Jennifer Joan Lee

It's been said that since chef Yves Camdeborde's departure, La Regalade is not what it used to be. Well, this just in -- standards have slipped even further. I had my third meal at La Regalade a few days ago -- the other two, also post-Yves, were quite wonderful -- and discovered, to my dismay, that the same dishes I had come to anticipate, were barely recognizable: The royale of foie gras with veloute of puy lentils had no trace of foie gras in either texture, taste or aroma, (it was but an egg flan that was as flavourful as styrofoam) and the lentil broth, unlike its previous pale green incarnation, was instead a turbid brown. The day's 'coup de coeur' entree of half-cooked, half-raw tuna was more cooked than raw. Likewise for the leg of lamb (gigot d'agneau) which was a little on the well-done side. The cherry clafoutis was another overcooked blunder -- the batter so rubbery it nearly bounced off the teeth. To be fair, one main course -- the roast pigeon -- was still superbly executed. But, is one dish worth a two-month wait? Is it worth the trek to the 14th arrondissement? Not anymore.

Does anyone know where in Paris I can buy a very large turkey to roast at Thanksgiving? Fresh or frozen, it doesn't matter. Thanks.

I imagine you must be talking about Hiramatsu. The food there is not strictly Japanese, however. On the subject of Japanese chefs in Paris, there is an excellent FRENCH restaurant headed by a Japanese chef - Tateru Yoshino - who once trained with Robuchon. It's called Stella Maris. No stars yet, but definitely worthy of one soon...

I ate lunch at Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athenee last week. It was absolutely the most fantastic meal of my life... incomparably better than Helene Darroze, where I dined the evening before... and much more profound than Alain Passard of L'Arpege, a chef whom I already hold in high esteem. The service at Alain Ducasse is first-class, the decor is classic with lovely modern touches. If I were to have a "last meal" anywhere in Paris, Ducasse would be my first choice.