«The Dining Room», Cham
Living room atmosphere and first-class cuisine: Christopher Knippschild & Johanna Hagen are the hosts.
Feel-good atmosphere
It's as if you were at home with hostess Johanna Hagen and chef Christopher Knippschild: you are greeted with a handshake and a Cüpli. You're greeted with a handshake and a glass of champagne. You're soon sitting at a living room table, enjoying the confit cherry tomatoes from Johanna's garden, served with a boldly sour sour cream dressing and smoked almonds. Chris has worked with Sebastian Rösch at the Mesa and Antonio Colaianni at Gustav (both in Zurich) - and the five-course meal served at the Dining Room in Cham ZG is of a correspondingly high standard.
Fridge, cooking island, tweezers.
Johanna takes a bottle of wine from the fridge and pours it. Chris stands behind the large cooking island and prepares the first course. The fact that he uses tweezers to do this - that's where the “just like at home” comes to an end. A generous slice of marinated, flamed fjord salmon is accompanied by skillfully applied wasabi, buttermilk sauce and chive oil. Decorated with salmon roe, snack cucumber and borage flowers.
Intense flavors until the very end.
The main course is the absolute opposite of random: beautifully pink roasted saddle of lamb and a breaded croquette filled with lamb shoulder are accompanied by ratatouille (classic and creamy!) and basil pesto. Solid craftsmanship, intense flavors! Which continues right to the end: The desserts? First a sorrel sorbet with Granny Smith brunoise and fermented apple juice. Then Greek yoghurt as ice cream, with raspberries, elderberries and small cubes of white chocolate cake. It's like being with friends: You ask for an espresso last, promise to come back soon - and you almost forget to pay.
