23 novembre 2009
Ze Kitchen Galerie : Ze restaurant for French Food with an Asian twist !
Date of lunch : october 2009
Résumé en français
Toutes les saveurs que j'aime ! J'ai vraiment un faible pour les produits asiatiques et il se trouve que Ze Kitchen Galerie...aussi ! Le bonheur est dans l'assiette, ici. William Ledeuil dit lui-même qu'il construit ses plats en respectant 3 éléments : le produit, la peinture et l'architecture. Tout est dit : la fraîcheur est là, ainsi que les couleurs et les textures. Un vrai régal pour les papilles et les pupilles.Courez-y !
Voici ce que nous avons dégusté, un régal avec cependant une petite déception de ma "copine de fourchette" sur son dessert (les figues). Le mien m'a enchantée ! Les entrées : St Jacques huitres, oursins, jus de tarama et citronnelle pour l'une et Macaronis farcis aux champignons, bouillon artichaut, citronnelle, coriandre pour l'autre. Les plats : Canard de Challans au foie gras, jus de betterave, gingembre et Bœuf Wagyu, condiment de tamarin et prune salée. En dessert : Figues rôties, sorbet raisin rouge, citronnelle et Cappuccino de chocolat gandujia, coco émulsion cacahuètes. Attention au côté bruyant (limite cantine) et aux tables quasi collées les unes aux autres.
Ze Chef of the Year 2010 (according to Gaul&Millau)
William Ledeuil used to work for Guy Savoy, when he opened his own restaurant Ze Kitchen galerie in 2001. Since this date, he has obtained a michelin star in 2008 and opened a new restaurant in the same street, called KGB (Kichen Galerie Bis). Ledeuil is a frequent traveller to Far East Asia and an Art Amateur, both things being obvious when you have the opportunity to taste (and see) his cuisine.
"The soul of my cooking is the child in me. For me, cooking always has been and always will be a game. A game which rapidly became an all-consuming passion. The rules are simple, let your imagination and sensitivity run free, while respecting the classic base of a recipe. "
The Food
Definitely Fusion Food : a blend of European and Asian ingredients. Freshness is the key word here, not only to describe the high quality produce, but also the flavors of the herbs and spices that he uses on a daily basis. If you are looking for comforting food, and heavy creamy sauces, Ze Kitchen galerie is NOT the place for you !
For lunch on week days, you can choose between several "discovery" menus (including a glass of wine and coffee) : a la plancha main dish (24 euros), or appetizer and dessert (27 euros), or a la plancha main with either a starter or a dessert (30 euros) or starter, main "a la plancha and dessert (35 euros). I think that there is a tasting menu in the evening which includes three starters, two mains and two desserts (76 euros).
No amuse-bouche here. William Ledeuil think they are useless. He wants his customers to fully enjoy what they have ordered and not fill their stomach with little appetizers.
As a starter, I had the scallops, oysters, sea urchin in a taramasalata and lemongrass broth . My friend had Macaroni stuffed with chanterelles and shitake mushrooms, artichoke and lemongrass broth, and topped with chopped chives and fresh cilantro. Both starters were extremely flavorful and tasty. As it has been written above, the basis of Ledeuil's food are asian herbs and spices, with a strong presence of lemongrass, ginger (or galanga) and citrus fruits. As you can see on the pictures, the dishes are very colorful and beautifully presented.
For the mains, I chose Challans Duck (very high quality duck from a specific part of France, Vendée, which gives big and tasty ducks) with foie gras, beetroot juice and ginger. The rare cooking I asked for was perfect.
My friend had japanese wagyu beef. "The meat from wagyū cattle is known worldwide for its marbling characteristics, increased eating quality through a naturally enhanced flavor, tenderness and juiciness, and thus a high market value" (source : wikipedia). It was served with tamarind condiment, and savory plums.
In both main dishes, vegetables played an important role : turnips, yellow zucchinis, mushrroms, and many others. I love that, because I have noticed that vegetables tend to disappear from menus these days.
My dessert was totally decadent : a cappuccino of gianduja chocolate (a chocolate and hazelnut paste) with a coconut foam and peanut ice-cream. Yummy !
My friend was a bit disapointed by hers : roasted figs (cold !!), red grape and lemongrass sorbet. She loves figs but found them to be a bit bland
The wine
Mas de l'écriture, Les pensées , 2002, Terroir des Terrasses du Larzac. Chosen by my friend, a wine amateur. A Perfect choice.
The customers and the decoration
The decoration is Ok but nothing to write home about and, as the name indicates, the restaurant is also a gallery for different artists. Their artwork is displayed on the walls. The open kitchen is fun and trendy, it always fascinates me how each cook knows perfectly what he/she has to do and the kitchen is very quiet. Impressive !
But we did not enjoy the fact that the tables were too close to one another and the room was really noisy. I wished I had lunch in the zen-like kitchen, lol ! From the reviews I have read, it is something that is often mentioned. So, do not expect a romantic and peaceful atmosphere here, definitely not the place for a first date nor a wedding proposal !
The Service
Nice but a bit cold.Efficient.
A small detail : I saw Ledeuil's cookbook at the entrance and asked, while I was waiting for my friend at our table, if I could have a look at it. The waiter said yes and then...he totally forgot me ! I had to cross the room and grab the book my myself.
As a conclusion
A very good Fusion meal in a ...noisy atmosphere. But the food is so good that this small inconvenience is quickly forgotten.
Given that wine and coffee are included, the prices are OK.
Practical Information/Infos pratiques :
Ze Kitchen Galerie
4 rue des Grands-Augustins
75006 Paris
Phone: 01-44-32-00-32
website : http://www.zekitchengalerie.fr/uk/flash.html
Ledeuil has opened a new restaurant at the number 15 of the same street. Its name is KGB (Kichen Galerie Bis)
Pictures : Copyright l'Internaute and MyFoodBox (all food pictures).
07 octobre 2009
Spécial coup de pouce : un nouveau restau de poche près du Marché d'Aligre/Thumps up to a new restaurant around Aligre Market
As you know, I am a regular at Aligre Market and the shopkeepers are now used to see my face among the stalls, they know I am a food blogger and that I am always interested in finding out new gourmet places. This is why the chocolate shop keeper told me about a new tiny restaurant ; his words were "you will see, their cuisine is fresh from the market". As I did not have anything planned for lunch that day and I was all by myself, I decided to give it a try. After a quick glimpse at the blackboard outside, I chose a seat and ordered.
Open since june 2009, this minuscule restaurant is held by a young couple, He, an ex-ingeneering consultant passionate about food, is behind the stove while She is the waitress (and a very nice one).
For lunch, the menu changes everyday and one can choose between two starters, two appetizers and two desserts. Starter and main or main and dessert are 13,50 euros while the three-course meal is only 17 euros. For dinner, the two course is 24 euros, three-course is 29 euros, there are more choices (three per category) and the menu changes on a monthly basis.
I had a great lunch there, even if the choice can seem limited, trust me, one wants to taste everything. Food was simple and tasty, perfecly seasoned and cooked, a very pleasant moment. And frankly, there are so many great things for a foodie to do at the market and around, that you will have no excuse not to pass in front of Basilic and give it a try !
C'est en me baladant au marché d'Aligre et dans sa rue gorgée de commerces de bouche plus délicieux les uns que les autres que jai entendu parler du "Basilic Saint Antoine" pour la première fois. C'est un chocolatier qui me l'a recommandé, sachant que j'étais bloggeuse culinaire, une regulière du marché et toujours à la recherche de nouvelles découvertes gourmandes. Ses mots ont été " ils proposent une bonne cuisine de marché, très fraîche". Qu'à celà ne tienne, je n'avais pas de programme bien arrêté ce jour là et j'ai donc improvisé ma pause-déjeuner après avoir -tout de même- rapidement inspecté les lieux et la courte carte.
Ouvert en juin 2009, il s'agit d'un micro-restaurant d'une vingtaine de places, tenu par un jeune couple, Monsieur en cuisine (ex-ingénieur passionné de gastronomie) et Madame (très sympa) en salle.
Le midi, 2 formules sont proposées : entrée-plat ou plat-dessert à 13,50 euros ou entrée-plat-dessert à 17 euros. La carte est très courte le midi (2 propositions par catégorie) mais, faites-moi confiance, on a envie de tout goûter ! Le soir, la carte est plus élaborée (voir photo ci-dessous) avec trois propositions par catégorie et deux formules à 24 et 29 euros. Le menu du midi change tous les jours, et celui du soir tous les mois. C'est une vraie cuisine de marché qui est proposée, "sans prétention" comme le disent les propriétaires eux-mêmes, reposant sur des produits de qualité et de saison.
Je me suis vraiment régalée, c'était simple et goûteux, parfaitement assaisonné et cuit, un moment très agréable. Et puis franchement, il y a tellement de choses à faire, déguster et dévorer des yeux dans le quartier que vous n'avez pas d'excuses pour ne pas déjeuner (ou dîner) au Basilic saint Antoine.
As a starter I had an avocado tartare with cilantro and basil, a bit spicy but in a good way and served in a large portion (given that avocado is quite fulfilling). The other starter on the menu was a two salmon rillettes with fresh dill and green peppercorn. En entrée, un tartare d'avocat, coriandre et basilic vraiment frais, bien relevé et généreusement servi. L'autre entrée : rillettes aux 2 saumons, poivre vert et aneth.
For the main, sea bream fillets with vegetables caviar (eggplant, zucchinis, and tomatoes) with a delicious herbs sauce (probably basil, can't really remember) : superb, the skin was really crunchy while the flesh was flaky and perfectly cooked. The other main was chicken skewers marinated in spices, coconut and satay sauce, perfumed rice. Probably as good as the fish...En plat, filet de dorade et caviar de légumes (aubergines, courgettes et tomates), une délicieuse sauce aux herbes (basilic probablement, mais ma mémoire me joue parfois des tours). Superbe, peau bien croustillante, cuisson parfaite, le caviar de légumes du sud bien assaisonné et une texture fondante.L'autre plat : brochettes de poulet mariné aux épices, sauce coco-saté et riz parfumé.
My dessert was recommended by the waitress : a very simple but very good fig tart made with a home made crust and almond batter. If I was not influenced by her, I would probably have chosen the other dessert which seemed very fresh : a mascarpone mousse with a mango and citrus fruits soup. But don't misunderstand me, the fig tart, though rich, was great ! En dessert, j'ai opté pour la tarte aux figues recommandée par la "patronne". Sinon, je pense que j'aurais été plutôt tentée par la mousse mascarpone et sa soupe de mangue aux agrumes, plus rafraichissante, mais je n'ai pas regretté d'avoir suivi sa reco, la tarte était certes riche mais délicieuse avec son alliance figues et amandes. La pâte sablée maison était à tomber.
To sum up, a nice meal with very fresh and high quality produce. Really on the cheap side for lunch and not too expensive for dinner. The Chef is really passionate about food and about the produce and we can clearly see it in his dishes.Moi je dis que quand on a un passionné aux fourneaux, sa générosité se ressent dans sa cuisine et c'est pourquoi je vous recommande de pousser la porte du Basilic Saint Antoine.
Practical Informations/Infos pratiques
Restaurant Basilic Saint Antoine, Cuisine du marché !
217 rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine
75011 PARIS à 50 m du métro Faidherbe Chaligny (50 meters from Faidherbe Chaligny metro station, line 8)
Tel : 01 44 93 09 22 ou 06 63 46 34 40.
Blog : http://basilicstantoine.canalblog.com/
03 juillet 2009
Enchantée mais pas bluffée par le Bristol/delighted but not "wowed" by the Bristol
Date of lunch : june 2009
Résumé en français
Très sincèrement, un repas (encore un anniversaire de mariage) vraiment délicieux et très très agréable, dans un cadre bucolique enchanteur, entouré d'un personnel plus qu'aimable et professionnel mais je n'ai pas été impressionnée comme j'avais pu l'être aux Amabassadeurs ou, dans une moindre mesure, au Pré Catelan. Il manquait cette petite magie (ou folie?) qui m'avait fait dire "wouah" toutes les deux minutes chez Jean-François Piège et Frédéric Anton.
A three-star Chef
Eric Frechon, at the age of 45, has already spent 32 years in a professionel kitchen ! Originally from the Somme region, he arrived in Paris at the age of 20 and worked as a commis at "La Grande Cascade". Two years later, he entered the Bristol's kitchen at the same position. After his military duty, he spent two years in Spain, six years at le Crillon under the orders of Christian Constant, opened his own restaurant "Les Verrières" before being hired in 1999 by the Bristol as the main Chef. That same year, he obtained his first michelin star. The second was in 2001 and third in 2009. He is the only Chef to join the "three star club" this year. No wonder our President Nicolas Sarkozy is a regular in his restaurant !
The Food
For lunch on week days, you can choose between a business menu (95 euros) or "à la carte" selection. Given that a single appetizer à la carte can cost up to 85 euros, we chose the business menu without any hesitation.
In the business menu, one is given the choice between two starters, two main dishes (seafood/meat) and two desserts (or a cheese platter from the cart). We managed to taste everything as we chose different items from starter to dessert.
Before starting, one is served an assortment of different individual breads,we chose the roasted shallots bread for me and seaweed for hubby. Other breads were served during the meal : cereals, olives, traditional, all with Jean-Yves Bordier's salted butter (THE best dairy products supplier in France).
Keyword of this luch was "jelly". We had jelly eveywhere, from starter to dessert.
Several amuse bouches : on a cute little rectangular plate, we had to eat in a certain order a tuna lollypop, an oyster in a jelly and another amuse with foie gras. We also had a very modern version of the classic tomato/mozzarella salad : tomato dices surrounded by a basil jelly and topped with a mozzarella foam.
As a starter, my husband chose the “Asperges Blanches en fin velouté, mousseline de petits pois et menthe fraîche” (white asparagus in a chilled creamy soup, peas purée and fresh mint), a very refreshing dish. I had the "maquereau de petit bateau, cuit au vin blanc, aromates et baies de cassis, relevé au raifort" (mackerel cooked in white wine, herbs&spices, berries, with horseradish) a beautiful and flavorful starter.
Main dishes : For A, "le meilleur du cabillaud, poudré d'aneth et de caviar de citron, ratte écrasée au beurre salé et pamplemousse" (The best of cod, with fresh dill, lemon caviar, smashed ratte potato and grapefruit). I had never heard of lemon caviar, it is a very rare lemon (see this picture) from Corsica which contains tiny balls the size and the texture of caviar balls. The taste is very lemoney of course but not too tart. This fish dish was perfectly cooked and very delicate.
For me, "pigeon de bresse rôti au crumble de pignons, pomme crousti-fondante au cumin, jus à la diable" (pigeon topped with a pine nuts crumble, cumin melty apples, and spiced juice). The presentation of the main dishes were not as modern as the starters, they were more traditional but perfectly cooked and, again, flavorful.
Before the desserts, we had a "sorbet citron vert, dés de pommes vertes et fraises des bois" (a lime sherbet, with granny tiny dices and wild strawberries). Refreshing. But disappointing compared to the amazing assortment of pre-desserts we have had at "Les Ambassadeurs".
I was surprised we had to choose between cheese platter and desserts. Usually, in this kind of places, you have both !
Desserts were also on the classic side : for me, a cherry sherbet with chocolate cake, this time the presentation was quite architectural with two textures for the chocolate cake ; a fudgy one and a crunchy one. Good, very good, but not impressive. For my husband, an assortment of coffee-based desserts : a jelly, a foam, an ice-cream with a light mascarpone cream. As a coffee amateur, he was very pleased with his choice. No pictures of the desserts, sorry.
With coffee (not included, you can choose between Peruvian, Colombian and Ethiopian), we were served a selection of caramels, pomegranate guimauves (marshmallows), chocolates and nougats.
The wine
Of course we had Roederer champagne to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Beware of the rates, it costs about 30 euros per person.I stayed with water for the rest of the lunch.But the sommelier seemed to be very knowledgeable from what I have seen at the closest tables.
The customers and the decoration
Really very enjoyable. It was warm that day but as it rained a little in the morning, we could not seat in the garden. But the room was vast, it was a canopy glasshouse, and our table was just a step from the courtyard and as the door was wide open, we felt we were earting outdoor.
Classic Bacarrat chandeliers, exclusively designed Limoges porcelain dinnerware, Christofle silverware, fine linens, crystal glasses added to the experience.
The customers were French, mostly businessmen.
The Service
We had at least 3 people taking care of us, charming and professional.The only thing I did not like was their...jackets, in an awful beige color, not classy at all.
As a conclusion
A very nice meal in a great atmosphere. But if you really have to choose a restaurant for a very special occasion, I would recommend that you go to "Les Ambassadeurs" at Le Crillon Hotel.
Practical Information/Infos pratiques :
Le Bristol
Hôtel Le Bristol
112 rue du faubourg Saint Honoré
75008 Paris
Tél. : +33 1 53 43 43 40
website : http://www.hotel-bristol.com
Pictures : Copyright : Cuisiner en Ligne
31 octobre 2008
Bigarrade, à essayer absolument ! A must-try restaurant !
Date of lunch : october 2008.
Résumé en français
Vraiment, à ne pas louper ! Nous avons passé un excellent moment, entre la dégustation de mets très fins, la découverte de nouveaux ingrédients (Yuzu kushu, mojama, fleurs de coriandre, fleurs d'aneth, mouron des oiseaux,...), notre discussion très décontractée avec le Chef et son second....Un rêve de bloggeuse culinaire ! Même si la cuisine est épurée voire zen (beaucoup de cru et de cuissons courtes), il y a énormément de travail en amont dans la préparation des accompagnements, condiments, marinades et autres. Le cadre est agréable : un restaurant petit mais zen, une cuisine ouverte où l'on voit et entend tout mais sans odeurs désagréables. Pour tous les détails en français, je vous recommande vivement d'aller sur le blog de Lili qui a partagé ce repas avec moi; son diaporama est superbe !
The Chef
Sperenzi and Pelé (center). Copyright L'internaute.
Christophe PELE 's first restaurant positions were at Lasserre and Ledoyen in Paris. Later he worked at le Royal Monceau Hotel, where he was Head Chef of "Le Jardin" gastronomic restaurant (one michelin star) and found out about his passion for fish.
He opened "La Bigarrade" in 2007 and hired as a second the talented Giuliano SPERENZI, met at Ledoyen.
Pelé and Sperenzi seemed to be two very nice and warm persons. My friend and I took advantage that the restaurant was not full (and our table the closest to the open kitchen) to ask them plenty of questions about the dishes and the conversation followed on after the meal. I think they were happy to have such curious guests and they showed to us many things in the kitchen, gave us some recipes...Great teachers !!
The Food
Two tasting menus for lunch : 35 euros for fish/seafood only and 45 euros for fish/seafood and meat. We both chose the fish menu.It included 1 amuse-bouche, 2 starters, 2 main dishes, cheese and 4 desserts ! It seems quite pantagruelic written like this, but actually the portions are very small (bite-size), the quality prevails over the quantity there. Two friends of mine who are Rugby players (known for their insatiable appetites) love this restaurant, so if it is not a problem for them, the tiny portions should not be a problem for you neither, specially if you are looking for amazing flavors.
The amuse was an excellent focaccia served warm with a tasteful olive oil. It reminded me of an amuse I had in Barcelona in a wonderful restaurant of New Catalan Cuisine called Hisop (review to come) and we had been told there that the focaccia and olive oil were served to open one's appetite.
First appetizer was a a "velvet swimming crab" cream with carrot bites, topped with a foam and ciselered verbena herbs and served, in another plate, with raw red mullet fillets, cilantro flowers, soy sauce, sesame oil, topped with a sort of caviar. Everything was incredibly tasty and fresh. And I can't even describe how powerful (but not too overwhelming) the cilantro flowers were. Fisrt time I had them, and Pelé seems to enjoy edible flowers a lot, as you will see in the review.
Second appetizer was a bite of scallop carpaccio topped with little solid squares of salted almond butter, cilantro and yuzu kosho condiment. You may ask, yuzu kosho, what's that ? haha, I have to admit that I had to google it once back home, so here is what I found : it is a japanese sauce made from yuzu (asian citrus fruit), chile peppers and salt.The almond butter was caramelized and crunchy and it made a nice contrast with the softness of the scallop.
Then we had glazed eel, beetroot juice, dill flower, red and green radishes.The red color of the sauce made a beautiful contrast with the white plate and it was excellent. Different textures again, Pelé tends to serve the vegetable raw hence crunchy and they are great with the meltiness of the super fresh fishes.
Before serving the cod, we had a smoked vegetable broth, with borage flowers (beautiffully purple and star-shaped), absinthe wormwood and chervil. Wow, so many unknown flavors...A good "break" before the rest of the meal.The edible flowers and fresh herbs all come from the Batignolles organic market close-by.
Then it was onto the slightly roasted cod, sweet pepper sauce, mojama ( filleted salt-cured tuna) and an incredible ginger cut into paper-thin filaments marinated in rice vinegar and clove. The reason why I have so many details on all ingredients is that we chatted a long time with the Chef and his second Giuliano and we asked them everything about what what being served to us. This is how we realized how much work was done beforehand in the restaurant's kitchen and even though the dishes seem simple, almost zen-like, all the sauces, marinades, condiments, and accompaniments need long hours of preparation.
Cheeses were matured goat cheese and comté. Some edible chickweeds aside (Stellaria media) and a small drop of bitter orange cream (or was it grapefuit?). Cheese were excellent, they come from the Batignolles organic market (ask for Philippe).
For dessert, we had a quadrilogy of mini-desserts. We had to eat them in a certain order, from left to right. A delicious lemon mousse (not too tart) topped with mandarin jelly.A passionfruit frozen parfait with a coconut and rum whipped cream, topped with incredibly sweet and crunchy black olive shavings (yes, you have read well). A coffee and caramel mousse served with a cinnamon stick-shaped biscuit and cristallized squares of bitter orange (in french, a bigarrade is a variety of bitter orange, hence the name of the restaurant). Last but not least : an amazing chocolate fondant with celery syrup (yep). My friend and I were totally amazed by the desserts and the whole menu in general, especially for that price.
With coffee, we had two mignardises each : a mini lemon tartlet and a flaky danish filled with a vanilla whipped cream.
The wine
My friend could not drink wine, I had a glass of white wine recommended by the waiter. Cannot remember the name, sorry.
The customers and the decoration
La bigarrade is located in the 17th arrondissement near the Batignolles area. Not the most touristy part of Paris, it is more residential but you will have the opportunity to visit a picturesque and authentic part of the city.
Only 4 tables were reserved that day (which was surprising, but as Pelé told us, they could already feel the effects of the economic crisis as it was the first time the restaurant was not full for lunch), mostly by french customers apart from an Italian couple.
The decoration is very simple, but charming. It has a modern and fresh feeling with its white and green tones.The open kitchen is a key element in the decoration, it is extremely neat and the most surprising was the absence of cooking odors in the restaurant.
The Service
The waiters were corteous and friendly.They gave us detailed description of the dishes.
The choice and the Cost
Pelé works only with "blind" tasting menus : it means that you cannot choose on a menu, he decides for you after asking about your allergies or dislikes.
Two menus for lunch: 35 euros (fish only) or 45 euros (fish and meat).Each menu has an amuse bouche, two starters, two main dishes, cheese and a selection of several mini-desserts.
Two menus for dinner : 45 euros and 65 euros.
Chef Pelé's good addresses
Cheese : Ask for Philippe at the Batignolles organic market
Fresh herbs and edible flowers : Batignolles Market
As a conclusion
This restaurant is a bargain. For 35 euros (for lunch) only, you have the feeling of a Haute Cuisine food in a nice and modern atmosphere.Chefs are really nice and enthousiastic and the waiters are friendly.
Practical Information/Infos pratiques
Bigarrade
106, rue Nollet 75017
Tel : 01-42-26-01-02
Metro station : Brochant
Map : click here.
Open from Monday to Saturday for lunch (12pm to 2 pm) and dinner (8 pm to 10.30 pm).
Website : http://www.bigarrade.fr/
Pictures : copyright FoodieFroggy except cod picture by Lilibox.
05 juillet 2008
Un Piège merveilleux aux Ambassadeurs/A wonderful Piège (trap in french) at Les Ambassadeurs.
Date of lunch : june 2008.
Résumé en français
La magie à l’état pur, tout simplement. De la haute gastronomie
comme on l’aime : goûteuse, raffinée, créative voire ludique, résolument
moderne, le tout dans un cadre élégant (quoiqu'un peu froid à mon goût) et avec un service discrètement
parfait et décontracté. Le menu « affaires » du déjeuner (servi du
mardi au vendredi) est abordable (88 euros) et d’un excellent rapport
qualité/prix au vu de la qualité des plats et des innombrables amuse-bouches
servis. On se délecte du début à la fin …
Pour une critique en français très détaillée, rendez-vous
sur le site de cuisiner en ligne, je suis 100% d’accord avec ses commentaires
et en plus, nous avons dégusté quasiment la même chose ! A ce propos, les photos m'ont été aimablement prêtées par Stéphane, car mari à moi pas content quand moi "mitrailler" endroits chics !!
Réservation indispensable (au moins 15 jours à l’avance
pour le déjeuner, 2 mois pour le dîner ou le brunch dominical).
The Chef
Jean-François Piège comes from the Drome region, in the southeastern part of France.His first restaurant position was at the
restaurant Chabichou, in the French Alps resort, Courchevel. Later he worked at
Chateau Eza on the French Riviera, under Bruno Cirino.
After a stint in the kitchens of the French
presidential palace during his military service, Jean-Francois Piege again
joined forces with Bruno Cirino at Les Elysées, the restaurant of the Hotel
Vernet. Then, at the famed Louis XV in Monte Carlo, he entered the world of
Alain Ducasse in 1992.Chef Piege’s passion for excellence made him the natural
choice when Alain Ducasse needed someone to take over at the Plaza Athenee in
2000.
Jean-François Piège was only 34 when he came to
Les Ambassadeurs in February 2004 to become Head Chef.
(source : Crillon Hotel)
A side note about the pictures : The pictures on this reviews are not mine, they were taken by Stéphane, a Chef and foodblogger (you can see his site, “cuisiner en ligne” here and his review (in french) here) who had lunch at “Les Ambassadeurs” a month ago and he gave me permission to use his pictures, to give you an idea of the beauty of the dishes. As the menu has very little changed since his lunch, they were totally appropriate for my very own review.
For lunch on week days, you can choose between
a tasting menu (210 euros), the business menu (three courses, 88 euros, wine
and coffee not included) or "à la carte" selection.
We chose the business menu for obvious reasons,
and we also noticed that all the items were also on the “à la carte” but much
more expensive. For instance, my main dish alone was 70 euros à la carte!!
In the business menu, you have the choice
between two starters (one with seafood, one with meat), two main dishes
(seafood/meat) and two desserts. This is more than enough. We managed to taste
everything as we chose different items from starter to dessert !
Before starting, one is served a selection of 3 different individual breads,
and two butters : a salted one made by Jean-Yves Bordier, one of the most
famous cheese artisan in France. His world-known shop is located in Saint-Malo,
Brittany. And an unsalted one, “a beurre de baratte” (freshly churned butter).
As an amuse-bouche, we had one of Piege’s famous dish : like a “Plateau TV” (his very own interpretation of TV platter, served on a tray) : 5 items to be eaten in a certain order, from left to right : two shots glasses, one filled with celery lemonade and vodka, the other one with crayfish sauce and a foie gras (duck liver) foam. In the center of the platter, a tiny ball (named here a “cromesquis”, never heard that word before) in a tiny bowl (haha) which was a round crunchy croquette filled with a liquid crayfish sauce. Fourth item was a thin cigarette-like tube made with brick pastry and filled with “niçoise” cream (basil, cream and probably anchovies and bellpeppers). Last was butter with black truffle bites, wrapped like a candy. Needless to say that this amuse-bouche was incredible, with a wide variety of sensations and tastes.
As a starter, my husband chose the “Foie
gras de canard des landes, en gelée Montmorency et en spaghetti
cerises/amandes” (duck foie gras from Les Landes, served in two plates :
one cold with a jelly of “Montmorency” cherries and the other served warm with
almonds and cherries in the shape of spaghetti pasta).
I took “araignée de mer decortiquée, en
salade et vinaigre fumé et en bouillon au satay” (shelled spider crab, both
ways : cold with smoked vinegar and warm with a satay broth). It was
served with very fresh sushi-like granny apples. Both main dishes showcased
contrasts in textures, temperatures and taste. I have no word to describe the
sensationalness (does that word exist ? If not, well, it should!) of the
dishes. Like in many high-end restaurants, the portions are small but believe
me, it was more than enough. At this point, I was almost full (I said “almost”,
lol).
Main dishes : Ah, I had ris de veau de lait blanc/brun
au gout d’une pissaladière (veal sweetbreads with an accompaniment which
tasted like a Provencal pizza). Sweetbreads are something I often choose in restaurants as I am totally
unable to make them at home. They were served with the best onion and potato
purée I have ever tasted.
A.chose “Bar de Ligne piqué au vin jaune,
morilles/riz au comté” (seabass with yellow wine, morels and rice with comté
cheese) : the seabass was “swimming” in a yellow wine sabayon sauce,
simply topped with melted comté, and with an asian-style rice tuile.Still a lot of contrasts between crunchy and soft textures and all tastes were amazing, extremely well-balanced.
The presentation of the dishes is very modern,
almost architectural, very zen-like.
Cheese : Two carts full of affineur cheeses arrived to our table, each cheese under its own glass “cloche” . The cheese came from Antony, another famous cheese shop. I chose a comté, a pont l’évêque and …can’t remember the third one !
Desserts : oh.my.God !! Spectacular. But before the desserts, we had so many amuse-bouches that I can hardly remember all of them. First, a silver “tower” with three floors, each displaying miniature size sweet bites : pineapple macarons, rhubarb pastries and mini pims (chocolate and orange). Then a “S” shaped tray with triangular chocolate and hazelnuts ganache and two bite-size crèmes brûlées wrapped in plastic film, that we were told to crush in our mouths before removing the film. Followed by a Malibu and coconut Eskimo ice-cream coated with chocolate. And last but not least, a tray with a very funny sparkling sugar, some pastry sticks and a caramel sauce. We were asked to soak the sticks in the caramel first then coat them with sparkling sugar, which made an hilarious sensation in our mouths. Can you believe these were not even the desserts ??
My dessert : a cylindrically-shaped strawberry sorbet with
rhubarb center surrounded by a meringue cage. A generous scoop of fraises des
bois was added at the table. The cage was decorated with gold leaf flakes. Gorgeous.Excellent.Fresh.
Hubby had a chocolate/banana dessert wrapped with thin
leaves of sugar, just like a gift. It was beautiful, crunchy and airy at the
same time (yes, I know, hard to imagine, but that’s the way it was).
We ordered
a coffee (large selection) , but if you prefer tea or herbal infusion, you will
be impressed by the cart with fresh herbs in their pots and cut in front of
you.
After
coffee, we were served a chocolate and frozen mint bonbon.
The wine
A glass of Rosé Roederer Champagne to start for both of us and a glass of white wine for hubby. I
stayed with water for the rest of the lunch. We are not really wine
connoisseurs, but if you are, you won’t be disappointed : the wine menu is the most extensive I have ever seen : it is literally several meters long, folded like an
accordion.
The customers and the decoration
Maybe my only little disappointment. I found
the room to be extremely elegant but cold : too many space between tables,
which is great for intimacy but lacks of coziness. And the marble everywhere
did not help to heat atmosphere. The room is large, with only a dozen tables.
Also, many reviews mention the view on the Place de la Concorde, but actually
there is no view. First, only half the tables are close to a window, and
secondly, only one of them has an unobstructed view on the outside.
The customers were mostly French, and
businessmen, apart from two other couples.
The table decoration was quite sober, but the
silverware (Christofle), and plates (Bernardaud) were wonderful : modern and
classy.
The
Service
We had at least 4 people
taking care of us, but they were not too formal. We could chat and joke with
them. They were quite young, but professional.
As
a conclusion
The perfect restaurant for a very special occasion. The lunch menu is really a
bargain for what you get and is an opportunity not to be missed to enter the
world of Haute Gastronomie.
Practical Information/Infos
pratiques :
Les Ambassadeurs
Hôtel de Crillon
10 Place de la Concorde
75008 Paris
Tél. : +33 1 44 71 15 00
website : www.crillon.com
Other pictures : Copyright : L' Internaute
09 juillet 2007
My Restaurant Reviews
(last updated november 2009)
In Paris
(By Alphabetical order)
- Le Beurre Noisette in the 15th arrondissement : New "Bistrot Parisien".The food was OK but the slow service spoilt it all. Read my review
- Le ChateauBriand in the 11th arrondissement. One of the trendiest restaurant in Paris, but maybe the food was actually too trendy for my palate. Read my review
- Le Pré Catelan in the 16th arrondissement. A stunning lunch in a wonderful place. Read my review
- Le Saïgon in the 13th arrondissement.Exotic food in our local Chinatown.Non adventurous eaters must avoid the place ! Read my review
- Les Ombres in the 7th arrondissement. A good meal with a stunning view on the Eiffel Tower. Read my review
- Pause Café in the 11th arrondissement. A no-frills Café in the bobo Bastille neighborhood. Food has never disappointed me though.Read my review
- Spring in the 9th arrondissement.An excellent meal in a very laid back and tiny restaurant. Daniel Rose's set menu is a bargain. Reservation needed weeks ahead.Read my review
- Le Temps au Temps in the 11th arrondissement.A very good meal in a tiny restaurant. A new Chef since January 2008, who has nothing to envy to former Chef Sylvain Sendra. Read my review
- Les Ambassadeurs in the 8th arrondissement at Hotel de Crillon. Jean-François Piege is a genius of Haute Gastronomie and our lunch there was a pure moment of bliss. Read my Review
- Bigarrade in the 17th arrondissement. A taste of Haute Gastronomie for a fraction of the price. Tempted ? Read my Review
- New ! Bristol in the 8th arrondissement. Not as impressive as Les Ambassadeurs, but still excellent. Read my Review
- New ! Ze Kitchen Galerie in the 6th arrondissement. Very good french food with an asian twist. Read my Review
- More restaurant reviews ? Please visit the friendliest english-speaking forum : Our Paris.There you will find reviews about Bofinger Brasserie, Atelier de Maître Albert (5th arr), Le reminet (5th arr), le Florimond (7th arr), Le Durer (18th arr).Click on the names to read the reviews.
In France
- Le Torrent, in Megève, French Alps. Comfort food in a cozy restaurant. Read my review.
- Le Refuge, in megève, French Alps.Regional produce with a creative touch.A talented Chef. Read my review.
- La Ferme de Victorine, in Notre-Dame-De-Bellecombe, Frech Alps. Traditional Alpine recipes with a modern twist.Read my review
- L'ancienne auberge, in Vonnas, Bresse region. Simple and good food by great Chef George Blanc at cheap prices.Read my review