For the uninitiated, French Laundry is one of the best restaurants in the world. I got a chance to try the tasting menu. I had a vegetarian, or to be precise, a lacto-vegetarian (milk and cheese but not eggs) meal here.
The restaurant looks nondescript from the outside, and it is easy to miss it while driving.
![French Laundry](https://i0.wp.com/ashishb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/French-Laundry-0.jpg?resize=640%2C362&ssl=1)
It was an 8-10 course meal, depending on how you count a course. Portion sizes were small but delicious. And there was a gap of about 15-20 mins before each serving. So, a commitment of 3-4 hours for the full course.
![Course 1](https://i0.wp.com/ashishb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/French-Laundry-1.jpg?resize=640%2C589&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/ashishb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/French-Laundry-2.jpg?resize=640%2C390&ssl=1)
![Fennel Gastrique](https://i0.wp.com/ashishb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/French-Laundry-3.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
![Toasted Quinoa Tabbouleh](https://i0.wp.com/ashishb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/French-Laundry-4.jpg?resize=640%2C573&ssl=1)
![Holland White Asparagus En Persillade](https://i0.wp.com/ashishb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/French-Laundry-5.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
![Sacramento Delta Green Asparagus](https://i0.wp.com/ashishb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/French-Laundry-6.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
![Bread and Butter](https://i0.wp.com/ashishb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/French-Laundry-7.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
![Morel Mushroom Farci](https://i0.wp.com/ashishb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/French-Laundry-8.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
![Spring Vegetable Navarin](https://i0.wp.com/ashishb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/French-Laundry-9.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
![Bleu D'auvergne "French Blue cheese"](https://i0.wp.com/ashishb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/French-Laundry-10.jpg?resize=640%2C854&ssl=1)
![Meal ended with a mouthful of deserts](https://i0.wp.com/ashishb.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/French-Laundry-11.jpg?resize=640%2C544&ssl=1)
It would be a wrong question to ask whether the food was worth the time and money. The right question would be “Was the experience worth the time and money?”, I would say, “Definitely”. Being vegetarian, I was skeptical but was delighted beyond my expectations.
Thanks.