Chowtime at Chateau Lake Louise: Walliser Stube

Swiss restaurant honors the Banff area's early Swiss guides

At the end of the 19th century, when the Canadian Pacific Railroad built the Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise, Swiss mountain guides were imported to lead guests up the surrounding limestone peaks. With serious expressions, the warm wool clothing of the era and the trademark pipes, their portraits are displayed in the public spaces of these two historic hotels that are now part of The Fairmont group. It seems fitting that Swiss restaurants would be among the dining choices. At the Banff Springs, Alpine fare is served at the Waldhaus, and at the Chateau, it's the specialty of the Walliser Stube.

A group of us had reservations for a fondue evening in the Walliser Stube (properly pronounced "Vahl-eesser Shtoo-beh"). In Switzerland, fondue is usually served in a more rustic setting than this elegant room, that was surely once something else. The beautiful high-ceilinged room has been slightly Swiss-ified with cloth lampshades on some of the hanging lamps, but otherwise, it really looks like a fancier hotel restaurant in a classic Alpine establishment. A bit of a culinary mixed metaphor, but the fondue selection on the dinner menu, a combination of English and German, was tasty.

Leading Up to Les Fondues -- and Les Fondue Themselves

A simply set table is the stage on which the fondue feast will star.

Baskets of house-baked rolls and green salads for all start the proceedings.

Guests have a choice of beef or bison tenderloin for the meat fondues. Pearl onions and cornichons are typical accompaniments to that Swiss cheese specialy called raclette, but here, they appear on plate with the meat.

Meat in the foreground and behind that plate is one with a selection of seafood (shrimp, hefty chunks of fatty salmon, halibut and scallops).

Clever iron stands hold small bowls of  various dipping sauces: Wasabi Yoghurt, Sweet Soy and Miso Emulsion, Spanish Dipping Sauce, Honey - Dijon, Herb and Garlic, and Brandy Peppercorn.

The Walliser Stube's fondue pots have notched rims tp help keep the forks from dueling as the food cooks.

And for dessert, chocolate fondue with assorted fruits and cubes of cake for dipping.

The Walliser Stube is on the main floor of the Chateau Lake Louise.