A lovely vegetarian pop-up experience with surprisingly tasty dishes: Hannibal’s Alpenüberquerung @ Chez Murr (1. September 2023)

The Chez Murr is a pop-up I have tried to attend a few times already – and finally, I managed – on very short notice – to attend once. The concept is rather simple, you pay for a set menu incl. wines (CHF 185.00) and then you get whatever is prepared. This time, the motto of the evening was ‘Hannibal’s crossing of the Alpes’ and the food followed the theme geographically, throughout the evening – and with, here and there, a liberal interpretation.

The place is rather simple, respectively, is really a pop-up and not a restaurant. So, you have to know where the entrance is and if you look at the door from outside, you will not really assume that it is a place to go for dinner.

The start of the dinner started with “provisions”, because, of course, you need food for your journey across the alps.

The different “breads” served with “butter” were actually quite nice, however, I think one piece of information could have been shared a bit more proactively, which is, that the bread is planned to last throughout the whole journey. Given I was starving, I basically ate all the bread, and felt unnecessarily full (yes, this is on me, of course, however, it would have been a useful piece of information).

The first dish was called “Karthago (shiso, koji buckwheat, dates, bergamot, aubergine)” and was actually super nice – I don’t remember how you call the way it is prepared, but it is some kind of fermentation, and it was of a smoothness and full of flavour, so your palate really got started and excited for more.

Next in line was the “sunflower seed hummus”, which was in thus far interesting as I have never tried sunflower seed hummus. And it was actually very enjoyable – and keep in mind, I’m a huge fan of regular hummus, so, I wasn’t expecting that I’d like this one as much.

Then it was time for “Iberia (almonds, ajo blanco, grape, parsley, sherry vinaigrette)”, which was incredibly interesting. I mean, the ice cream was just delicious and went super well with the ajo blanco. The little ‘roe’ made from sherry vinaigrette were a tiny bit too vinegary for me, but other than that, the dish was exquisite.

Especially, once it was combined with the “almond milk” I could have had a few of these plates.

Next in line was “Galicia (onion)”, which was basically onion. With onion. And onion. And some more onion. So, it was a very onion heavy dish as you would have an onion reduction, onion spread, pickled onions, and some more onions. Frankly, it was absolutely delicious.

The “Helvetia (celery, chard, plum, garum, beluga lentils, hay)” was definitely interesting, but I must admit, personally, there was some sauce missing. The crumbles which were served on the celery were great and really added to the dish, but the portion was rather large, and the celery was a bit too dry, hence, if they had added a bit more sauce to it, it would definitely have upped the dish quite a bit.

With the celeriac, some “beluga lentils with an ice cream” were served, and I must admit it was actually a great side dish and kind of the perfect transition between the savoury and the sweet part of the dinner.

Then it was time for the first dessert, which was the “Liguria (panissa, ricotta, fig)”. While I liked the flavour combination, the size of the dish was a bit disproportionate, i.e., the ricotta piece was too big and in the end too dominant for the whole dish. But, as a combination of elements, it absolutely worked.

Last but not least, it was time for “Mare Mediterraneum (fennel, wakame, yuzu, peach, cedar seeds)”, which was a nice and light ending to the evening. Personally, I was a bit surprised by the whole thing, but in a good way. The food was definitely better than I had expected – not that I had expected something negative.

The place is not really a restaurant in its core, but it is basically “transferred” into one by putting up one large table for 12 people. And that’s all there is – so, there aren’t too many spaces available. There is a piano in the room, which looks decorative, and there are chairs on the side like for a little theatre. And in the midst of that, the Chez Murr happens. Frankly, it was a fun experience, and definitely something I’d be keen to repeat.

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Contact Details:

Hannibal’s Alpenüberquerung @ Chez Murr

Homepage: http://www.chez-murr.ch

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.