spectacular starters — oysters in buttermilk & burnt butter baked in a brick oven and oyster ceviche with pickled onions, tarragon and parsley. The former was invigorating, the latter startlingly refreshing.

Finding herself with an open bottle of dry white wine, she created another starter, pulpo marinated in white wine, with apple cider instead of lemon (it’s more intense), garlic and chili oil.

The appetisers were followed by two meat courses.

First, a slow cooked New Zealand leg of lamb in a rosemary and garlic baste with a side of scalloped potatoes. A delicately balanced expression of the lamb’s natural jus and the fragrant herbs, the lean meat’s texture was paired beautifully with the thin coating of fat on the surface, with further texture provided and filled in by the potatoes.  This dish went beautifully with the 2007 Sassicaia served alongside it.

Served next to the lamb was a rolled pork belly with crispy skin. Again, delicately balanced flavours of herbs and the meat’s natural jus, with contrasting textures between the crispy skin and soft meat, created fireworks in the mouth.

The meal was followed by raclette with bread. The perfect, filling, oily, rich, fattening, delicious dessert.

A simple, beautiful meal creatively and expertly concocted, a perfect Sunday afternoon. We will not be turning down any future invitations.