Eastern feast

Having spent two and a half years searching in vain for good Asian food that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg in central Geneva, Monsieur Gourmand and I have finally found out the truth – it was in Nyon all along!

Mekong has already become our regular Sunday night haunt, not only because it is ten minutes’ drive from our bucolic abode, but because there is an emphasis on intriguing Vietnamese house specials rather than gloopy MSG-laden, deep-fried spring rolls and sweet and sour mystery meat.

I keep meaning to try something else, but I just can’t tear myself away from the beef with crispy basil leaves (I once tried the prawns with tamarind sauce but it was too sickly, completely overpowering any seafood flavour). The same is true of the starters; the grilled pork dumplings have impressed us time and again with their crispy casings, and we have developed quite a liking for the Vietnamese summer roll stuffed with herby minced meat (even if it does come with slices of spam).

Mekong is cosy and warm for winter nights, with carved wood furniture and water features, and the staff make quite an aesthetic effort (see photo). But now it's warming up, I've got a feeling that many an Eastern feast will be enjoyed in the summer on the big terrace overlooking the lake.

Mekong, Quai des Alpes, 1260 Nyon
+41 (0)22 362 5484

The icing on the cake

Christmas turkey and chipolata sausages. Roast pork and crackling. Strawberries and cream. Sometimes the trimmings are the best bit, which is obviously an idea ascribed to by the owner of Auberge de Dully.

The choice of main course at this cosy village haunt is between chicken and lamb. The plump birds turning on the spit as you enter the dining room (which has a great view by day apparently) certainly look enticing, and ours tasted fine, but chicken is chicken and rarely remains in the memory for long. A big fan of lamb with its tangy flavour and tender texture, I wanted to try that too. Again, it was fine but nothing to write home about.

Lucky then that the uninspiring specialities are backed up by amazingly crispy potato rösti and an enormous, deliciously dressed green salad. The starters are tasty too; we opted for vegetable crudités with home-made dips and a generous helping of juicy stuffed tomatoes.

But the proverbial icing on the cake is undoubtedly the locally revered house dessert: warm shortcrust cream pie. The wafer-thin, pizza-like pie is moreishly milky and so light we almost ordered two. Just steer clear of the whipped cream (unless, for you, that is the best bit).

Auberge de Dully, 9 Place du Village, Dully, Vaud
+44 (0)21 824 1149; www.aubergedully.ch