My favorite bistros in Paris

Here, I’ve listed 12 bistros I like very much in Paris. I tended to make the info brief rather than detailed, for those people who need a quick review. I’ve also uploaded a lot of photos to my Flickr albums which might be helpful as a reference.

Price range -
Lunch set – 30€ to 40€
Dinner – 30€ to 60€

Paris 75001
Les Fines Gueules

Les Fines Gueules

Please check my review posted on August 5, 2009.
Open hours: Open 7 days for lunch and dinner. Bar hour till late night.
Add: 43, Rue Croix des Petits Champs, 75001 Paris   (Map)
Metro:  Palais Royal Musee du Louvre, Pyramides, or Bourse
Tel: +33 1 42 61 35 41‎
Flickr Photo Set

Yam’Tcha

Yam'Tcha

Just started in this year, Yam’Tcha has been a big hit in Paris. Every gourmand friend of mine is talking about it. I went it once this summer and found it intriguing. The female chef Adeline Grattard has an impressive resume: worked with Yannick Alléeno at the Hotel and Pascal Barbot at L’Astrance-l’Astrance in Paris and then spent 2 years working in Hong Kong, including at the restaurant BO. IMO, her cuisine is full of Asian touch, the presentation is very French however. Please make a reservation as early as possible.

Open Hours:   Wednesdays to Sundays
Add: 4 rue Sauval, Paris 75001  (Map)
Metro:  Louvre Rivoli
Tel: +33 1 40 26 08 07
Flickr Photo Set

Paris 75002

Aux Lyonnais

Aux Lyonnais

This is a very historical bistro in Paris. It’s founded in 1890, so you could imagine that the decoration and ambiance surrounded here is very vintage and traditional, which I think is very charming. As the name tells, the cuisine here is Lyonnais style from the gourmet city Lyon. It has belonged Alain Ducasse Group for a few years.

Open Hours: Tuesdays to Fridays. Saturday dinner. Annual closed: July 26th to August 24th and December 24th to January 2nd.
Add: 32, Rue St-Marc, Paris 75002  (Map)
Metro:  Richelieu Drouot, Bourse, or Quatre Septembre
Tel: +33 1 42 96 65 04
Flickr Photo Set
http://www.auxlyonnais.com/

Paris 75004

Benoit

Benoit

Founded in 1912, Benoit has kept its well-known traditional cuisine well till now. It’s a bistro very comfortable and very Parisian. Benoit has been acquired by Alain Ducasse Group in 2005 from the ex-proprietor Petit family. It’s a Michelin one star restaurant, but the price is pretty fair – lunch set costs 38€ and a la carte at dinner costs around 60€. Delicious food and cheerful ambiance.

Open Hours: Mondays to Sundays. Annual closed: July 26th to August 25th and Feburary 25th to March 2nd.
Add: 20, Rue St-Martin, Paris 75004  (Map)
Metro:  Chatelet or Hotel de Ville
Tel: +33 1 42 72 25 76
Flickr Photo Set
http://www.esprit-bistrot.com/

Paris 75005

Ribouldinque

Ribouldingue

The owner Nadège Varigny had worked with Yves Camdeborde for around 10 years before. It’s a place for those who love offals (les abats): Instines, tripe, cheeks, tongues, kidneys, and the rest. The wine list is a very brief but well selected one. The food is hearty and yummy.

Open Hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays. Annual closed: From Aug 9 to Aug 31 and December 27th to January 4th.
Add: 10 Rue St-Julien le Pauvre, Paris 75005  (Map)
Metro: Saint-Michel, Cluny La Sorbonne, or Maubert Mutualite
Tel: +33 1 46 33 98 80
Flickr Photo Set

Itineraire

Itineraires

The chef Sylvain Sendrais is from the famous bistro le Temps en Temps. The interior deco is very modern and bright. The service is inviting and friendly. The food here is delicious and contemporary. Of course, make sure that you book a table in advance.

Open Hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays. Annual closed: From Aug 4 to Aug. 25 and December 20th to 29th.
Add: 5, Rue de Pontoise, Paris 75005  (Map)
Metro: Maubert Mutualite
Tel: +33 1 46 33 60 11
Flickr Photo Set

2007 Yves Cuilleron St-Joseph Blanc & 2004 Clos de Vougeot Tasting

Tasting date – Aug., 15, 2009

2007 Yves Cuilleron St-Joseph Blanc & 2004 Clos de Vougeot Tasting

2007 Yves Cuilleron Saint-Joseph “Saint-Pierre”
Grape variety: 100% Roussanne
Vanilla, peach in the nose. In the mouth, peach, apricot, a bit candy, mineral were found. Round and rich.
14/20

2007 Yves Cuilleron Saint-Joseph “Le Lombard”
Grape variety: 100% Marsanne
A bit biscuit, a bit oaky, spice, and little white flower in the nose. A bit oily texture, probably because of the level of glycerol which is usually can be found in Rhone white?! Floral and spices in the mouth. After it breathed for a while, peach smell came out. I would prefer tasting this wine with food.
15/20

2004 Domaine J. Confuron-Contetidot Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
Alcoholic at beginning, not open yet. After a while, red berry appeared in the nose and came up with more oaky hint. In the mouth, it’s intense, a bit tannic and alcoholic. With licorice and dark berry aromas. However, some harsh feeling and bitterness touch rose in the end. Although the taste was concentrate, it somehow lacked the balance.
14-14.5/20

2004 Domaine Meo-Camuzet Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
Red berry and licorice in the nose, then a bit meaty smell joined. In the mouth, charming smoky berry combined with flowers. The texture is round and soft. After a while, some caramel appeared with some highlight of saffron and licorice. It’s been very ready to drink.
16/20

2004 Chateau de la Tour Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
It’s a bit wet earthy in the nose, and quite closed. However, in the mouth, it’s very intense, powerful and with a smooth tannin structure. Long finish. Perhaps it’s better to wait for another 3~5 years in order to fully enjoy this wine.
16/20

2004 Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
Some creamy butter, caramel and red berry in the nose. The taste was smooth, round, and with cute fruity and berry notes. Then, some spices emerged. It’s been very ready to drink.
15/20

It was in a blind-tasting format. Most people preferred 2004 Chateau de la Tour Clos de Vougeot. For myself, it’s difficult to choose a favorite one between Meo-Camuzet & Ch. de la Tour. For enjoying now, I would go for Meo though. My conclusion – Clos de Vougeot is probably my less preferable Grand Cru from Cote de Nuits.

2007 Yves Cuilleron Saint-Joseph Blanc

The corks.

1989 Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanee “Cros-Parantoux”

1989 Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanee "Cros-Parantoux"

I tasted this fantastic 1989 Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanee “Cros-Parantoux” at Bras restaurant in Laguiole in end of June this year. I would say – it was beyond words.

My tasting note:

It’s complex on both the nose and palate. Incredible and appealing berry aroma. So intense. I felt like walking in a deep and misty forest after a rain. Then, a hint of genièvre appeared with a little bit spicy white pepper. On the palate: powerful and vigorous. The texture was smooth with beautiful finesse. A long finish with elegant spices and a slightly smoky hint. The harmony lasted to the end.

Tasted: June 28, 2009 *****

The chef sommelier Sergio Calderonof Michel Bras made a key chain for me by this cork.

Les Fines Gueules

During the last 2 months of my stay in France, Les Fines Gueules became one of my favorite venues to stop by – for a drink and for the good food.   The dynamic owner/manager Arnaud Bradol is an enthusiastic fan of bio-wine, or so called “natural wine”.  He is also fanatical about top food ingredients.  Here, he features the best suppliers including – Hugo Desnoyer for beef and veal, Jean-Yves Bordier for butter, Joël Thiébault for vegetables, Poujauran for bread.   Plus, the cave under the restaurant is another thing to make you “wow”.  More than thousands of wines are quietly lying there.


The restaurant is located in a building that used to belong to la Banque de France.   The building is elegant and tells its own history.   Nevertheless, when you walk in the restaurant, you don’t feel it is like other traditional wine bars or bistros in Paris – the interior design is a nicely calibrated mixture of contemporary and vintage touches.


There are no printed menus or wine lists.  They bring you a menu/wine list written on blackboards instead.  For the menu, I found they change the dishes quite frequently, but you can always find their signature dishes –

Assortiment de Charcuteries Fines

Entrée

• Assortiment de Charcuteries Fines
• Carpaccio de Veau élevé sous la mère, parmesan bio 36 mois et huile d’olive extra vierge

Fameux Tartare de Limousine au couteau grenailles et salade

Plat

• Fameux Tartare de Limousine au couteau grenailles et salade
• *Its carré d’agneau and fish dishes are also very good and worth a try.

So, about the wine, oui…!  If you didn’t try any wine here, you would leave feeling VERY sorry to yourself.  The first time I visited Les Fines Gueules with friends, Arnaud brought us a red wine which had been put in a decanter.   The first nose of the wine to me was eucalyptus, very fresh and quite spicy.  It’s so unique and intriguing.  The taste was also full of spices; the texture was pretty round.  It’s like a breeze gently brushing your cheek during summertime when drinking this wine.   It was not easy for me to figure out the region this wine belongs to.  I would guess it’s from the south France, maybe la Corse?  Or Languedoc-Roussillon?

Le Petit Domaine de Gimios Rouge Fruit

Finally, Arnaud brought the bottle to us, it’s a domaine called Le Petit Domaine de Gimios which produces only nature wine, no sulphur or SO2 added at all.   Plus, the vines here are all very old vines.  It is run by a 60+ year old woman named Anne Marie Lavaysse, who insists on using the most natural and organic methods for taking care of her vineyard. She maintains very low yield, which is only 10~14 hectolitres per hectare (hl/ha).  The grape variety of this wine Rouge Fruit contains Cinsault, Alicante, Grenache, Carignan, Aramon, and Muscat.   Besides this wine, I was also lucky enough to be comp’d with a glass of 1975 Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande.  It was just splendid…!


At Les Fines Gueules, the wines are always full of surprises (good ones, of course) and the food is promising. Very relaxing and cheerful ambiance.  Free live Jazz concerts are performed here from time to time on Sundays.


Les Fines Gueules satisfies those with good palates and good tastes.  A truly cool place for those Hao Kou Fu people.


Les Fines Gueules
Address – 43 Rue Croix des Petits Champs, Paris 75001
TEL – +33 1 42 61 35 41
Hours –  Open 7 days for lunch and dinner.  Bar hour till late night.
Metro – Palais Royal, Bourse, Sentier, or Pyramide

The bar

More photos -

Les Fines Gueules

The Menu

Carpaccio de Veau élevé sous la mère, parmesan bio 36 mois et huile d’olive extra vierge

Duo d’asperges

Noix de veau rôtie

Maquereaux entier rôti

1975 Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande in double-magnum

1978 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert

Assortiment de tomates anciennes

Ccarré d’agneau

Carré d’agneau

Dos de cabillaud

La terrasse

La terrasse

Catherine et Pierre Breton Vouvray La Dilettante (made by Chenin Blanc)

1998 Catherine et Pierre Breton Chinon Les Picasses

2006 Les Bois Lucas – Cuvée Kuniko

2004 Domaine Dehours Champagne Rose Brut

Chef Sawada was making a piece of sushi…

Sawada, A Man Who Puts His Soul Into His Sushi

 

The chef - Koji Sawada (澤田幸治)

It’s indeed not easy to get a seat at Sawada. Think about this – 7 seats only, Michelin 2 stars, one of the hippest Sushi places in Tokyo. I was lucky enough to get in there and be seated right in front of the chef Sawada Koji (澤田幸治). Sawada is 38 years old, the same age as RyuGin’s chef Yamamoto. He used to work for one of the top Sushi places in Ginza – 青木 (Aoki). Some Japanese media even claim that Sawada is the most difficult sushi place to get a seat which really tempted me to go there.  

The entrance of Sawada

 

I arrived at 13h50, 10 minutes earlier than my reservation scheduled at 14h. There were another 2 guests who had just arrived. There are only 2 people working at Sawada – the Chef himself and his helper. Sawada speaks a little English. He asked me if there is anything I don’t eat. I told him I even ate ball fish, then he laughed.  Before starting the meal, his helper brought this sake – “醸し人九平次 別誂（べつあつらえ）純米大吟醸 Eau du desir” to me.

醸し人九平次 別誂（べつあつらえ）純米大吟醸 Eau du desir

 

It’s my first time to taste this sake, and it’s an unusual one. Why?! It’s the first sake being introduced to a few Michelin 3 star restaurants in Paris, i.e. Pierre Gagnaire and Guy Savoy. This sake is really good and I would not hesitate to say it’s the best one I had so far in this year.  

 

 

I-Ku-Ra, the loose salmon eggs

 

The first appetizer Sawada brought to me is I-Ku-Ra, the loose salmon eggs with a bit citrus sauce which offers a very light and elegant touch to the salmon eggs. The quality of salmon eggs is impeccable. They just easily melted in my mouth.  

 

赤貝 Akagai (Red Clam)

 

 

Afterwards, the Sawada style sushi feast started. I totally enjoyed looking at how he worked with his knife and shaped the sushi with skillful hands. He’s like an artist! Every sushi is just incredibly great and delicious. Sawada only uses the best fish he can get on the day (he has very limited sleeping time ‘cz he has to choose fish by himself every early morning). This sushi place totally blew me away. Even now, I could still remember how those fish tasted in my mouth… How that great O-toro brought the heavenly pleasure to me… The wild sea eel, the different unis (sea urchin) from Hokkaido and Kyushu, …everything is just incredible. Even the simplest atsuyaki tamago (egg cake) demonstrates what perfection would be. 

 

 

大トロ (Otoro)

 

 

Although our communication wasn’t much, by his genuine smile and extremely serious attitude to his sushi, I can tell that he really cares about his guests. Sawada, a man gives sushi with a spirit…! P.S. The 3 star sushi places are Mizutani (鮨 水谷) and Sukiyabashi Jiro (鮨 すきやばし次郎). At beginning, my first choice was Mizutani and 2nd choice was Sawada. I didn’t put Jiro as my first choice after doing reserach on several Japanese websites. The ratings of Mizutani or Sawada are the highest. Michelin Guide is worth it as a reference to, but when it comes to the end, I would rather trust a local insider’s taste.

 

さわ田　Sawada 
5-9-19 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
東京都中央区銀座5-9-19

+81 3 3571 4711 

 

Here are more pictures - 

 

Sawada is hidden on a small alley in the most expensive area Ginza in Tokyo.

Sawada 澤田

Very neat and simple table setting

Enjoy the sake

Delicate marinated sliced ginger.

Otoro, so incredibly delicious

鰹 sushi

漬小鯽魚 sushi

Kuruma ebi sushi

伯樂星 sake

Bafun uni sushi

Mabun uni from Hokkaido

I think I preferred this Kyushu uni to Bafun uni.

Uni from Kyushu （九州）

Incredibly sweet and tasty tomatoes

Very small tomatoes

Anagi Sushi

This is called Anagi which means wild eel from the sea.

Beautiful cut Japanese egg cake

Sawada showed me these beautiful maguro toro pieces after my lunch.

Koji Sawada (澤田幸治）

An inspiring and fantastic dining experience in Tokyo – RyuGin

An inspiring and fantastic dining experience in Tokyo – RyuGin

RyuGin, a restaurant renowned for creative Japanese cuisine, is hidden in the very modern and chic Roppongi area.   The chef Yamamoto Seiji (山本征治) used to work under the very famous chef Koyama Hirohisa (小山裕久) at Aoyagi (青柳) for 11 years.  When he was 33 years old, he started his own restaurant RyuGin in December 2003.  It’s rated as a 2-star restaurant by the first issue of Michelin Guide – Tokyo 2008.  Yamamoto was invited to the 2007 Madrid Fusion and presented a dish called “Silkscreen of Squid Ink with Squid Carpaccio” which earned an ovation at the event.  Indeed, Yamamoto is a super star in  Japanese cuisine nowadays.

The dining space of RyuGin is pretty small.  The main space could host about 20 guests only, but with a private room, it can host up to about 26 seats.  I was lucky to get a seat because I called to make a reservation just 2 days ahead, but I was requested to arrive at the restaurant at 18h, otherwise, there’d be no tables available until 22h.  I knew it’s very difficult to get a table there, so, I told the person that it was fine for me to be there at 18h.

2 choices of Champagne by the glass

On that day, I was the first guest to arrive at the restaurant.  The sommelier (who was also the person to serve me) told me it would be okay to take a few pictures of the restaurant since no other guests were there yet.  I was glad that the sommelier spoke English fluently.  He told me that he went to Australia to take a sommelier course before, so there was no problem to communicate with him in English at all.  Obviously, we have a shared interest – wine.  Soon, we started a cheerful conversation.  By his recommendation, I ordered the Gastronomy B set (which cost 26,250 yen, about US$250) which focuses on Yamamoto’s signature dishes.

After having the seasonal amuse bouche, I asked the sommelier what kind of whites they provided by the glass.  He soon brought 4 whites to my table.  Normally, I would choose the wine by myself, but in this case – I didn’t know how this “creative Japanese cuisine” would be, so I preferred to consult the sommelier.   Satisfyingly, he gave me this answer – “How about this – I’ll pour some of each wine for you, so you can try the different combinations with different dishes.”   How could I reject this offer?!
When the first dish came, I was still on my Champagne Henriot.  Then the 2nd dish – Aichi figs with port flavored foie gras terrine served with sesame cream came, the waiter suggested another wine which didn’t appear in those 4 white flight when he just showed me.  It’s a 2005 Zind-Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Gewurztraminer VT, what a brilliant suggestion.  “Le mariage” of the wine and food was very harmonious.  The bouquet of this Gewurz was dazzlingly aromatic.  I just couldn’t stop myself taking a deep breath of this wine…

Assorted Sashimi - RyuGin Style

The sommelier was indeed helpful and friendly.  He patiently explained every dish to me.  When the “Assorted Sashimi – RyuGin Style” was served, the chef Yamamoto himself even came to pour the soy sauce for me as well as presented his greetings.  Quelle surprise!

When I dined at some Michelin 2-star or 3-star restaurants in Paris, I sometimes found some dishes were not executed perfectly which usually made me feel a bit disappointed.  But at RyuGin, I would say – every dish just and simply blew me away.  I didn’t find anything over-cooked or not executed properly.  Plus, the ingredients were top quality and the service was inviting with a “Japanese” sincere touch.  Instead of “words”, maybe the pictures posted here would tell better by themselves.  You would understand what RyuGin is likely to be.

The selections for food & wine pairing

Winewise -
Champagne Henriot “Souverain”
2005 Zind-Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Gewurztraminer VT
2003 Chateau Villa Bel-Air, Graves
2006 Koshu Cuvee Denis Dubourdieu (Made in Japan and by original Japnese grape variety)
2006 Domaine Weinbach Pinot Blanc
2003 Domaine Jayer-Gilles Bourgogne Hauts Cotes de Beaune
2006 Chateau Mercian Nagano Merlot (Japanese wine)
1999 Louis Jador “Ladoix”
1998 Chateau Batailley, Pauillac
Japanse Sake “天明 Tenmei” 純米吟釀 Junmai-Ginjo

Gastronomy B set

1) Amuse bouche – Ichiban Dash soup (Traditional clear broth) with puree of 5 varieties of wild mushrooms.

2) Deep fried seaweed, stuffed with sea urchin

3) Aichi figs with port flavored foie gras terrine served with sesame cream. (The foie gras is from Landes)

Aichi figs with port flavored foie gras terrine served with sesame cream

4) Blue swimming crab and Shanghai crab topped with chrysanthemum gelee

Blue swimming crab and Shanghai crab topped with chrysanthemum gelee

5) “RyuGin’s house special – Contrasted of two abalone pieces cooked differently, steamed for 10 hours and the other in Shabushabu.” – The more transparent one on the right side is cooked by “shabushabu” way.

RyuGin's house special - Contrasted of two abalone pieces cooked differently, steamed for 10 hours and the other in Shabushabu

6) “Assorted sashimi – RyuGin Style” – There are 2 pieces for each kind of fish. For the first piece of each fish, the chef recommended me to eat with the sauce placed next to it. Then eat the 2nd piece with wasabi and dip a bit soy sauce.

7) Egg pudding, made with Hamo’s bone stock, flavored of autumn
8 ) Char grilled natural large eel with aroma of Japanese peppers
9) “Chef’s specialty – Grilled baby pigeon with autumn truffles” – the baby pigeon was only 28 days old! The meat is so tender… It’s grilled perfectly. The autumn truffle is very aromatic which tells the quality.
10) “Chef’s rice dish of the day” – The fish on the top is from Hokkaido, but I forgot the name of it…
11) Fresh compote of pear and small grapes with plum wine soda gelee
12) Caramel ice cream with Wasanbon sugar served with grated milk curd” – Wasanbon sugar is considered the best sugar in Japan. I really like the flavor of grated milk curd.
13) Baked chestnut cake served on full-moon presentation – very traditional Japanese dessert. Interesting presentation.

I posted this experience sharing on a gourmet forum called OAD (Opinionated About Dining), and I sent e-mail to RyuGin and told them I did that.  A couple days ago, I received e-mail from Ryu-Gin, and I’m so grateful for that.  Here’s the e-mail from Ryu-Gin -

Dear Ms. Ho,

Thank you for sending the URL for your photographs.
We have not heard of OAD website, and could you tell us the URL?
We assume it’s like Chowhound or EGullet and your word of mouth certainly help
s us as we are a tiny restaurant and don’t have the capacity for PR.

Recently, we started the online booking for overseas. Hopefully the guests wil
l feel more convenient to reserve a table whenever they want to from anywhere
in the world.

http://www.nihonryori-ryugin.com/en/reserve/

We hope to see you again on your next visit to Tokyo.

Sincerely,

RyuGin Administration

2 choices of Champagne by the glass

Assorted Sashimi – RyuGin Style

The selections for food & wine pairing

Amuse Bouche – 5 varieties of wild mushrooms

“Deep fried seaweed, stuffed with sea urchin”

Aichi figs with port flavored foie gras terrine served with sesame cream

Blue swimming crab and Shanghai crab topped with chrysanthemum gelee

RyuGin’s house special – Contrasted of two abalone pieces cooked differently, steamed for 10 hours and the other in Shabushabu

l’Ambroisie, la cuisine qui vient d’un grand coeur – Part II

l’Ambroisie, la cuisine qui vient d’un grand coeur

Part II

The dining room of l'Ambroisie

MY SECOND MEAL (Wakako’s Birthday Lunch)

The 2nd time I went to l’Ambroisie was February, 2008 for my friend Wakako’s birthday.  This is late into and at the height of black truffle season, and Pacaud has an unparalleled reputation for sourcing the best black truffles and preparing them to perfection.  Wasn’t I lucky?!

Because of my Facebook Group connection to Mathieu Pacaud, he was waiting for us at the entrance when Wakako and I arrived.  So exciting!  Before we started our meal, he proposed to show us the “core” of l’Ambroisie – the kitchen, and of course, my favorite part – the cave.  Compared with the kitchens of Ledoyen and Les Crayers, the kitchen of l’Ambroisie is incredibly small!  I was quite shocked that they could run in that way.  Mathieu then took out a box and showed us all of the black truffles inside!  He said the quality of black truffles that season wasn’t good, but they tried to find the best ones.  (Of course, it’s l’Ambroisie!)  He told us that they had to use about 10 KG of black truffles every week!  Very impressive.  The cave is also very “compact”. After the tour, we were led to the dining room.   Both Wakako and I love Burgundy wines and we might have spent more time reading the wine list than the menu.  We soon reached a consensus – that we would order a Burgundy red.

Louis Roederer Brut Premier - Cuvée Sélectionnée Par Le Restaurant l

Before having some wine, we also wanted to have some Champagne.  At l’Ambroisie, their house champagne is Louis Roederer Brut Premier.  It’s quite a good choice for an aperitif.  It’s not a heavy style champagne, but quite light and fresh.  Louis Roederer is a champagne house which is still run by a family and could be the most finanicially independent one.  Its own vineyards supply nearly 75% of its grape needs which is a major advantage for this house.  Plus, over 40% of Louis Roederer’s own vineyards are located in Côtes des Blanc, the finest area for Chardonnay.  The Louis Roederer Brut Premier is one of the most consistently good NV champagnes.

1999 Domaine Hervé Sigaut Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes

The Burgundy we chose was 1999 Domaine Hervé Sigaut Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes. It’s a good choice for Wakako’s main course – Carré d’agneau au poivre, but not a perfect choice for my Feuilleté de truffe fraîche “bel humeur”.  A white Burgundy, i.e. Meursault would go better with black truffle than a Burgundy red.

Velouté de topinambours et noix de saint-jacques, émulsion de truffe

Our amuse bouche was Velouté de topinambours et noix de saint-jacques, émulsion de truffe.  Well, it’s of course amazinigly good.  The saint-jacques was very tender, with that impeccable émulsion de truffe, I would say it’s a super luxerious amuse bouche.

Feuillantine de langoustines aux grains de sésame, sauce au curry

For the entrée, Wakako had Feuillantine de langoustines aux grains de sésame, sauce au curry.  It’s a signature dish of l’Ambroisie. I had a little piece of Wakako’s langoustines, and it was so good.  The meat of the langoustines was al dente.  The sauce au curry was not attacking but elegant and the spiciness perfectly highlighted the sweetness of langoustines.  No wonder it’s always on the menu.

Escalopines de bar poelees, étuvée d

I had “Escalopines de bar poelees, étuvée d’artichaut et truffe.”  The quality of the bar is top.  I wish the fish skin was quickly fried so it would taste crispy rather than too chewy. The étuvée d’artichaut et truffe was really great.  The sauce was so creamy and aromatic. You’d be so tempted to use the bread to dip the sauce and even wrap the plate so you wouldn’t miss any tiny drop of this seductive essence.After the entrée, we started to enjoy our red wine.  It was a very intense Chambolle.  I would say it’s the characteristic of the terroir “Le Sentiers”, the old vines, and the vintage “1999″.  Domaine Hervé Sigaut has practiced organic and biodynamic farming since 1992.  Its property is mainly located in Chambolle Musigny, including 3 spectacular old-vine parcels of Chambolle 1er Crus Les Fuées, Les Sentiers, and Noirots.  Les Sentiers is one of the premiers crus which lie under Bonnes-Mares.   Say, compared to another very admirable premier cru – Les Amoureuses, Les Sentiers has more muscle, but it’s true Chambolle.  The vintage 1999, needless to say, is a great vintage for Burgundy wines.  Put these elements altogether, this wine was indeed a great wine.  It still possessed a vivid life, and still young.  If I had another bottle of this wine, I would rather wait for another 10 years to drink it.  It will be incredible.

Feuilleté de truffe fraîche

A"WOW" moment...

When my main course was served, it was really a “wow moment”.  Recall, I had ordered the Feuilleté de truffe fraîche “bel humeur,” a very famous signature dish at L’Ambroisie that consists of a perfect, very large black truffle sandwiching a perfect tranche of foie gras baked in pastry with black truffle sauce.  “Please cut the bel humeur from the middle, and take a deep breathe when the aromas come out…”, when the waiter said this to me, he also winked, which implied me to be prepared for this – you’re going to be blown away.  The shape of this Bel Humeur was so delicate and beautiful.  I felt quite guilty to use the knife to cut it or “destroy” this art piece. Well, after appreciating it enough with my eyes, I eventually had it cut.  And exactly as he said, the aromas blew up immediately.  Before this dish, I’d never had a whole black truffle like this.  Absolutely, it was a totally new experience to me.  I had the same thing at Ledoyen one month after dining at l’Ambroisie.  I have to say – L’Ambroisie’s Bel Humeur is much better!  I am not sure having had this Bel Humeur as a benchmark if I will ever be satisfied with any other.

Carré d'agneau au poivre

Wakako’s carré d’agneau au poivre was also great. She claimed it’s one of the best d’agneau she ever had.  Well, the other one was from Pierre Gagnaire. I also had the pleasure to eat a little piece of it and needless to say, I would also rate it with the highest score so far.  Hugo Desnoyer (could be the best butcher in Paris) used to say – his toughest customer is Pacaud of l’Ambroisie. Pacaud has the highest standards of any chef.  Therefore, you can get the picture why l’Ambroisie can acquire these ingredients of supreme quality.

Tarte fine sablée au chocolat, glace à la vanille

After enjoying the splendid main courses, Wakako and I went on desserts.  She had the signature dessert “Tarte fine sablée au chocolat, glace à la vanille”, and I chose “Biscuit chaud et sorbet à la mandarine”. Both were incredible.  I had a bite of Wakako’s Tarte fine sablee au chocolat and soon understood why it is be so admired.  The appearance of this tarte is not fancy at all.  It’s very simple.  But the taste is defintely not simple; and it’s velvet like.  The chocolate aromas are so rich and good.  What a nice ending of this great meal.

We were the last guests to leave the restaurant.  It was a truly memorable experience.  After the meal, I took a walk around Place des Vosges to keep enjoying that very beautiful afternoon.

Place des Vosges

The point of view of Bernard Pacaud about his/French cuisine -

“French cuisine is an amalgam of influences, just as my cuisine is…”

“Some products are so lovely, I’m afraid I’ll spoil them.  But it’s a question of touch and know-how.  You can see the Japanese guy doesn’t want to spoil the fish.  He has to scale it and filet it, but he wants to make it more beautiful than before.  That’s real cuisine too:  few ingredients, perfect cooking, and perfect seasoning.  The product must keep its nature flavor.  Maybe that’s my cuisine.  But it comes from what I learned with Peyrot and Brazier.”

- Bernard Pacaud, l’Ambroisie “Les secrets de cuisine de Bernard Pacaud”

The DVD of l'Ambroisie - Les Secrets de Cuisine de Bernard Pacaud

The dining room of l’Ambroisie

Louis Roederer Brut Premier – Cuvée Sélectionnée Par Le Restaurant l’Ambroisie

1999 Domaine Hervé Sigaut Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes

Velouté de topinambours et noix de saint-jacques, émulsion de truffe

Feuillantine de langoustines aux grains de sésame, sauce au curry

Escalopines de bar poelees, étuvée d’artichaut et truffe

Feuillantine de langoustines aux grains de sésame, sauce au curry

Carré d’agneau au poivre

Carré d’agneau au poivre

Feuilleté de truffe fraîche “bel humeur

A “WOW” moment…

Feuilleté de truffe fraîche “bel humeur”

Mache salade with black truffles

The dining room

Biscuit chaud et sorbet à la mandarine

Tarte fine sablée au chocolat, glace à la vanille

C’est moi – Cathy Ho

Place des Vosges

C’est moi – Cathy Ho

The DVD of l’Ambroisie – Les Secrets de Cuisine de Bernard Pacaud

(My 3rd time dining at l’Ambroisie will be posted at Part III)

l’Ambroisie, la cuisine qui vient d’un grand coeur – Part I

l’Ambroisie, la cuisine qui vient d’un grand coeur

Part I

Le Restaurant l'Ambroisie

“If you asked 10 Parisians – what’s the best restaurant serving tradition French cuisine, 11 out 10 would answer you – l’Ambroisie.”

I suppose I am still at the age where when I find myself in certain great cities (or towns that are put on the map from having a truly great restaurant) I find myself almost unconsciously deciding to seek out the locations of these “temples”, not to arrive for a reservation, but just to feel what it is like to stand outside of them looking in and dreaming about what it will be like when I dine there.  And so it was 2 years ago, having just arrived in Paris, I went to the Place des Vosges and stood outside L’Ambroisie. Though I knew it is one of the best restaurants in France,  I didn’t realize that it is hidden in such a discreet corner at such a beautiful place.  It seemed have a magic to me, and I suddenly had a feeling telling me – I must come here at least once before I leave France.  And my wish came true:  I would experience four meals there before I moved back to Taiwan.

MY FIRST MEAL (A November White Truffle Lunch with my Aunt and Cousin)

The very first “touch” with l’Ambroisie was in November 2007, when my family came to visit me in Paris – especially good timing since it was white truffle season and the chef/owner, the great Bernard Pacaud, insists only on the best of the best ingredients (even when the ingredient is as rare and expensive as white truffles).   The situation in 2007 was the misfortune of a terrible season for white truffles, so the rarest of the rare that met the standards for L’Ambroisie were beyond exhorbitant.  I brought my camera to the lunch to photograph the beautiful plates of food.

For an ‘amuse bouche’ we were served rouget with leek and balsamic.  The skin was very crispy and the meat was extremely tender.

Parmentière de noix de saint-jacques au cresson, truffe blanche

My aunt went for the Parmentière de noix de saint-jacques au cresson, truffe blanche “O.Berluti”.   I’ve been told the dish is named after a local Paris celebrity Olga Berluti, who creates the beautiful Berluti shoes that she sells from her boutique on the left bank.  The sliced white truffles were placed on top of the scallops (St-Jacques).  By the appearance of the white truffles, you could tell easily the quality is the top.  My aunt said the St-Jacques were executed very well and they retained their flavorful juices: the fresh sweetness of the St-Jacques.  The aromas of the white truffle are still well seared in my memory.  And I would say that egg could be the best company for white truffle.  The émulsion de cepes was also amazing.  The combination was just so perfect because of all of these great ingredients put together.

Œufs de poule brouillés à la truffe blanche, émulsion de cepes

I ordered the “Œufs de poule brouillés à la truffe blanche, émulsion de cepes”.  I can say without hesitation that this was the best white truffle dish I have ever experienced in my life.  The aromas of the white truffle are still well seared in my memory.  And I would say that egg could be the best company for white truffle.  The émulsion de cepes was also amazing.  The combination was just so perfect because of all of these great ingredients put together.

Noix de ris de veau au céleri confit, râpé de châtaignes

For the main course, I ordered “Noix de ris de veau au céleri confit, râpé de châtaignes”.  La cuisson of this noix de ris was just perfect.  The texture was so chewingly soft.  The râpé de châtaigneswas also delicious, but it could be a bit too heavy if you finished all of it.  Well, I really wouldn’t mind if they gave me a little bit Œufs de poule brouillés à la truffe blanche, émulsion de cepes” as a side dish with this as well.

Agneau de Lozère en croute de noix, artichauts violets farcis à la ricotta

My cousin ordered “Agneau de Lozère en croute de noix, artichauts violets farcis à la ricotta”.  When she put the first piece of lamb in her mouth, she said “this is the best lamb I’ve ever had, so delicious…!”  To this day she still can’t forget the lamb she had at l’Ambroisie.  And the stuffed artichokes it came with are the most beautiful presentation of artichokes I have ever seen.

Suprême de volaille de Bresse aux écrevisse, turban de macaroni

On the other hand, my aunt’s “Suprême de volaille de Bresse aux écrevisse, turban de macaroni” was unfortunately not executed perfectly.   The texture looked dry, but she was still quite satisfied with that Bresse. Well, the part of the Bresse she ate was chicken brest.  Most Asian people prefer chicken legs to brests, because the legs are more tender and juicy.  But it seems most Western people like the breast the most.

Strates de nougatine à la poire, sorbet "William" Arlettes caramélisées au fromage blanc, citrons confits

When it came to decide a dessert, my aunt was too full to have something sweet.  So my cousin and I ordered Strates de nougatine à la poire, sorbet “William” and Arlettes caramélisées au fromage blanc, citrons confits.   Strates de nougatine à la poire, sorbet “William” was a very classic one.  My Arlettes caramélisées au fromage blanc, citrons confits was quite light.  The citrons confits had a pleasant tinge of bitterness which balanced well the sweetness.

The whole meal was exceptional, and I found l’Ambroisie was really my style.  We all enjoyed the dining room.  It’s not as big and glittering as Le Meurice (we had been to Le Meurice 2 days ago before l’Ambroisie), but it’s very classic with a more personal touch.  L’Ambroisie’s cuisine looks simple (less “fancy” than Le Meurice), but you could tell the work behind every dish is definitely not easy!  I even bought the DVD – Frederic Laffont’s film L’Ambroisie, les secrets de cuisine de Bernard Pacaud, and have watched it at least 5 times.  Of the dvd documentaries done on Pacaud, Roellinger, Gagaire, and Bras (all of which I have watched multiple times), I enjoy the Pacaud one the most.  The music in the L’Ambroisie documentary is particularly wonderful.  Of all these documentaries, I feel you get the most personal experience watching Bernard Pacaud.

The dining room of l'Ambroisie

WELCOME TO THE INTERNET AGE (The Facebook Group ‘Restaurant L’Ambroisie Bernard Pacaud Appreciation Society’)

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2368713622

If I have a passion for anything, it is photography and sharing my photographs with people, so I posted my L’Ambroisie pictures on my web photo album. One day I found a comment left for me under one of my pictures from 2 now friends of mine Robert Rymarz and Scott Solomon, asking if they might post my photos to the Facebook group ’Restaurant L’Ambroisie Bernard Pacaud Appreciation Society’.  I of course gave them the go ahead, and I joined the group.  This was an exciting way to keep re-experiencing my wonderful time at L’Ambroisie, as other members left comments about my pictures and we had entertaining exchanges.

I think of great restaurants that existed ten or twenty years ago, where many people had some of the best food experiences of their lives, and I realize there is no photographic record of the day-to-day enjoyment these people had and the work invested by the chef and the staff.  Suppose, for example, I wanted to see what it was like to eat at Robuchon’s restaurant in Paris when many said it was the best restaurant in the world?  There is no place to do this, and it is as if it is all lost forever.  This new Facebook venu seems to be able to preserve a good portion of a great restaurant for posterity.

Also, through the Facebook group, I established a connection with Mathieu Pacaud, who was now co-running the restaurant with his father.  My subsequent visits to L’Ambroisie would be much more personal because of this.

Le Restaurant l’Ambroisie

The dining room of l’Ambroisie

The amuse bouche – Rouget with leek and balsamic

Parmentière de noix de saint-jacques au cresson, truffe blanche “O.Berluti”.

Œufs de poule brouillés à la truffe blanche, émulsion de cepes

Noix de ris de veau au céleri confit, râpé de châtaignes

Agneau de Lozère en croute de noix, artichauts violets farcis à la ricotta

Suprême de volaille de Bresse aux écrevisse, turban de macaroni

Arlettes caramélisées au fromage blanc, citrons confits

Strates de nougatine à la poire, sorbet “William”

(My 2nd time dining at l’Ambroisie will be posted at Part II)