L'Orchidée

Rating: 15
Author: Gault&Millau

68190 ENSISHEIM

15/20
Remarkable Restaurant

BOOK

Chef: Chatchai Klanklong
Cooking: Gastronomic
Services: Accomodation
Style: Exceptional setting | Romantic

Budget (€)

Indicative price per person (excl. drinks)

60 to 125

Gault&Millau's review 2026

It's the event of the year in the Haut-Rhin region: in April 2025, the Klanklong brothers left Altkirch and set up shop in Ensisheim, in a beautiful Renaissance mansion said to have seen Louis XIV and Napoleon. From the former comfort of a bistro, they moved into a spacious dining room, with round tables spaced far apart. Having become hoteliers, the brothers had to start from scratch: recruiting a large team despite the shortage, taming the house and orchestrating the accommodation - a far-reaching program that the enthusiasm of the young brigade carries off with conviction. There's no à la carte menu here, but two surprise menus in 4 or 6 courses, in tune with French haute cuisine with a Thai twist. The rosette of daikon radishes, two varieties superimposed in petals, conceals a slice of marinated tuna and is enlivened by a ballet of seasonings: soya, nuoc-mâm, green kaffir oil and a spicy red oil, whose finesse, freshness and balance are its charm. Chef Chatchai Klanklong's signature dish, Tom Yam, this year with wild prawns, tomato and Alsace chanterelle mushrooms, is topped with an infusion of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf: the abundant liquid takes over too much, and the stronger-than-usual spiciness upsets the usual balance. Thierry Laurent's pigeon, smoked for modernity, offers an exemplary tender fillet and a melting thigh; it is paired with a shiitake pak choï, a full-bodied tamarind jus bordering on the unbearable and a glutinous rice with red curry and coconut milk, with an almost umami sapidity. The dessert combines chocolate, miso and Thai red tea in a play of textures and temperatures; it is thwarted by a too-hard ice cream, but the chocolate sauce poured at the table imposes itself with its nuanced richness. In the dining room, the abundance of staff impresses, with young, responsible, highly committed people leading the way. The sommelier, alert and precise, watches over and advises with skill. However, the selection by the glass, limited to four wines with no Alsatian roots, is disappointing, whereas the bottled wine list is ambitious. We leave convinced by the intention, the distinction of the cuisine and the Thai inspiration, saying to ourselves that we need to give the duo time to consolidate the precision of the dressings and the balance of the seasonings, and the team time to correct a few teething problems, such as welcoming guests and announcing the dishes. The house is beautiful and lively, and the best is yet to come.