Friday, March 26, 2010

Jubans Baton Rouge

Wednesday on our way back we stopped in Baton Rouge at Jubans for lunch. We had eaten there several years ago and found it great. Below is their signature sweet potato chips they bring out to snack on. Perfection. Probably the best I have had. The Chef's honey bourbon at the top was one reason we stopped in. Nice stuff. As driver I could only get a sip.
I opted for the soup of the day which was a crawfish and corn bisque with a ball of the crawfish stuffing usually put in the carapace. It was not a traditional brown one but a cream bisque. Makes sense since this is a Creole restaurant. It was light and tasty with a nice spice bite.
The bread basket which was baked pistolettes.

The Chef went with Juban's Smoked Chicken, Roasted Duck & Andouille Gumbo. We exchanged plates. Halfway across the table I could smell the smokiness of this dish which brought a smile to my face. The taste was even better. The smoke did not overcome it. An excellent dark roux with a rich broth and tasty bits of meat. Could eat it every day
What they call a sensation salad. A side salad of mixed greens with the in-house garlic vinaigrette finished with parmesan cheese
I got the Wednesday Lunch Special, Seafood Stuffed Mirliton. It consisted of Louisiana crawfish, shrimp, and crabmeat stuffed in a boiled mirliton served with a crawfish rice pilaf and fresh vegetables. The seafood was in a cream sauce topped with cheese. A little spicy but something that matched well with the somewhat bland and vegetative mirliton (vegetable pear, chayote). I was quite pleased and ate every bite. The vegetable was a mixture of haricot vert and sugar snap pea. Light and refreshing. The rice added an additional seafood note.
The Chef went with the Honey Bourbon Center Cut Pork Chop. A 12oz. center-cut pork rib chop broiled with Juban's honey bourbon glaze. This continued the theme of the honey bourbon he was drinking. By the way they make this magic elixir in house. My taste proved tender and juicy with an underlying sweetness. Right up my alley
He also got the vegetable of the day along with roasted potatoes which also proved excellent. I caught him dipping them in the sauce. A great move in my opinion.
I went with the bread pudding which was the only off note at this meal. It was too dense for my taste and had raisins which I hate in bread pudding. The sauce was nice though. It seemed to have a nice citrus note
The chef went with a Creme Brulee. It was tarted up with whipped cream, berries, and a chocolate twig. The crust was crispy with just enough burnt caramelized sugar to make it interesting. The custard flavor was spot on but a little loose for my taste
This is a great place and will return here as often as I can.

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