Aigen im Ennstal · Austria
Schloss Pichlarn
Styrian ham, pumpkin seed oil and a fantastic sauce: unusual, but not crazy. Truly first-class.
Notebook
The Eggs Benedict
Styrian ham. Fantastic sauce. Styrian pumpkin seed oil and pumpkin seeds. Unusual, but not crazy. Highlights everything a perfect Eggs Benedict must have. Truly first-class.
Translated from my German notes.
Schloss Pichlarn lies in Styria’s Enns Valley, surrounded by mountains and its own golf course. That the kitchen here thinks regionally shows at breakfast already, and in the best possible way.
On the plate
The base is toast, topped with Styrian ham, a poached egg and a fantastic sauce. Then Styria arrives on the plate: a few drizzles of pumpkin seed oil and a handful of pumpkin seeds.
It’s unusual, but not crazy. The oil and seeds don’t change the Benedict, they emphasise it: nuttiness against the butter of the sauce, crunch against the soft egg. Everything a perfect Eggs Benedict must have is highlighted rather than masked. Truly first-class.
Go
Worth the journey. If you want to see how to give a classic a regional twist without bending it out of shape, have breakfast here.
Guide text written with AI assistance, based on my notes.