Pierre Gagnaire (PG) does not revel in the nature of ingredients like Michel Bras, or Alain Passard, but he is an undeniable master of the plate – on good days, controlling every dimension served – artist not curator.¹ The last memories of Paris during the 2006 45 Michelin Stars in 24 Days² were Pierre Gagnaire serving the best meal of my life. The expected tactics of perfect execution were there (no one cooks fish as great as PG, no one) as well as an elevated conceptual use of a land and sea in many dishes – in particular, two fish paired with foie gras and codfish intestine. But the tactics and concepts reinforced the true genius of that meal – a brilliant narrative flow that weaved tastes and textures into supporting and contrasting elements and motifs throughout the meal.³ The entire meal came together and had a clarity of focus unlike anything I’ve tasted since.

But PG is known to be a restless soul, changing dishes moments before they leave, sometimes differently for the same table, in a last-minute attempt to capture the moment. It is a stream of consciousness – improvised to some inner rhythm and narrative – an internal logic that had been more and more difficult to decipher with each of the past two meals.

Naively, given that recent history, the tasting menu was ditched in favor of a la carte (ALC), in hopes of codified dishes, instead of tasting menu whims. Surprisingly, the non-linear nature of the ALC option was even more difficult to navigate and comprehend. The accumulation of dishes turned the table into a study of negative space – each plate setting brought the madness of those aforementioned dessert tastings. How is one supposed to thread a narrative through six or seven component dishes at once? Apart from a few loosely related ingredients, how does one begin to decipher the riddle of relationships spread across the table? The dishes and tastes were mere vignettes whose ultimate purpose remained elusive.

Taking photos and writing notes, when seven dishes come out at once, is difficult. With the disparate ingredients and techniques involved in a PG meal, doing both is downright impossible – and I failed to invite a sternographer.

The amuses came out fast and furious, each one unremarkable on its own. There was, however, a kaiseki quality to it as the collective whole took the palate through a ‘warm up’ session – tuning and training the taste buds for the meal to come. Strong bitter tastes paired with the very sweet – a back and forth, almost exaggerated – to awaken, tease, and tempt. Canapés were subverted with unusual tastes and colors. The spectrum of foam to granita textures were quick sketches – setting up the boundaries for the remainder of the meal. Before ordering, there were no less than eight dishes on the table.

The ALC menu is loosely divided into two sections of four dishes each – without much distinction in price between appetizers and entrees – this is haute cuisine and you absolutely pay for it. The “dishes” read more like themes, followed by a very long list of ingredients and forms, “poetry” as Wandering Epicures says

Insolite – The Unusual

• Bouquet de truffes blanches d’été, tuile d’abricot et flan de foie gras de canard ; sel de Formentera (Flourish of white summer truffle, abricot tuile and foie gras custard)
• Navet Buren, cube d’olive noire Kalamata ; gelée naturelle de colineau aux câpres la Nicchia (Buren turnip, Kalamate black olive cube; natural jelly of baby hake with la Nicchia capers)
• Court-bouillon brûlant de morue parfumé de soubressade : kokotchas, tripes, piquillos et piments de Guernica (Piping hot stock of cod flavoured with soubressade: cod cheeks and tripe, piquillo peppers and pimientos de Guernica)
• Pièce insolite de bœuf français confite à cru, galette de sardine aux pignons, kinjiso (Unordinary piece of french beef confit raw, pancake of sardines with pine nuts, kinjiso)

PG’s dishes would always trend towards “unusual” when compared to others. What was unusual, for me, were the surprising elements of sweetness tucked within unexpected dishes. It was a re-occurring theme throughout the meal, as every other dish contained something sweet. The collection of dishes did nothing, discernible, as a whole. Eating five different plates, at once, with such a wide variety of ingredients and techniques, presents cohesion problems – what, exactly, is going on?⁴

Estival – Summer

• Blanc de Saint-Pierre en tandoori, fine escalope de denti presque crue ; bouillabaisse mousseuse de rouget de roche (Tandoori filet John Dory, delicate escalope of almost raw dentex; bubbly bouillabaisse of red mullet)
• Pressé de légumes à l’oseille, mitonnée de pistes, casserons et encornets aux poivrons verts (Vegetable terrine with sorrel, slowly cooked, baby cuttledish and squid with green pepper)
• Scampi d’anémones de mer et de feuilles de basilic, sirop de piment d’Espelette (Deep-fried anemone and basil leaves, Espelette pepper syrup)
• Cannelloni d’aubergine et daube de roc à l’ail rose de Lautrec (Aubergine cannelloni and casserole of roc with pink garlic from Lautrec)

The pairing of seafood with “landfood” leads to interesting textural effects, of which PG is a foremost authority, but the “Rubix cube”, my term, showcased PG’s fascination with form, expectation, and textural composition. Its appearance and construction harken back to a cliched French cuisine of the 80s. One would expect a slightly gelled vegetable puree – but the density of each cube was black hole-like – a very compact cube of {radish, spinach, carrot} puree, agar agar, and cream – each tasting, and feeling, like several vegetables had been reduced. It was heavy, dense, vibrant, over-powering, and completely un-expected.

This is not to say PG is all technique – his ingredients can be exceptional – the octopus carpaccio the best I’ve tasted.

Grand tasting of dessert

The desserts, despite past experience, proved to be restrained and refreshing. The entire meal had been rather heavy, with ample cream, but the desserts were light and crisp – an antithesis to the meal and the weather. The (very green) basil sorbet and the “mojito” were the highlights – both with intense herbal and acidic highlights – tastes not experienced since the amuse bouches.

Ordering the a la carte menu is equal parts sado-masochistic puzzle and choose-your-own-adventure, both formidable challenges. Does one try to get inside the mind of a scattered genius? Or does one plunge completely into their own narrative(s) and journey? Is the author or reader the final authority? The tasting menu, surprisingly, despite its whims, offers a generally more accessible middle ground – a “pop” Pierre Gagnaire that is no less serious. The a la carte option is for the intrepid or experiential. How does one “read a meal” across so many different plates at once? Does one try to make sense of it all – or surrender to the adventure?

(A final note: I have not visited LudoBites yet but Ludo’s Crazy, Magical, Delicious Bastide in 2005 was the closest thing state-side one could liken to Pierre Gagnaire – the food shared similar qualities in their “organic” approach to experimentation and form. I wish Ludo could find the appropriate vehicle, no pun intended, for his haute cuisine aspirations.)

- chuck

1 – I use the two terms to merely differentiate between the extremes of a chef who collects vegetables from a countryside or garden versus one who can not let a tomato sit, untouched, on a plate. There is no value judgement in either.

2 – If I were to do such a trip today, I’d go to Tokyo and Japan – the noma aesthetic has seemingly infiltrated every American restaurant, too often style over substance, but once more chefs are exposed to Japanese cooking, ingredient quality, & dedication, we’ll see a quality revolution.

3 – Urasawa is the closest restaurant I can think that creates patterns out of its food for the sake of narrative, albeit in much more restrained and controlled fashion. Ingredients serve primary, secondary, and even tertiary roles throughout a meal. It is also a theoretical disagreement I have with many chefs, including Thomas Keller, who think that ingredients should only be used once in a meal. Does a character exit stage right, never to appear again? The re-appearance of the same ingredient (and, no, I’m not talking about Michael Mina’s what-do-you-want-three-ways approach) in different roles can lead to new interpretations and understandings.

4 – Ever try reading Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow? It is one of my favorite books but did you really understand what was going on all of the time? This could be the culinary equivalent, complete with that implicit post-modern threat that there is no meaning at all.

Sardine w/ quinoa

The dining room is baroque and opulent, a setting where very large diamonds and pearls are meant to be flaunted as much as one’s social status. The floors are marble, the trimmings are real gold, the tables decadently spaced apart, and one would not be surprised to find Louis XVI eating dinner – there is plenty of cake here. The atmosphere warms up after an hour or two, but it is stilted and unnatural in this day and age.

Cod with clams

The service was quite good despite one major flaw. In fact, this review, suffers because a menu was promised to be emailed the next day; but it never was. This might sound petulant but, considering the atmosphere, that level of follow-up is expected. Otherwise, the servers are quite attentive without being busy.

Red Snapper with baby octopus

I focused on ordering seafood-based dishes but my meal did not reflect the experience of others; sometimes, I live in my own world. The ingredients were of very high quality, the cooking masterful, but none of the dishes had any sort of acidic focus, or elements. Most of them, while generally balanced, were on the bland side – muted, but not subtle, flavors. It would be hard to have a major complaint about the meal – until the check arrives.

Vegetable shavings accompanying red snapper

The sardine with quinoa, an exciting take on sushi, was the best bite of the night, and possibly the trip. The proportion of quinoa to sardine was perfectly balanced, the work of an Urasawa or Masa. The slight pop of the quinoa elevated the bite to masterpiece – this could be a new sushi.

Random spaghetti accompanying red snapper

The cod with clams was a pleasant dish. The fish was of superior quality, barely cooked, with a subtle cream sauce (that may have had a subtle lemon flavor, if memory serves me correctly.) But for all of its precision, it lacked much character. It’s a hard criticism to levy against it, for it does not aspire to be the big bang, but I wonder if it could have been pepped up a touch more lemon or acidity. Or is that me imposing my expectations on the meal?

Lobster with asparagus

The red snapper dish was enigmatic because it was served with a side bowl of spaghetti. The red snapper itself was cooked nicely, a pleasant surprise in France, but at 80 euros, the fish had none of the revelation I would later encounter in Japan. The baby octopus were delicious – excellent bites of taste and texture. But what was that spaghetti doing there on the side? It was not even particularly good. Strange.

Chocolate

The lobster was run of the mill, slightly over-cooked by my tastes. The asparagus were not particularly inspired, and I wonder if they were out of season, being on the tail end of summer? While there were redeeming values in the previous dishes, this dish, which was quite expensive, was a let down. I was full and there was no use complaining at this point – accept your fate.

The meal does not live up to its price which hovered somewhere around 300 Euros/person. In a city with L’Arpege or Gagnaire, where prices are just as exorbitant or more, there is more value at those places for a visitor like me. Le Meurice’s food felt like Alain Ducasse – restrained but flat with high quality ingredients. This could be a matter of personal taste but I am not sure how to frame it – the minimalism does not bother me but, perhaps, the ingredients, despite being of better quality, are still not up to the task? Expectations also played a role in my disappointment with the food – perhaps I expected more vibrancy? Regardless, unless one wanted to play French aristocracy, I would recommend the other big Parisian restaurants for most people.¹

- chuck (Japan is almost here.)

1 – Unless there’s a specially-priced lunch menu – then it might be worth trying. I don’t know if this the case or not.

Despite cooking in a modern fashion, no real ² tasting menus are offered. In fact, this cuisine is the antithesis of the “less is more” philosophy; his portion sizes are absolutely old-fashioned – they are very large – large enough for a Julot to enjoy ³. Restraint should be exercised during the ordering process, else the appetite will be absolutely defeated. While the waiters speak English, they did not dissuade me from ordering four dishes, and possibly encouraged it. At the least, that is one too many; and probably two too many for most people. Come hungry and order conservatively.

Langoustine & Seaweed Lollipop

Quail egg encased with truffle, Beet & Smoked eel macaroon, Mozzerella “egg”

The pre-dinner treats were fun, whimsical tastes that were slightly daring. They set the stage for the meal ahead instead of wow-ing out of the gate.

Saveurs “terre et riviere”

Land and river – smoked eel, eel tartar, and textures of beet. Smoked eel provided a base for the entire dish, with a light faint smokiness. The cubes of beet gelee sat on top of eel tartar (possibly mixed with diced beets), seen in the alternating flat squares. Le Squer excels at textures, second only to Pierre Gagnaire, and because of this, I suspect eel might be one of his favorite ingredients (there were multiple eel dishes on the menu.) The sweetness of the beets played a nice foil to the eel’s fattiness. Excellent, but the portion size is double what it could be – it does get monotonous by the end.

Foie Gras w/ Passionfruit

The foie was creamy and the passionfruit gelee on top was perfectly proportioned to cut the fat with its acidity. It would have been a very good dish anywhere else but it didn’t reach the highs of the eel or what the langoustine (below) could have been. It is a safe choice but I would prefer a touch more daring. Tack on three healthy servings and one can see where this meal began to get out of control.

Grosses langoustines Bretonnes, croustillantes, emulsion d’agrumes a l’ huile d’olive

This is one of his signatures and it captivated me last time. Brittany langoustines (Le Squer is also Britan), one fried, one a la plancha, covered in a citrus and olive oil emulsion. Unfortunately, the langoustine quality was not up to the spectacular efforts of my previous meal (very soggy); but that foam/emulsion has a beautifully balanced subtlety that is beyond reproach. Despite the langoustine’s quality on this visit, I would not hesitate to order this dish again (and again) – this is truly one of the great dishes in the world. Notice that there are two whole langoustines in the dish – feeling full yet?

Ris de veau en brochette de bois de citronelle, jus d’herbes

Another signature, the one I did not eat during my last meal, where sweetbreads are cooked with lemongrass spears and an herb sauce, served atop salsify. The sweetbreads were sufficiently creamy but this dish was doomed before it reached the table – I did not have the capacity to enjoy it. It lacked any ephemerality that my favorite Le Squer dishes exude, but others might argue with me. Julot feels it did have that complexity but that a generous use of vinegar in the sauce killed it.

Judging from my limited experience (two visits), Ledoyen requires a careful strategy to maximize one’s enjoyment. The best dishes exude an astounding precision and balance of flavor that places them among the best in the world, commensurate with the restaurant’s three-star rating. Strangely, ordering the “Signature” tasting menu (the langoustines above, turbot and truffles, and the sweetbreads above) could largely prevent one from enjoying this near-magical experience.

Order carefully, in both quantity and quality. What would I suggest? Order split dishes (you share one, plated separately) if you’re eating with someone else and then order four to five dishes. Langoustines are a must, eel dishes should get serious consideration, gnocci and uni could be a real winners, and then pick one to two things that sound enticing. When it’s on, Ledoyen is among the very best in Paris, right alongside L’Arpege and Pierre Gagnaire; and the potential even shows through in a sub-par meal.

- chuck

1 – By “organic”, I mean food that still resembles our traditional notion of food, and not the chemistry experiments of El Bulli or Moto.

2 – A tasting menu of the signatures dishes is offered; but it is only comprised of three dishes – langoustines, turbot, and sweetbreads. The turbot is covered in my first review; the other two in this review. I would not suggest this approach.

3 – Julot is not a fan of tasting menus; if the food is good, he would like more.

Richart’s story can be found in other places but the short version is that Michel took the business over (from his father) and updated it using contemporary art as one of his primary influences. Indeed, design is the immediate distinguishing feature – bold bright colors that look too intricate and impossible to place on chocolates. The chocolates below, while striking in their simplicity, don’t show the detail and color of other designs. Designs are “printed” using cocoa butter.

Permanent flavor families are offered as well as special editions throughout the year. The permanent families include Balsamic, Roasted, Fruity, Citrus, Herbal, Floral, & Spiced. Special offerings include themes based on seasons, children’s themes, and even a yearly contest that features a lucky kid’s design.

The chocolate used is 70% minimum of the Criollo bean from Venezuala. From there, they claim to grind it finer than other chocolate makers – from 20 to 12 microns – to ensure an “ultra-smooth palate experience.” The chocolates come with a variety of fillings – ganache, praline, and coulis. The ganache is made with cream from Normandy or Bresse and the coulis contains actual fruit pulp.

The flavors are as vibrant as the design – crisp, bold, bright, and clean. Some flavors, particularly the orange, taste like an entire piece of fruit has been concentrated into the small chocolate somehow. It’s amazing how such small squares have such impact.

From Left to Right, Back to Front:

Grapefruit Praline – bitter grapefruit upfront yields to a sweet hazelnut finish.

Mandarin / Green Orange Ganache – very orange, nearly concentrated in impact, vibrant.

Kumquat Coulis – crisp kumquat flavor with some bitterness from its pulp in the coulis, fairly long finish.

Bergamot Ganache – the chocolate remains strong with bergamot inflections, the ganache quite creamy and very smooth.

Citrus Essence Coulis – orange, lemon, and bergamot flavors dance around, none dominating, but maintaining the citrus essence throughout.

Orange Zest Coulis – intense orange flavor with a fair amount of bitterness that slowly decays and cedes to the underlying chocolate notes.

Lemon Ganache – intensely strong lemon flavor, almost a concentrated lemon confit taste, big and very bright.

The coulis citrus chocolates are the best – the fruit flavors are boldest and cleanest, presumably from the inclusion of actual pulp. All are intense and pack more flavor than most chocolates from any other producer. The chocolate shells are not always the freshest, unlike Paul Young (London) or Kee’s Chocolate (NYC), but the explosive flavors make up for deficiencies in the shell. If you could get them fresh from Lyon (Richart’s home base), they could oust Paul Young from my top ranking.

- chuck

Official Site: http://www.richart.com/

There’s no shortage of accolades for their chocolates – and rightfully so. But their macaroons are deserving of the same attention. The chocolate ganache filled centers, a variation on the typical macaroon, is not so much a point of distinction as it is a confidence in their chocolatier experience. It might sound overpowering but the ganache is subtle and balanced; a complement, never a deterrent, from the shell. The flavors aren’t daring ala Pierre Herme; instead, they are more traditionally paired with the chocolate center. One approach is not necessarily better than the other as long as the execution is exemplary.

La Maison du Chocolat has a more corporate feel than Pierre Herme or Laduree. There’s no cult of personality nor a century-long tradition, but expansion does have its benefits – you can buy them in the States. Eat 2 Love says they are shipped from Paris twice a week. Surprisingly, even with this delay, they keep longer than Pierre Herme or Laduree. The macaroons had their best texture on day two but were still going strong on day four – you can bring these back for friends.

So what are the flavors and how do they taste?

The flavors on this day were LMC’s New Collection:

• Guayaquil – a vanilla shell with a dark chocolate center. The dark chocolate contrasted nicely with the vanilla, which is subtler and less sweet than you’d expect.
• Salvador – a raspberry shell with a raspberry dark chocolate ganache. It would be overload in lesser hands. The ganache had a raspberry “tint” that complemented the sweeter, more pronounced shell.
• Rigoletto – a salted caramel shell with a milk chocolate center. Salt and milk chocolate are a perfect combination – this instantly brought back memories of the Le Bernardin milk chocolate pot de creme “egg.”
• Quito – a dark chocolate shell and center. This was chocolate overload for me. I would have preferred another flavor to break up the onslaught but I would probably be in the minority here.
• Romeo – Kenyan coffee shell with milk chocolate center. Perfect. The smooth, creamy center was the perfect foil to the ever-so-slightly bitter coffee shell.

The texture is everything a macaroon should be. It has a crunch that immediately gives to the teeth but still retains a slight chewiness. The ganache is firmer than the traditional fillings which, in turn, helps its texture even more. The texture is definitely preferred to the Pierre Herme macaroons but I’m uncertain if I prefer them to Laduree or not.

A necessary stop for NYC. If you’re in London, make a stop but be sure to visit Paul Young for chocolates – my favorite in the world. If you’re in Paris, well, you might as well visit Pierre Herme since you can’t get them outside of Parisian soil (except for Tokyo.)

- chuck

Official Site: http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/fr/

If you are further interested, here’s an excellent article on LMC’s history and techniques for making chocolate.

The truffle trip was in danger of becoming a misnomer. Truffles popped up in a few dishes over the past few weeks’ reviews, but their impact or form was not up to our expectations. We came to gorge on truffles – we wanted decadent vulgar displays of gastronomic wealth. We got mostly after-thoughts with but a few truffle-focused dishes.

Les Ambassadeurs was a last-minute tack-on after we learned L’Ambroisie and Le Meurice (hey, I wouldn’t mind meeting Mandy Moore) were closed during our ill-timed visit. The last Les Ambassadeurs meal certainly had potential given the ingredient quality and our 3rd member was very intrigued by the endless parade of desserts. The dining room is not especially conducive to eating but we figured we’d give it a shot (in hopes of finding top-notch truffles.)

It is my least favorite dining room in the world. Granted, my worldly travels have been limited but I can’t imagine a more uncomfortable room. Marble floors, marble walls, silver, and gold – perhaps I was not fit to be aristocracy?

We took the menus, immediately identified the truffle dishes, devised a truffle tasting menu of our own, and we were off.

1. Amuses

A collection of amuses that ranged from pretty good to ok. The amuses from our last meal were some of the highlights but these did nothing to prepare us for the eventual glee that would come. In fact, many of the amuses were exactly the same – a touch odd.
a – Carbonated Beet/Lemon juice – a touch too acidic but refreshing nonetheless. Reading over my notes from the last meal, it appears the acidity was dialed down a touch last time.

b – Chicken Liver Mousse (right) w/ Crayfish Bisque (left) – a light mousse, intensely flavorful, paired with a very salty bisque – the foam (foie gras) tied it all together and tempered both extreme tastes.

c – Croquette – Ok but nothing compared to a Manresa croquette – the same complaint as last time – too much breading.

2. Butter

Last May, Les Ambassadeurs’ butter was nowhere near the quality of L’Arpege’s butter but they are now carrying the same butter – Jean-Yves Bordier. Once you’ve had this butter, it’s impossible not to identify the producer. This is the stuff butter dreams are made of. L’Arpege’s version is slightly better, possibly because they allow it to warm more before serving. Excellent.

3. Herves et Salades D’Hiver/Truffle Noire Surprise

A salad, dressed in truffle vinaigrette, wrapped completely in truffles. After the truffle teases of L’Arpege and L’Aubergade, we finally chanced upon the truffle quality we expected from more restaurants. Despite the truffle’s intense poignancy, the acidity from the vinaigrette balanced the dish beautifully. Louisa, who oversaw the development of truffle & caviar dishes during her time with Les Ambassadeurs, likens the dish to a “house of cards” – much skill certainly went into composing the dish as you can see how the truffles are folded around the salad in the 2nd picture. A top 10, if not 5, dish. Sublime.

4. Iranian Caviar, Nage Corsee, Langostine

We liked this dish last time so we re-ordered it, ignoring a truffle omelette option. A trio of langostine preparations that, while good, didn’t quite live up to the memory. The langostine sashimi and mousse dishes both played with the sweet and salty theme – the naturally sweet langostine in its own salty broth or matched with the Iranian caviar. These were the better of the three although the langostine was not 100%. The fried langostine was tasty but suffered from nearly unacceptable levels of grease – something they haven’t corrected since the last meal. Very Good.

5. Noix de Saint Jacques à cru/chips/baguette truffée

We thought the truffle salad may have been the highlight of the meal but this dish was right up there. Again, the haute surf’n'turf – the sweet scallops were perfectly cooked with the fragrant and powerful truffles perfectly complementing them. Take the scallop, grab a truffle, and then soak it up in the black truffle sauce. It was sweet and earthy with an excellent truffle showing. Excellent.

6. Turbot de Bretagne/meunière de truffe noire/endive/jambon

The turbot was not cooked on the bone – it was slightly dry and lacked the gelatinous bits. The finely chopped truffle ends atop it were nothing compared to the earlier dishes – they lacked the intensity of flavor. The turbot / butter side-dish (sorry, that’s all I remember) was truly the star – any dryness was definitely remedied by the decadent foamy butter sauce. Good to Very Good.

7. The Endless Dessert Parade

There is no shortage of desserts at Les Ambassadeurs. If you were to preside as a judge over a dessert competition between Pierre Gagnaire and Les Ambassadeurs; you would become diabetic, watch your teeth would fall out, and die.

Thank goodness for serendipity – easily the best meal of our trip. Some people question the consistency and creativity at Les Ambassadeurs (why didn’t they garner their third Michelin star this year?), but when the truffles are this good, they mask any deficiencies the chef might have. Looking back at last year’s meal too, Les Ambassadeurs has shown they procure best-of-breed ingredients across the board. When you factor in the cost, nothing compared to L’Arpege or Pierre Gagnaire truffle tasting menus, it’s a no-brainer for next year – just order all of the truffle dishes (I believe there were 5.)

- chuck

Official Site: http://www.crillon.com/

1. Fines ravioles potageres consomme de lopinambour

This was a beet ravioli w/ beet/artichoke consomme. I had a red pepper version of this dish on my last trip and it was easily a top 5 dish of all-time. This version is no different – to call it sublime would be cheating it. The consomme was delicate yet powerful, a salty essence of the artichoke perfectly balanced by the beet’s sweetness, all their earthy flavors providing a backbone. A slight lemon flavor radiated and permeated the consomme, taking it from perfect to heavenly. The ravioli was ephemeral with a radiant burst of beet. Next to Gagnaire’s sea-bass/codfish-intestine and Bras’s Gargouillo, I can’t think of a better dish. If you see a consomme/ravioli dish on a L’Arpege menu, order it. Sublime.

2. Damier de coquilles Saint-Jacques et truffe noire
tuber melanosporum

A tried-and-true combination of scallops and black truffles – the haute surf’n'turf. The pristine, sweet scallops were cut by the citrus with the truffle complementing and expanding the flavor throughout. The hazelnut oil rounded off the edges and helped fill it out with dimension. Excellent.

3. Foie fras du pays d’Avre et d’Iton
dattes au citron

High quality piece of foie with the intense lemon cutting both the richness of the foie and the sweetness of the date. Very Good.

4. Celerisotto a la truffe noire de coteaux du Saumurois parigiano reggiano

A risotto made of finely diced celery, intensely aromatic of butter, celery, and truffles. The celery was too crunchy to be risotto per se but the texture complemented the intense truffles. The parmesan gave it a salty, gooey quality that helped bring everything together. This dish was very “satisfying” but it did lack the finesse of the first two dishes. I would prefer his excellent normal risotto. Very Good.

5. Aiguillette de homard de l’archipel de Iles Chausey
pomme de terre fumee au bois de hetre

After last year’s lobster debacle, this was pure harmony. Intense, naturally sweet lobster with a sauce that complemented and never overpowered – a problem sometimes at L’Arpege. (I think I had already taken a bite before I took the picture.) Excellent.

6. Beet w/ Honey-Lime Sauce

A “gift from the kitchen” – unfortunately, they should have kept it. A mealy, tasteless beet. This was nothing like the infamous salt-crusted beet. Not Good.

7. Wild Boar w/ Grilled Artichokes & Leek

Nothing like the first courses, the meat’s varying thickness resulted in 1/2 overcooked and 1/2 just right. Ok.

8. Comte millesime Automne 2002 truffe noire

The meal ended on a much lower note than its magnificent beginnings but, being somewhat-experienced L’Arpege eaters, we knew the Comte was next. You could smell this as it was being walked across the room – very crystallized texture, where the truffles emerged immediately with the comte’s saltiness. Near divine but my other dining companions got more truffles. This was the 2002 vintage of the Antony comte. Excellent.

10. Dessert de veillee

11. The Butter

If you like salted butter, L’Arpege’s Jean-Yves Bordier butter is the best. This is supposedly served at other Parisian restaurants, and we did have it at Les Ambassadeurs this go around, but the L’Arpege version is markedly superior. Let it sit for an half-hour until it starts sweating salt water, and then load a slab on your bread. Sublime.

Overall, a great meal. It wasn’t consistent enough to be an A1 meal, but the good dishes were spectacular. Is it a restaurant I recommend? Yes, if you can accept the nuance and subtlety of the cuisine. If pricing is a concern, check out lunch for better values. There are no deals here though – this is black card cuisine for the higest dining circles.

- chuck

Previous L’Arpege reviews:

- More Extreme Veggies at Extreme Costs

- Extreme Veggies at Extreme Costs

- The Vegetable King

Pierre Gagnaire is my favorite dining room in Paris. It’s formal and proper but spacious and relaxed. The waiters are friendly without being overbearing. It’s a warm experience unlike the austerity of Alain Ducasse or Les Ambassadeurs. We perused the truffle tasting menu, a look of terror swept the table after seeing the price, but ordered it anyways. Pierre Gagnaire has had well-publicized financial troubles in the past and he might have found a solution – one-up L’Arpege for Paris’s most expensive meal. Is that even possible?

Unfortunately, I’ve waited three weeks to write this review. Writing a proper Pierre Gagnaire is difficult enough due to the confounding numbers of variables at play – taste, texture, and temperature of many different ingredients. Where L’Arpege is a minimalism perfected, Gagnaire is pushing every seam – a cuisine for our sensory overload generation. The difference, of course, is even when Gagnaire fails, he still eclipses many of his contemporaries.

There was no shortage of truffles on the truffle tasting menu; unfortunately, they lacked impact. A basket of truffles was paraded around the dining room, a celebration of the last truffles of the season. Unfortunately, the truffles, for the most part, were non-factors in the dishes and did nothing to justify the rather steep truffle menu price. The “roller coaster” curse of Gagnaire struck us on this evening – great dishes followed by disappointing dishes.

1. Creme glacee de pomme de terre agria, veloute de legumes d’hiver

A seemingly classic Gagnaire-style dish that works with taste, texture, & temperature – it’s easy to see where Ludo Lefebvre of Bastide got the inspiration for his cuisine. It’s very hard to capture a dish like this with words due to all of the sensations jumping around in your mouth. It was creamy and sweet but the truffles gave it earthiness and dimension. The veloute grounded the flavor throughout. My only gripe? The the ice cream was a bit too icy and cold. Very Good.

2. Feuilles de banane plantin, fondue d’oignons doux et salpicon de langoustine a la pomme verte

More taste and texture madness where the onions and green apples were a bit too strong for the pristine langoustine (none of that Gaya business here.) Good.

3. Pate de chataigne aux celeris dores – toast noir a la moelle

A textural marvel where the marrow gave way to the truffle and toast, with the marmalade sitting in the background the entire time. The flavor began with the marrow and ended with the aromatic truffles, the whole thing slightly sweet from the marmalade. At this point, I was thinking “repeat” of my first Gagnaire meal last May. Excellent.

4. Corolle de haddock, BLT, gras de seiche

The title of the dish doesn’t make sense to me, and notes are merely limited to “very salty.” The fish was cooked fine, as only Gagnaire can do, but the truffle definitely didn’t add anything. Ok.

5. Royale Rossini, huitres speciales et champignons de Paris <>

More texture madness but this dish was very divisive. The rich foie and big, fat cooked oyster complemented each other texturally with the truffle giving it a necessary crunch. The brininess, then earth taste, would have been fine but the rich foie taste may not have been a good match for the oyster. Regardless, the cooked oyster was definitely disputed to varying degrees, and it brought the dish down. Ok.

6. Scallops / Leek Bisque / Truffle

A make-up dish for the previous. The scallop / truffle combination has been proven to work before but this truffle was not intense enough to make it noteworthy. The leek bisque, while tasty & comfortable, was one-dimensional in flavor. Perhaps Gagnaire was playing it safe for our re-calibration. Good.

7. Ballaotine de poularde de lait Demi-Deuil, tranche de patate douce roti au sel

The milk-fed chicken had good flavor but it was too dry. The truffles in this dish were disappointing and, sadly, added nothing. The dish seems less complex for Gagnaire (from what I can tell from my eater’s perspective.) The pop music fan in me wanted a big crescendo – a commanding end to the meal – we got a flawed whimper. Ok.

8. Carpaccio poele de pigeon gauthier, just court au Banyuls lie d’un trait de chocolate amer, Gateau de choux vert au lard

I merely had a bite but it was clearly better (conceptually & taste) than the chicken dish. The truffles were some of the better of the meal from what I remember. The slightly bitter chocolate and earthy truffle flavors were a great match together. Very Good?

9. Gorgonzola fermentation naturelle, gnocci de potimnarron, Bouillon d’Emmenthal Brie de Meaux, barbe de capucin

I outsmarted myself with these notes and I don’t remember what notes go with which element. Some adjectives, in pure stream of consciousness, include “rich, bitter, earthy, refreshing” and “tempered the cheese.”

10. Soupe d’artichaut “vanille et oranges confites”

I am a huge cotton candy fan (an irony considering my distaste for overly sweet desserts and an object of ridicule at baseball games) so this textural delight fascinated me – my other dining companions were merely amused. The vanilla was overly sweet but the truffles tamed it quite well – think the earthiness of a good dark chocolate bar. Very Good.

11. Salad Dessert

It’s too exhausting to keep up w/ the Gagnaire dessert parade so I completely forget what this was. It seems as if France loves savory components in their desserts – L’Astrance’s pepper sorbet, L’Arpege’s avocado souffle, and Regis Marcon’s candied morels are some examples. Desserts that may not be? I like it!

It was a competent meal, largely performing at a Michelin 3 star level, but it lacked the fireworks of that mythical first meal. For the price, the truffles should have been the best of the trip; instead, they just left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth. I’m putting Pierre Gagnaire on suspension during my next Paris trip to try a few different meals – Ledoyen, L’Ambrosie, and Hotel Meurice. However, if you’re visiting Paris, and you are interested in exquisite experimental cuisine, Pierre Gagnaire should be a mandatory visit.

- chuck

What are the problems with this from a fine dining perspective?

The obvious problem is that the chef is no longer in every kitchen. The chef, already a manager of sorts, must now supervise and maintain quality control over multiple restaurants instead of just one. Thomas Keller does this through live-feed TV’s linking his restaurants but can he watch all 10,000 of his restaurants at once every night? Was The French Laundry a better dining experience 8 years ago? Do the American outposts of Guy Savoy, Joel Robuchon, and the entire Las Vegas restaurant industry come close to the quality of the originals?

A second problem, from a fine dining perspective, is margin. The outposts are generally down-scale from the original yet still retain the underlying brand to draw in the crowds. They operate at a lower price point (re: lesser ingredients) but probably operate at a higher margin thanks to down-scale service, ingredients, and talent. And then increase that margin by volume. The outposts are probably more successful restaurants, financially speaking. Then add in the sweeteners that hotels kick in to attract these big names. It pays to go down-scale and open as many as possible.

Of course, who can blame them? If I was in a position to make more money, I’d probably do it. (Actually, I would do it.)

Gaya is Pierre Gagnaire’s seafood bistro in the Left Bank. Gagnaire’s handling of seafood was so spectacular, I couldn’t imagine this restaurant could disappoint. He has the ability to source excellent ingredients and he demonstrated he may be the master of fish. How could he/we go wrong?

1. Bonito Confit w/ tapioca gelee

The bonito had a strong salty taste and the gelee re-hydrated the dry bonito. In a way, this was Gagnaire-light as the 2 disparate elements came together in flavor and texture. However, it was a simple technique and what was its point? Ok.

2. Scallop tartar w/ Avocado & Citrus

Not a refined dish, but straight-forward and tasty. The scallops were of very high quality and the citrus brightened the dish up perfectly. Good.

3. Seared scallops w/ braised endive & porcini-sesame sauce

The scallops were cooked well, and the sauce complemented the scallop’s crust, but it was a fairly pedestrian dish. On an absolute scale, it was probably a good dish but not for these prices. Ok.

4. Langoustines

Mushy and tasteless, a disgrace to the langoustine and the Gagnaire name. We didn’t eat them and they took the charge off the bill without hassle – maybe they thought they could pawn these things off of unsuspecting English-speaking tourists? My cynical side says yes. Not Good.

The review reads well but visiting this restaurant is pointless. If you are hoping to experience Gagnaire’s cuisine “on the cheap”, you’re mistaken for two reasons: 1) it’s not even close to cheap – this meal was about 50% the cost of Pierre Gagnaire proper, and 2) there’s nothing in the meal that begins to explore the taste and textures of a proper Gagnaire meal. Likewise, the fish quality and execution is inconsistent at best. There are too many restaurants to explore in Paris – don’t bother wasting your time or money here.

Didn’t I learn anything from my Senderens and Table du Lancaster meals from the last trip? As they say, “three strikes and you’re out.” No more outposts for me – stick to the source.

Is there any silver lining from this meal? Absolutely! As we walked out, the immediate window display had a very large stuffed lobster in the window. Neat, we walk in, and it’s a eclectic store selling all sorts of odds’n'ends. However, an unassuming staircase that led up to a second floor of the most amazing taxidermic animal display I’ve ever seen!

They had lions, baby elephants, crocodiles, countless bugs, foxes, bears, and anything else you can imagine. I could only snap one picture before they rushed over in a huff. The below picture is but one of five rooms! (i’ve also linked the picture to a larger version

I forget the name or address of this place but it’s right next door to Gaya.

- chuck

Official Site: http://www.pierre-gagnaire.com/francais/cdgaia.htm

Herme has an extensive collection of desserts that have been well documented by many. The store itself probably has a homing device that draws in anyone with a sweet tooth. On every visit to Paris, I’ve allocated a lunch at this hot spot. To date, I’ve limited myself to the macaroons but after reading SweetNapa’s pilgrimage to Pierre Herme, I will put all of the desserts on the to-do list.

While Herme’s macaroons are always decadent, they are inconsistent. They are generally too sweet for me (which means I can only eat 2-3 in a sitting instead of 4-5) but one visit during this trip yielded perfectly-sweetened specimens. Their texture is a touch mushy – I’d prefer my macaroon to not yield so quickly. Nonetheless, their flavors are always intense. The rose will envelop your mouth like a great perfume, the olive in the middle of the olive/vanilla will decisively cut through the vanilla’s sweetness, and the caramel in fleur de sel will burst in your mouth. The flavors are as bold as the man and his methods it seems.

I had tried Laduree’s macaroons once here on American soil. Their memory was one of a perfect macaroon – a firm texture with an acceptable sweetness. After Pierre Herme one day, we ventured to Laduree the next. The lines were just as long for these more traditional macaroons.

On this day, there were some hits and misses. The macaroons generally had a firmer texture (re: preferred) than their Herme counterparts but the flavors were not as explosive. The rose was more subtle, the fleur de sel didn’t burst with caramel richness, and the lemon was more bitter than sweet. It’s a more subtle, traditional approach. If one could somehow harness the impact of Herme’s flavors without using so much sugar and stick them into a Laduree macaroon for texture, they too might have lines snaking around their storefronts.

They also differ in sustainability. After a few days, the Pierre Herme macaroons will get very soggy and mushy while the Laduree will get rock hard. I wouldn’t suggest bringing any back for your friends unless you’ll see them (and they’ll eat them) the minute you step off of the plane. As for recommendations – I think they’re too subjective and you’ll have to fly to Paris and try them for yourself. I will probably visit both on any future trip.

- chuck

Pierre Herme Official Site: http://www.pierreherme.com/

Laduree Official Site: http://www.laduree.fr/