Louisa Chu

How the fuck are we pretentious in Paris? Because we're French? Gastronomic? It just pisses me off when I KNOW how hard we work - KNOW what we're like as people - hello we're human - and KNOW how hard we really try to give every single client a perfect experience - but hello again we're human - and we're just dismissed as pretentious. Like it's a given. I have not seen this review - I have not dined at Mix yet - but when someone just tosses off a comment that Paris/ADPA is pretentious, I just think they've got something to prove - and that I'm not getting a straight story.

chapeaulong, congratulations! This is too cool! How I came to be accepted - I don't really know - can't wait to ask - but I think it was my stage at Ducasse. Arrangements - working through Cordon Bleu and the French embassy and the Spanish embassy here in Paris - not sure if my French Carte de Sejour will be applicable for Spain, where I'll need to renew it, etc. Good luck to you.

I'm sorry, I don't understand. The scallions were cooked sous-vide? And if so, how do you know - is it stated on the menu? I ask because some cooking terms and techniques I learned in France so I don't know the American usage. Like at ADPA for example, we cooked a number of items in sous-vide sacs - but it was never evident in the final plating. Thanks - sorry - but this is the kind of restaurant that we're going to ask endless, psychotically-detailed questions about!

menton, there is a huge fine for not picking up - about 400 Euros I think - but I've never heard of anyone getting that fine. I have known people to get a lesser ticket. Bruce, that's the only one in town so far - the second one in La Defense. And dude, that's Avenue de l'Opera - in the 2nd. Heather, dogs are pretty much allowed everywhere - except in grocery stores - but you will sometimes see little old ladies walking their little Yorkies, etc. down the aisles sometimes. But you really don't see dogs in every single place - but don't worry - the smoke should mask any dog allergens.

I take my toque off to you sir - beautiful blown sugar pieces - those would get you serious respect in the best houses in Paris. Did you follow models for your work? Monkey see, monkey do? That Black Forest Cake rocked my world. Are you going to the Bellagio central patisserie - or one of the restaurants? Felicitations et bonne chance.

Please somebody post a picture - anything - Chef, toss us a bone! OK - language difference maybe - scallions sous-vide in the flatware - what do you mean by that? You mean the scallions were cooked sous-vide and then placed in the flatware? I just speechless - I can't believe that Chicago - where I grew up - is ready for this kind of cuisine - very cool.

Adam - you can say it - pastry people are freaks - I won't tell. Marlena - unfilled galettes des rois - spoken like a boulanger - I mean, what's the point? Give me that filling love.

Say hi to Jean-Michel and Madame Gallagher for me - is she still doing the translations? Threaten that I'll come by for a visit on Wednesday. Tip - take home the leftover cheese and bread. And really, check out Les Couleurs when you get a chance - talk French wine - in French - with the owner.

About the NYT article - L'Ambassade a good value? Yeah, right. I guess the aligot's worth the show - for tourists.

Marlena, sorry, but p-p-poodles? Insupportable. French paradox - no paradox - no constant snacking, junk food/fast food, being willing to walk from my neighborhood to Opera for a big fat drink and a big fat muffin - but it does help to have a decent walk along the way - anyone ever walk Wilshire in LA? Randy, interesting - are the hot sandwiches test marketed there? I had a friend who worked at Starfucks - you can say it, come on - in Chicago and said they don't do the microwave thing - ditto Beverly Hills/LA. Or am I so out of touch with life in Amerika? Because I didn't know about the automated machines either - she had to go to Coffee Academy - or something like that. menton, people pick up more but not all the time. I had a guy dare tell me il faut ramasser - it's necessary to pick up - on a street I call the poo rue. It really depends on the neighborhood. How did this go from a Starbucks in Paris thread - to dogs - and dog poo? Though I have to say that it's raining AND snowing here in Paris - sure would be nice to hang out all day in Starbucks - if they allowed smoking - for my friend Grace - and dogs.

Marlena, the Tower turned red Saturday night - will stay red until the 29th. It's very dramatic - but a little spooky.

Gifted Gourmet, chocolates way bad for dogs - theobromine. edm, just got home from Robuchon with my dog - her 4th time there. And I wasn't assuming anything - I was joking - chill out. Fine dining - I'm taking her to Gagnaire - and his dog's usually there too. It's more than just the food here - it's the whole dining experience. And maybe it's just me, but I need people to explain my home countries to me - I appreciate the different perspectives. Laurie - Columbus Cafe?

I was there when Albert Adria accidentally made snow - too cold canister/contents into the Pacojet - looked just like snow. Not what he wanted but you could see his brain just turning when he saw it.

Because of dogs? Man, you haven't spent enough time in kitchens . Pan, you make a good point - I know more people than dogs who'd make good hygiene improbable. I've been here too long - maybe long enought - I think not having dogs in a restaurant is weird. Marlena, I know Rose! My sister loves the place - young, laid-back, good food and drink - I will try to check it out.

Went by late last night - closed - closed at 21:00. But talked to the guys working there - still cleaning at 23:30. They're doing les grandes nettoyages every night - at least for now. In restaurants we usually do a big cleaning once a week - wall to wall, floor - under the floors actually - to ceiling - at ADPA we even the light fixtures. It's crazy - they know it - they know they're being watched - we talked about how we have that in common. So do they have the pistons in the States now? That's the only big coffee difference that I noticed here in Paris - versus the States. A piston that serves 2 - only 4 Euros. That and here in Paris we have HOT sandwiches - do they do hot foods in the States now? I know that was a big no-no back there - too slow. Here we have these open-faced fougasse-y based sandwiches. No creme based Frappucinos yet - still working on those. But they do have giant fist-sized muffins. And there's wi-fi in da house. Alors - I don't care about the invasion of Starbucks - hardly an invasion yet - gigantic paper cups to go - whatever - no smoking - fine by me. But the one thing I find absolutely insupportable - vraiment, vraiment insupportable - les chiens ne sont pas admis - no dogs allowed. That, mes amis, means I will not - cannot - support Starbucks in Paris.

No red. I went to Robuchon - where their colour scheme is very red! May go to the parade on the Champs-Elysees tomorrow/Saturday - but I'm sure they'll have firecrackers - my dog Karli's afraid of them - and I'm loathe to be apart from her.

s-t, when/where are you going? I'd go. I have not been to either yet, but a couple of the guys I worked with at Ducasse worked with him and think his cooking's brilliant. I can't remember if we mentioned this before, but he is actively looking for a space in Paris - most recent consideration was at the Lutetia. Marc Veyrat

I've been wanting to go since last week but haven't had the time. Hope to make it there tonight. I'm in the mood for a giant caramel drink and an enormous cookie. I'm serious. But the only way I can justify it is walking there and back.

Forbidden rice - I've had this brand too - good stuff.

Please someone go and tell me what it's like dining there. I cannot wait.

Not so bad - but I used to cater wine and food events for private and corporate clients in LA. I once did the food for a corporate wine tasting for a big wine shop - French wines so I paired with French foods. I made this beautiful Daube de Boeuf - I mean that sauce had some serious soul. But almost all the clients just picked out the vegetables - leaving all that beef and gorgeous sauce behind. Sometimes I really hate LA.

Bond Girl, sorry I somehow misunderstood - my brain can be kind of fried these days. You know I'm rooting for you girl. But can I just say that service - especially in a great restaurant - is the high - it's the rush. But that doesn't always happen - even at a great restaurant, a slow service can just kind of kill you - kill your spirit. And then there are all those other long, long - LONG - hours outside of service - with no rush. If you were just the money person, that would be one thing, but since you want more - and I know how you feel - you will have to endure a lot of long, hard hours outside of a good service.

Speaking from ADPA - for my ADNY brethern - Yes. Not enough. Probably done by some unpaid stagiaire who's doing it for the letter of recommendation. Forget salary. He, or she, is probably figuring out how to hide the quarter round pieces of carrot and potato because he's been told they should all be perfect dice and there should be no waste. Okay, I exaggerate--a bit. I remember the comment of one of my companions at our first meal at El Bulli. It went something along the lines of "that was some fucking labor intensive meal." Not so much at my meal at AD/NY, but at AD/PA there was a dish or two that may have had it beat on that level. If nothing else, Louisa will be well prepared. Stagiaires get paid at ADPA - a nominal amount but that in and of itself is incredible. And now that I've been around to quite a few of the top kitchens, I almost hate to admit that stagiaires at ADPA are - relatively speaking in some ways - spoiled. And it's not just stagiaires - I was the last stagiaire ADPA will have for a while, they're not taking any more with the chef change - all cooks/chefs will do the tedious work. In fact, my heart almost stopped when the new chef - M. Moret ex of Spoon Paris - started seeding the raisins with me and my chef de partie. And we do it for more than just the CV - we do it because we're insane. And you try not to waste - there's always the stock. El Bulli - Albert Adria showed me a picture of a martini coupe of peeled pine nuts - I thought that was crazy - until at ADPA, we peeled walnuts. There's a place with hot french bread and low-fat pate? Wow. I'll be right there.

Bond Girl, if you have a lot of time and money on your hands then go to culinary school - otherwise don't bother - unless it's just for kicks - or a short program specifically designed for restaurant management. Stages - have you tried just picking a restaurant - like the one you want - and just calling and asking if you could visit for a whole day? Or week? Putting in those hours could be very, very educational. The thrill of starting a restaurant is one thing - running it - working it - day after day - night after night - is another. Do you have the need to do it?

Delicabar Definitely more than a snack bar. More stylish than a tapas bar. Much more than a dessert bar. Yes, something you should look up - and absolutely a destination place - especially with La Grande Epicerie right downstairs. And yeah, maybe something for ladies shopping at Bon Marche - you got a problem with shopping? A very sweet friend gave me a box of chocolates from Delicabar - very hip and stylish packaging and chocolates - and the chocolates themselves - impeccable. I especially liked the tiny round balls of dark chocolate enrobing morsels of confit of orange zest - whimsical with beautiful craftmanship - irresistable. At Delicabar itself I had a chocolat chaud with one of their Cristals - caramelised winter fruits in clear, delicately sweetened and spiced gelee - served with a long, slender, dramatic slice of caramelised puff pastry. The chocolat chaud - incomprehensibly thick and rich, but light and creamy - and as they warn, intensely chocolate.