Insensé Restaurant, Montpellier

One Saturday morning back in January, after a morning walk around Sablet, I headed over to rendezvous with cousins Jean Marc and Christine at their house near Montpellier. When I got there, I was happy to hear that we were going to meet their daughter Anne-Emmanuelle and Christine's brother Jean Baptiste for lunch near Place de la Comédie as he was arriving by TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) - high speed train from Paris.

The Place de la Comédie is the main focal point for the city of Montpellier so there are many stores and restaurants located nearby. We decided to dine at Insensé Restaurant at the Musée Fabre. Insensé Restaurant is owned by twin brothers Jacques and Laurent Pourcel who also own the two-star Michelin restaurant Le Jardin des Sens, also in Montpellier

Cousin Christine, a pediatrician, with her brother Jean Baptiste, formerly an actor, now restaurateur and owner of Le Chalet des Iles, a restaurant on the lake in Bois du Boulogne in Paris' 16th arrondisement.

Me with cousin Anne-Emmanuelle, a soprano with an amazing voice and a talented flautist too; she now concentrates on her vocal career. She has sung all over France and will be in New York City to perform in September 2011.

We ordered a bottle of Chateau de la Negly from the Languedoc region to accompany our lunch.

Lunch starters included: Tartine de poivron rouge et chèvre - toasted bread with roasted red peppers and goat cheese,

ravioli de champignon avec sauce au potiron et crème de châtaigne - mushroom ravioli with pumpkin sauce and cream of chestnut,

and l’assiette de jambon ibérique, copeaux de poire, parmesan et pousses de roquette - plate of ibérique ham, sliced pears, parmesan cheese and arugula.

Main courses included:

cabillaud et sauce safran, courgettes et carrotes - pan roasted cod with zucchini, carrots and a saffron sauce,

tartare de boeuf classique, pommes frites et salade - beef tartare, fries and salad greens,

filet de daurade royale grillé, jus de cuisson en émulsion - pan roasted sea bass with cooking juices emulsified,

and l’émincé de boeuf poêlé, pommes frites, et fondue d’échalotes - sliced pan roasted beef with fries and shallot fondue.

Desserts included:

feuilleté caramélisé aux pommes confites with glace vanille - layered apples cooked confit style with vanilla ice cream,

tarte fine a l'orange et sorbet senguine - orange tart with blood orange sorbet.

Insensé Restaurant is a good choice for lunch or dinner if you are looking for a moderately priced place to eat near Place de la Comédie in Montpellier. We will definitely go again.

Bon appetit.