I love it when I get fresh fish in the morning, go to the market in Douvaine for rich products, talk to everybody like they are my family, think about the dishes, creations and good offers of the day for our diners…Chef Markus

Nestled in the medieval village of Hermance, is a cozy boutique inn with less than ten rooms that is a paradox of serenity and culinary adventure. And, with an enormous advantage: it’s a short distance from downtown Geneva. This idyllic ‘auberge’ is staffed with some of the warmest hospitality professionals we’ve met. From Owner, Franz Wehren, Hostess Eva Blanke, Chef Markus Probsdorfer, to the long-term wait staffer, Francisco, and short-term staffers, Roman and Igor, and Debra, the Concierge, the hospitality crew serves to enhance the stellar nouvelle classical dishes which feature exotic flavor influences. The warmth and intimacy of the inn is a welcome home during this historically frigid European winter. There is always a fire in the chiminee and the offer of snacks and drinks, when we return every evening from our architectural explorations. A note handed to us one morning at breakfast, written by the chef, begins, “Good Morning Sunshiny People!” The truth is: our sunny attitude is due to their attention to the details of our comfort. They are the personification of what we discover to be the cultural identity of Switzerland: consideration and conscientiousness.

Markus’ aprentissage in cuisine began in his hometown of Carinthia, the most autonomous state in Austria with possible exception of Tyrol. Older than Austria itself, it is fairly isolated from other states by its geography. Carinthians have a reputation for being more warm-hearted than many other areas of Austria. One explanation of the name Carinthia is that is derives from the celtic word Carant, which means friend.

After military training, Markus’ journey to discover haute cuisine led him to St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Suvretta House is a grand maison with 55 chefs, each of whom do everything from beginning to end, and serve a clientele numbering 400! At the age of 21, after the stint in the Swiss mountains, he moved to the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland to Ticino to learn about pastas and risottos at Park Hotel Delta.

And then onto Gstaad, to the Gault Millau kitchen, where only French language was spoken. Markus didn’t understand a word of French, but the chef was so encouraging that he became the sous chef, learning to love the people, particularly a new waitress named Eva. In the beginning, they didn’t like each other at all. Markus was totally focused on work; Eva was just coming back from a long journey to San Francisco. But, within a few short weeks with the help of talking over drinks, they found something very special in being opposites and the best part of their lives began. Together they moved on to Vienna to be nearer to friends and family. Markus worked at Steirereck, the top restaurant in Austria; Eva at the restaurant Novelli, a top Italian restaurant. It was then that Franz Wehren, the owner of the l’Auberge d’Hermance called and lured them nearer to Geneva.

Markus loves fresh food, vegetables, tomatoes, salads, meats, fish, crabs, cheese, chocolate, wine, and cigars. His favorite part of each day is to get the fresh lake fish in the morning by meeting with fisherman at the dock, go to the market in Douvaine for their fresh products, talk to everybody as though they are family, and think about dishes and new creations from his ‘catches’ of the day. Eva and Markus love the auberge, working with people who respect them and talk to them as family. When Markus carries his new finds into the kitchen he says, “cooking becomes a completely freeing experience, where the long time of skill-building and training is second-nature and the guests outside who look at the dishes, smell the great aroma of truffles, or chicken, or fish, or vegetables, salads, and wines become the focus. We love to serve people, talking to them as more family, share, what they do…and end the day with a nice salad and a glass of wine next to the Cheminee.” This is exactly what Steve and I lived for each day we were there.

Therefore, it is with great pleasure that we illustrate the skill, passion, and enthusiasm for the art and design of cuisine at l’Auberge d’Hermance through this photographic montage of meals we experienced each time we returned to l’Auberge d’Hermance: local, fresh, organic, seasonal, healthy, deceptively simple, high art and design in food.

In first gallery below: Auberge patio dining; Auberge medieval neighborhood; poached eggs, spinach with truffles; other breakfast specialties; appetizers including: beet and Norwegian whitefish carpaccio, beef carpaccio, Asian-inspired shrimp roll, fresh fish soup, and Markus’ specialty of foie gras pate de canard; fireplace in main dining; salmon carpaccio; spinach salad with truffles, a reasonable-priced Bordeaux; olive oil de cuisine.

In second gallery: Steve cracking poulet de sel crust, chicken in cracked salt crust, Eva carving chicken, plated chicken in salt, Eva in kitchen, Markus preparing whitefish from Lake Geneva, plating whitefish in kitchen, whitefish served at table, scallops in foamed hollandaise over risotto, pork on potato galette, beef filet of tenderloin in vin rouge sauce, Lake Geneva fresh perch with pommes frites, salmon carpaccio.

In third gallery: seabass, scallops, truffles also prepared encroute de sel; poached salmon lunch, leg of lamb wrapped in grilled zucchini with flageolets; whole foie gras de canard; chocolate lava cake with passion fruit ice cream in chocolate shell; poached pear on puff pastry; lemon tart with crumbled macaroon; Markus and Eva; the door to the kitchen!