2 Nights in Lyon

There were two things we needed to do in Lyon before moving on. First, we have to eat at Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse. If Lyon is the food capital of France, then their legendary covered market must be the center of the universe for French gastronomy. The history of the original covered market goes all the way back to 1859, but the building was expanded and rebuilt in 1971 and renamed Les Halles de Lyon. Legend has it that Mr. Bocuse (Lyon's star chef with three Michelin stars which he kept for 54 years) shopped at this very market way back when he was a working chef and sourced the supplies for his restaurants here. In 2006, after a complete redesign and modernization effort, Mr. Bocuse offered to lend his name to the new building which is now known as Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse.

There are many "food halls" in France with the centuries-old Paris Les Halles being the most famous. Perhaps Brasserie Les Halles in New York City might come in second because that is the restaurant where Anthony Bourdain worked as a chef. As with all food halls and markets, there are small eateries right next to the butchers, fishmongers, cheese merchants, chocolatiers, bakers, etc. With over 50 vendors of the highest quality at Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, it was difficult to choose what to eat and where to eat it. In the end, we decided to go with seafood and ordered a platter of the freshest oysters, shrimps, and snails at Chez Leon. It wasn't cheap, but it was much more affordable than ordering the same in a white table cloth restaurant. A glass of wine at lunch? Why of course, we're in France! And adding a tip for good service? Not the custom in France because (I assume) good, friendly, and efficient service is the norm and is just expected (so far, this has always been the case).  

And the second must-do item in Lyon? Eat at a traditional bouchon restaurant specializing in Lyonnaise cuisine. Yes, Lyon has many Michelin-starred restaurants, but the traditional Lyonnaise dishes served at authentic bouchons are the opposite of haute cuisine. This "lower class cuisine" makes use of sausages, game meat, and cheap cuts like offal. Of the 21 "official bouchons" in Lyon, we chose a small charming little place called L'Acteur. With only 10 tables and staffed by only two people (Chef Olivier Bianchi himself and one waitress), reservations are a must. The dish I really wanted to try was tête de veau (poached calf’s head) which was on the menu at this bouchon. When presented, the calf's brains was thickly sliced like a fatty sausage and served with a medley of veggies and potatoes resting in the poaching liquid. All-in-all, a simple and subtle dish without much flavor, but very interesting textures. However, when you add a dab of Dijon mustard, everything changed. All of a sudden there was an alchemical reaction and another dimension of flavors exploded in your mouth. 

Since we had some time on our hands, we also visited two museums. I'm a big movie buff, so the Musée Lumière was on top of my list. Thomas Edison might have invented the Kinetoscope (a motion picture peep show machine), it was the Lumière brothers who invented the Cinématograph, the first device that was a motion picture camera, projector, and film developing machine all combined. They also invented perforated film which allowed for the film to be advanced one frame at a time. The Lumière brothers are most famous for hosting the first live projected motion picture screening in 1895 with 33 people in attendance. But most importantly, they are credited with the invention of the language of cinema, the mise-en-scene of composition and visual story telling. The Lumiere museum was housed in the mansion where the brothers grew up and the exhibition screened many examples of their early documentaries and travelogues as well as their technical inventions. Believe it or not, the Lumiere brothers also invented the first 3D camera and color photography. This museum is a highly recommended stop for any movie fan. 

Amazingly, Lyon also has a second museum dedicated to the movies -- the Musée Cinéma et Miniature. Their collection of authentic sets, props, costumes, masks, puppets, and miniatures from Hollywood movies like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Alien, Gremlins, Beetlejuice, Robocop, and more were astounding. But the best part was the Wes Anderson special exhibition of miniatures used in Asteroid City, Isle of Dogs, and others. Well, maybe not. Perhaps the most amazing exhibit in this museum is the permanent showcase of miniature creations by French artist and designer Dan Ohlmann and others. There are probably over one hundred extremely detailed and atmospheric miniature movie sets in this exhibit, each evoking a specific time, place, and mood. When photographed, you would swear that these are real sets that actors could walk through, yet the magic is that each set is no more than a couple of feet tall. This is movie magic at its best, and another very highly recommended stop for movie lovers.  

(see more pictures of Lyon)