Déjeuner savoureux chez « Le Temps au Temps, a tasty lunch at « Le Temps au Temps »

Date of lunch : march 2008.

Résumé en français
Un restau grand comme un mouchoir de poche, des clients un peu entassés à la « va comme j’te pousse », mais c'est assez amusant. On ne vient pas ici pour le confort mais pour se régaler et de ce côté, le contrat est pleinement rempli : une cuisine créative mais pas trop, et surtout très fine et goûteuse. Chaque plat est parfaitement exécuté, les cuissons et les assaisonnements très bien maîtrisés. C'est un nouveau Chef, Denis Sabarots, qui est aux fourneaux depuis fin janvier 2008 (peu de gens le savent).
Bref, si vous hésitez entre « Le Temps au Temps » et son voisin « le Bistrot Paul Bert », je vous conseille plutôt le premier (revue-positive quand même- du Paul Bert à venir). Réservation indispensable.

The Chef
The Chef is very new, he has been at "Le Temps au Temps" for only two months. His name is Denis Sabarots, he is 34 years old. Just before "Le Temps..." he was working at le Sofitel Faubourg in Paris, and before that, he was a "second" at La Table d'Anvers and a "Chef de Partie" at The Ritz Hotel in Paris. His career also includes experiences at Le Jules Verne on top of the Eiffel Tower, Maison Blanche , Lutétia and Plazza Athénée hotels.  

The Food
Two three-course menus for lunch (appetizer, main dish and dessert): 30 euros and 18 euros menus. We were a party of 3 and one of us was a vegetarian. He chose the cheapest menu and asked for a substitution from the other menu and it was possible. We were glad that the Chef was flexible enough for that.

So we were two to choose the 30 euros menu: We started with snails cappuccino for me and celery creamy soup and bacon for him. Ahah, I know what you are thinking: snails???Yuck!! Snails are not something I eat on a daily basis and you would have told me, when I was a teenager, that I was going to enjoy them at a more “mature” age, I would have answered: “are you kidding ?” . Luckily, palates change and evolve, and now I really love them. Of course, I don’t think I could cook them (which would imply touching them), but having them prepared by a talented chef was a treat. They were absolutely amazing: garlicky but not in an overwhelming proportion and the cappuccino (a foam actually) was a pleasant “trendy” note.
Both my friends had the celery creamy soup with bacon (no bacon for our vegetarian friend). Celery is not a vegetable I particularly enjoy, but this soup was fantastic: I tasted a small spoonful and I could not believe it: I think it had been mixed with mushrooms and the global taste was an explosion of flavours. The portion was small but my companions seemed not to mind about that.

Main dish was sea-bass fillet with caramelized endives and cumbawa. I knew cumbawa was a sort of asian lime, but I had never tasted it. So, I was expecting something tart but I was wrong. Actually, to my great surprise, cumbawa tastes like orange !! And the bitterness of the endives was totally “hidden” by the fact that they were caramelized. The overall sweetness of the dish was well balanced by the iodine of the perfectly cooked fish. The waitress recommended that we eat the skin of the fish and it was pleasantly crunchy.
Our veggie friend (who could eat fish) had the marinated salmon, with small potatoes and wasabi (raifort). He found it very good.

Desserts, ah desserts!! My crème brûlée with orange marmalade was to die for. The marmalade was, perhaps, a bit too sweet but I prefer that than a bitter taste. Rice pudding was served with a layer of salted caramel at the bottom and a scoop of peanut ice-cream on top, which was a nice surprise since it was not mentioned on the blackboard. I was seated in front of my friend and I can tell you his face was enlighten with satisfaction!
The 18 euros menu featured a citrus fruits gratin, which were quarters of orange and grapefruits topped by sabayon.

The wine
As none of us was a “wino”, we followed the waitress’s recommendation and had a good beaujolais red wine, a “Moulin à vent”.

The customers and the decoration

Le Temps au Temps is located in what is perhaps the most gourmet street in Paris : rue Paul Bert, known for its 3 gourmet restaurants and an amazing bookshop specialized in food-related books. The restaurant is minuscule (tiny) with only 26 seats and all customers are packed like sardines. You will probably hear everything from your neighbors’ conversations ! The only negative point was that is was a bit too noisy and I had some problem to interact with my friends (they were both Americans and, as you know, English is not my mother tongue, so I almost needed to read their lips, lol).
There is no particular decoration apart from a giant clock which was not, on purpose I guess, “put right”. Hence the name “Le Temps au Temps” which is extracted from a French expression “laisser le temps au temps” : “to give time to time” (some things need time to be done, so do not be in a hurry, and take your time to enjoy). It can also be used when you have a personal drama in your life, time can be a good friend and smooth your pain.
The kitchen is very small too and they were only two people (the Chef and a helper) working there ! It was open to the “dining room”, which is something I particularly enjoy. I am totally mesmerized when I watch professional Chefs cook and I am also extremely impressed that only two people could prepare three course menus for 26 people at the same time.
The customers that day were only French. I mean, the only table speaking a foreign language was ours, from what I could hear.

The Service
The waitress is part of the former team. She was prompt, efficient and quite flexible.She was was a bit reserved, though. She seemed to speak a good English.

The choice and the Cost

Two menus for lunch: 30 euros and 18 euros (that one is a fixed menu, with no substitution officially allowed, but we could actually substitute one of the items).
If you don’t feel like having a three-course menu, you can choose only one starter and main dish or one main dish and dessert for 15 euros.

As a conclusion
A highly recommended restaurant. As we were the first to arrive but the last to leave (lol), I took time to chat with the chef before leaving and he was very happy that we enjoyed his food. I told him everything was extremely tasty, the presentation was nice, and the creativity was “under control”.

Practical Information/Infos pratiques :
Le Temps au Temps
13, rue Paul Bert
75011 Paris
Tel.: +33 (0)1 43 79 63 40
Metro : Faidherbe Chaligny or Charonne

Open from Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.
Website : http://tempsautemps.com/

Pictures : copyright FoodieFroggy

Comments

[David]

I love your reviews Anne!

You make it easy to imagine myself in this little place. Will add it to my list!

[marie]

j'adore ce resto qui est bon, pas cher avec des produits de qualité bien cuisinés. la rue Paul Bert avec l'Unico et la librairie Cocotte est décidement une rue bien gourmande

[Flo Bretzel]

Exactement le genre d'établissements que je cherche lorsque je reviens en France!

[Foodie Froggyf]

Hi Laidback. As it was my first time there, I cannot tell you whether it was better or not than with the former team, but we all enjoyed our meal.

[Laidback]

Anne I greatly enjoyed Le Temps au Temps before the previous young couple sold it. how would you compare it now to formerly?