What an utter disappointment. I’ve been longing to go to this restaurant like a pregnant woman craves pickles. Why? Because I love the idea of a simple, back-to-basics rotisserie chicken joint taking on the arty-farty Entrecote and Michelin starred restaurants of Geneva, ending up in the top fifty of so many ‘best of Geneva’ lists…Trip Advisor included. Oh, and I love chicken. If still interested after reading this review, check them out here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188057-d778594-Reviews-Chez_Ma_Cousine-Geneva.html.
From the (raving) reviews I expected to be served nothing less than puck-puck (that’s meant to be the sound of a chicken) nirvana. What I got instead was half a scrawny, under-aged bird which had, quite obviously, been grilled much earlier and kept ‘warm’ in an oven…so it was nice and dry by the time I got it. Same for the herb freckled potato wedges, which were desiccated in look and ‘hollow’ to the bite. Thank goodness for the gravy, which believe it or not I had to pay an extra CHF 2.50 for; at least it helped moisten the dehydrated chicken somewhat. And to compound it all, my chicken was unacceptably salty. My wife’s the same.
What saved the day (for me) was the soup. It was a lovely, clear and flavoursome chicken broth with a generous amount of bite sized chicken cubes and cellophane noodles included. The shorter of the two preoccupied waitresses unceremoniously dumped it in-front of me while I was still eating my salty grilled chicken; she forgot to bring it to me before our mains were served…even though she actually asked and acknowledged that it was the soup I wanted served first. No ‘I’m sorry’ we mixed up starter with mains just, here’s your soup. The bright side is that it saved me from having to endure any more of the chicken. But let me say this, if I had only ordered the soup, this review would be entirely different. I loved it.
The restaurant was exactly what I expected; youth-appealingly simple, clean and cosy. Service though was lethargic and nonchalant in a ‘meh, I don’t give a merde’ kind of way, but in all fairness, that may be because they were at the end of a shift. Irrespective, it did nothing to enhance an already disappointing dining experience. My wife and I left feeling hugely underwhelmed. With so many amazing ‘chicken’ propositions in Dubai, from the delicious rotisserie chicken we get at Spinney’s to Nando’s, the Mandi joints, etc., perhaps it’s just that we are spoilt for choice.
I do not recommend this restaurant. For me it was nothing more than a waste of time and money. Unless you bring location into the equation…Chez Ma Cousine is located in one of the most picturesque parts of Geneva’s old district…
Waste NOT. Want NOT.