Restaurant Gric Review

Amuse Bouche

The insanely crispy crust of a Focaccia took all the attention for a brief moment. It was difficult to let go of the pure crunch, but the flamboyant hues of the pumpkin dip proved to be irresistible. The colors of the sun delighted us with harmoniously tuned flavors that put pumpkin in the spotlight while the texture was as light as a cloud.

pumpkin foam with focaccia — Pumpkin foam with focaccia

Wine Pairing

Sparkling wine Reya Brut Nature is the perfect fit with its fine bubbles and sophisticated tones. It was maturing for four years on yeasts before four different vintages were mixed together. The end product expresses a fruity aroma and refreshing body with a mineral aftertaste.

Chefs Compliments

Bisque in Kadayif

The compact bisque cream inside the brittle wheat kadyif hides its umami. The seafood used in bisque is the only ingredient that comes further than 5 kilometers or 3 miles. As one can expect the catch is wild and comes from the Adriatic Sea.

Sedum Sturgeon

Vibrant flavors presented to us on a Sedum leaf were rounded with marinated sturgeon. A bite full of different textures delivered slight acidity coming from tomato reduction boosted with a touch of garlic.

edible Sedum flower with fish — Sedum leaf was a succulent base to the marinated sturgeon.

Leafy Sandwich

Fine spinach biscuit filled with smoothened and masterfully leveled hard goat cheese was all about the fine-tuned balance. Both parts of the bite had the opportunity to shine and support each other in a mouthwatering way.

Broccoli in a Shell

Delicate shell full of chopped baby broccoli had a boost in the form of an herbal broccoli cream. A healthy snack left us with an intricate aftertaste and smooth mouthfeel.

nasturtium with broccoli — Broccoli three ways

Humming Cracker

Cracker consisting of sunflower and camelina seeds filled with hummus, truly was one extraordinary “tasty pasty”. Here we must mention the secret of this ancient seed – camelina is a stone-age superfood. Talking about food that is pure gold for the body and soul, the hummus was made with fermented vegetables and elegantly seasoned with miso paste, also made downstairs.

Sunflower and camelina seed cracker with hummus

Cold Appetizer

Power of the Goat

It happened for the first time that our mouth was salivating in between the bites. Knowing what to expect next, just filled us with a desire for more. What was so exciting, you might ask? Simply put, it is about pure flavours dancing together in adoration. In this case, it was about goat’s cream cheese and cucumbers. Together they created a gentle, light, and refreshing abundance of flavors, we couldn’t get enough of. Scrumptious cheese wrapped with ribbons of fresh cucumbers topped with grated goat cheese aged with blue mold, made in granite. Let’s not forget the cucumber water binding everything together.

food at Gric Restaurant — Creamy goat cheese with cucumbers

Best food in Slovenia — Goat cheese aged in granite with blue mold soaked the cucumber water and covered the cream cheese quenelle

Fragrant Fish

A carpet of sweet-smelling phlox blossoms stole the show. For a moment we didn’t care that red bream covered in citrus cream was waiting for us. On such a hot and sunny day, we bet that Phlox pushed as hard as it could! The scent was flamboyantly there, even when we smothered it with orange peel-infused olive oil. On top of that these sweet petals bestowed a textural fix to the succulent sashimi and refreshing cream.

phlox flowers on the plate — Phlox flowers on the red bream with citrus cream

Drops for Pairing

Boutique Vitovska

An old autochthonous white wine variety known as Vitovska Grganja is full of elegance with a long almondy aftertaste. To the tongue, it is quite mineral and invigorating with notes of ripe citrus fruit. We had the pleasure to taste the 2017 vintage from a tiny vinery from the Kras region. Grapes went through less than a week of maceration time before the second step in wooden barrels. After six months in a wooden barrel wine finally matures in modern inox cisterns.

June

A fermented drink sweetened with honey, Tepka pear, and peppermint. Certainly, a thirst-quenching drink that was more salty than sweet, but very clearly nectariferous. By the way, the pears used for this drink come from an old heirloom variety known as the Tepka pear. Austrian Empress Maria Theresa ordered to plant Tepka pear trees on every farm. Those farmers who didn’t plant enough pear trees were punished. Maybe the act of beating up the disobedient serfs named this unique pear Tepka(“beatings”), or maybe it was a way of harvesting that happens in the same manner, by beating up the tree.

Warm Appetizer

Duck Liver

It feels good to eat the liver of a well-fed animal, that had a happy and active life. Good feed is especially important when we have liver on the plate. Surely that is a reason for the liver to taste sweet, but at Michelin Star Gric restaurant we got plenty more. Another cause is the beetroot glazed with birch syrup and aronia berries. Bea balm blossoms also don’t hurt. They played on the strings of spruce needles ash and pine oil. A plate of intense flavors and different textures befitting to daring carnivores.

Herbal Yolk

Lusciously rich duck’s egg yolk surrounded by freshly harvested aromatic herbs of all sorts, made every bite an adventure. No matter what herb landed on the spoon it was creamy and crunchy. Whenever we added the burned rapeseeds and potato nest we were met by a more familiar ground. All the while, the light parsley foam felt like a light cloud on a hot sunny day.

yolk with fresh herbs — Duck’s yolk with fresh aromatic herbs and burned rapeseeds

potato nest — Potato nest on top of the yolk

Drops for Pairing

June

More refreshing due to the gentle acidity, but still very chill. We loved the amplified harmony between herbal notes from the Birch leaves and the floral aroma of the honey.

Aged Tuna

Delightfully smelling tuna fish deepened the depth of flavor over the two months of the aging process. It didn’t just look good among the invigorating berries but also tasted great as well. Admittingly, the greengage isn’t really a berry but we loved its acidity with the divine complexity of the grilled tuna. However, when we snatched the peppery nasturtiums, we were in heaven. That was especially true when we included the nikiri sauce with cistus-infused soy sauce.

Cuttlefish on Strips

Cuttlefish in three forms brought the celebration of the sea to the plate. We loved the masterfully tuned cuttlefish paste on strips of tender cuttlefish, dense algae, and toothsome zucchini. The textural play has a silver lining with lemon invigorated ink.

cuttlefish with zucchini — Cuttlefish three ways

Drops for Pairing

Muscat by Zorjan

The consuming practice of caring for the vineyard is done by the biodynamic principles and Zorjan vinery even got a seal of approval by the strict Demeter standard. Once the Muscat grape is ready to be harvested, they handpick individual berries and gently pop them before they are exposed to the old Georgian method. That is done through the six-month fermentation in buried clay amphoras. After half a year in the ground, the wine gets decanted into a cleaned amphora for another year. After that, it is time for the wine to mature for one more year in the cellar before the last stop in wooden barrels for another two years. Minimal interventions allow the wine to be its own master without any fine-tuning and manipulation. The end result shines in amber color with a complex fragrance, buttery mouthfeel, and mineral aftertaste along with a long-lasting fruitiness.

June

Gooseberry is the main star, but with the addition of beet stalks, walnuts, and shiso herb it reaches new dimensions. On the nose, it is intensely fruity while the taste is full and rounded. Salt addition stopped the fermentation process that would deliver acidity making it more herbal and graceful.

Pallet Cleanser

A refreshing frozen treat made of elderberries combined with fragrant peony espuma gave us relief before another savory meal of the day. We loved the mild astringency with a touch of ginger in the aftertaste. All in all, it was a well-balanced combination that aroused our appetite for more.

Gric Restaurant menu — Refreshing pallet cleanser with peony espuma and elderberries

Main Course

Alpine Caviar Soaking Iceberg

The heart of a really fresh iceberg dressed in a creamy coat of savory symphony was an absolute hit. What else could it be? After all, it was topped with the Siberian Sturgeon roe by Alpine Caviar. Crispy crunch in a mixture of hazelnut vinegar, cream fresh, with soy sauce, and fig leaf oil. Best of all was the change when iceberg salad flushed the delicate popped roe with its juice.

Caviar

Caviar comes from the nearest organic farm possible, which is located in the Austrian Alps (let’s say they are about a 3-hour drive away). Alpine Caviar’s champion, besides members of a small family farm, is a sturgeon. Due to its less salted roe letting the unique nutty taste shine through, it is one of a kind. The biggest influence on the flavor is pristine water and a rare honor for the sturgeon to live its adolescent life in the wild, swimming and eating away wild prey. Such a precious ingredient is an exciting find that is permanently on Gric Restaurant’s 11-course degustation menu.

Drops for Pairing

Furmint Brut Nature by Gross

Furmint Brut Nature sparkling wine couldn’t be more perfect with caviar. We loved how the fine bubbles energized the sophisticated extra dry nature of the floral body. Furthermore, the microclimate of the Gross vineyard has a beneficial effect on the wine.

Because of the steep terrain in the Slovenian Stayer region, the machinery is out of the question. Luckily so, otherwise the family vineyard wouldn’t be the same. The history of a furmint vine dates to Napoleon’s times and can be used in extremes. Besides that, this sparkling gem grew on pristine slopes, that are unharmed by chemicals. All of that is met with devotion and care for the natural practices that reward hard work.

Iron Beef

Beef aged for seven months was a clear star of the iron plate, even though it had strong companions. However, black koji was another strong player that demanded attention, besides the plate fit for an open flame. A koji fungus is special and certified as the “National Mold of Japan”, so no pressure. Umami pack with a touch of bitterness and saltiness bonded well also with swiss chard rolls. But for the best bite, we had to unite all components including the light sauce made of stalks.

steak on iron plate — 7-months dry-aged beef with black koji and swiss chard

Blacksmith

The iron plate made by the neighbor clearly showed how important is the physical plate. A vessel uniquely affects the food, it hoes from the cooking process to the final act of the meal. In our case, the warm brushed plate echoed elegant insurance.

Drops for Pairing

Truska Wine

Dry Truska wine is a cuve of 40% refosc, 30% merlot and 30% cabarnet sauvignon. On the nose, it is full of ripe fruit with a spiced wooden back. Sipping on it coats the mouth with a velvet-like feel and rich taste. Truska organic red wine has a long maceration process before being left to mature for 36 months in old barrique barrels.

June

Elderflower berries seasoned with walnut leaves, fermented green strawberry, and wild cherry. Its fruity aroma smelled of ripe candied fruit and sweets. Surprise revealed itself upon tasting the savory drink. Still and smooth essence was very tasty and befitting to such a powerful plate of food.

Dessert

Pumpkin Rose

The queen of flowers sent us lip-smacking way with melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin semifreddo. Passion for the original flavors prevented excessive use of salt and sugar, leading to a balanced treat. Due to exquisite seasonings, we got the best part of the buttery pumpkin and fragrant rose meeting each other. Compact pumpkin shined in warm tones while rose variations invigorated and perfumed the way for the gentle perilla oil.

Gric Restaurant dessert — Pumpkin semifreddo with rose three ways

Drops for Pairing

Semi-Dry Rhine Riesling by Stolfa

Semi-dry Rhine Riesling by the Stofla family from the Slovenian Dolenjska region tasted great next to the mildly sweet first dessert. Its sweet aftertaste lifted the following bite while supplying a gentle aroma of peaches and sweet spices.

Goat’s Yogurt with Juzu

A dessert where sugar has a place only between toasted sesame seeds might not be enough for our intense sweet tooth. At least, that was our first thought. As it turned out, the light confection with airy juzu cream was spot on for a hot summer day. Fragrant green shiso-infused luscious goat’s yogurt with a combination of fruit and sweet-smelling flowers. It tasted especially wonderful when we combined it all in one bite.

dessert at the Gric Restaurant — Shiso infused goat yogurt with fruit and yuzu

Honey-sweetened sesame seeds were the perfect sweet thing on the plate.

Drops for Pairing

June

Wild forest strawberries stand proudly with juzu infusion sweetened with honey. Sweet-smelling citrusy aroma painted a mirage of sweetness that materialized with honey.

Chef’s Sweet Goodbye

The First Milk

Goat’s colostrum was all about nourishing flavors. This wholesome bite was effortlessly uplifted by the vanilla-clove-like phlox aroma.

Food at Grič Restaurant — Sweet goodbye for our Restaurant Gric Review

Pick Me Up

Fruity seaberry mousse with intense medlar filling was divine with sweet and sour drives.

seaberry mousse with Saint's John's flower — St. John’s Wort flower hiding the medlar filling on the seaberry mousse

Tonka You

Innocent-looking cookie made of burned dough was gentle tasting with a crunch on the outside. The not-too-sweet base for the tonka cream was an utter joy that let the tonka’s famous complex nutty vanilla flavours shine through.

Cocoa Blues

Shiny-looking quenelle made of cocoa with thyme cream tasted sophisticated and mature.

Chocolate quenelle — Thyme infused cocoa quenelle

After Eight

Chocolate ducks represented the house version of After Eight, which was intense and left our mouth feeling refreshed.

Final Thought

Here, we came to the end of this extended Restaurant Gric Review, and I hope you are as ecstatic as we are. Whole food is becoming increasingly challenging to get and when it is enriched and prepared with such devotion it is an honor to enjoy it. You can see that, the chef understands the whole circle of ingredients and has the skills how to bring it to the next level. One element here is critical, and they respect it – time. Some ingredients are much better with the help of time. So why not take some time and enjoy being on cloud nine? We truly loved the view over the garden silently stating that this is as fresh as it gets. Warmly recommended!