Eating My Way Through Paris

[pierre45]

Bravo.Excellent attitude.Sorry ,when i assumed that you were perceived as argumentative.Did you make the reservation under your name?

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I'd rather answer this qustion after the dinner; just to be safe. Because the person I spoke with seemed extra friendly on the phone ... but perhaps I am being paranoid.

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Don't be surprised if they are aware about this discussion on the internet.

So you may be royally treated.keep us posted

[John Talbott]

Bravo.Excellent attitude.Sorry ,when i assumed that you were perceived as argumentative.Did you make the reservation under your name?

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I'd rather answer this qustion after the dinner; just to be safe. Because the person I spoke with seemed extra friendly on the phone ... but perhaps I am being paranoid.

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Don't be surprised if they are aware about this discussion on the internet.

So you may be royally treated.keep us posted

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Pierre, as usual, is spot-on. More folks in the French food biz read this than ever post or identify themselves. So for better or worse, assume big brother is watching. We think this is just frolicky food fun, for them it's big dough, so to speak.

[pierre45]

Taillevent

15 rue Lamennais

Photos available here

It was indeed interesting to see how this restaurant has changed over the past ten years, and how my memory of this restaurant compared with my more current experiences. Either the restaurant has changed for the worse, or my palate has become more sophisticated. Likely, it’s a combination of the two; but, this time around, my experience was lackluster. I will say that I felt incredibly comfortable throughout the entire meal, and thought that this might be a nice place to have lunch or an early dinner on someone else’s tab due to the comfortable seating, dining rooms, and personal service. But since there are so many other fantastic restaurants in this city, it would be tough to repeat this one.

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Ajgnet.You're right .The restaurant has changed over the years based on my own experience.However the service is 1st rate and that means a lot to many people.

Nice write up describing childhood experience versus a return visit as a young adult.

[tupac17616]

Nice write-up, ajgnet. Re: cheese ice creams, I'm surprised they didn't serve you some wildly unsuccessful version when you went to Tailor last month. Perhaps the mustard was occupying too much space in the ice cream maker.

(And, thanks...reading about your dessert brought me right back to a fabulous cold gorgonzola soup that I had here in Italy)

[ajgnet]

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Paris

5, Rue de Montalembert

Photos available here

After becoming enamored with L’Atelier, New York, I knew it was only a matter of time before visiting Joël Robuchon’s Paris location. At first I was concerned that the menus would be too similar. And they were similar; but as it turns out, L’Atelier had quite a few different dishes and, of the dishes that were repeats, there were slight modifications. One of the courses I sampled during my last visit, La Langoustine, is currently my favorite dish in Paris. But while there were extreme highs, there were also quite a few lows, making my overall experience here positive; but, not quite so impressive as chef Suga’s work in New York.

Unlike in New York, L’Atelier Paris has no table seating: only two different rooms each with a large counter surrounding an open-air kitchen shared between each room. It’s actually a relatively small dining space and, were there tables, seating would be very limited. The atmosphere is dark with focused spot-lights, each illuminating the hanging charcuterie, the brightly colored vegetables, and of course, the food in front of diners. Like a workshop indeed, the halogen spots ensure that every detail of the intricately decorated food is highlighted, turning the food into art on display with each and every bite.

I started my most recent visit with my favorite dish from the New York menu, La Châtaigne en velouté léger au fumet de céleri et lard fumé, a light chestnut velouté with smoked lardons, essence of celery, and a slab of seared foie gras. Aside from the shredded lettuce, which had no place in this dish other than for color variety, this was strikingly similar to La Châtaigne in New York, only with a more smoky flavor from the crisp bacon. I found the smokiness to be a little too strong, which distracted from the nuttiness of the soup and the richness of the foie. The texture was beautiful, the creamy velouté complementing the buttery foie gras, with the seared edges of the liver adding a crispy edge for textural differentiation. The consistency of the soup was kept thin for a velouté, which allowed for the foie to better stand out. The slightly foamed surface only heightened the texture of the velouté by increasing the viscosity without making the broth heavier. I still prefer the New York version due to its decreased smokiness; but, this was excellent.

Next up was a second favorite from New York, L’Oeuf de poule friand au caviar Osciètre d’Iran, a chicken egg topped with strips of phyllo dough, a dollop of osetra caviar, placed on top of a smoked salmon crème with garnishes of dill. With the first cut, the warm yolk oozed out moistening the phyllo and mixing beautifully with the crème to create a gamut of golden delight. The phyllo was a little oily; but this was forgotten once eaten in conjunction with the yolk and crème, two elements that cut down on the greasiness. The brine of the caviar also helped, adding an oceanic salt to this otherwise saltless dish. This dish was balanced in nearly every way, from the coolness of the caviar against the warm yolk, to the crunchy phyllo against the salmon crème.

There were, however, three courses that didn’t particularly interest me. The first was Le Crabe Royale aux fines tamalles de raves épicées, which was way too heavy on the crème making it seem like a picnic-style crab salad with mayonnaise. The sliced radish crown added a crisp and clean bite to the creamy crab salad; but this wasn’t enough to remove the cold gummy mouthfeel. Aside from a single visible chunk of crab with red and white stripes, it was difficult to visually discern the exact components of the salad — everything mixed together in sort of a white glop. I wouldn’t get this dish again; it was the low point of my experiences here.

A second disappointing dish, though a bit more interesting than the crab salad, was La Morue fraîche en imprimé d’herbes aux sucs de légumes et basilic, cod-fish with a vegetable extraction and fresh basil. My biggest problem with this dish was the gelatinous texture of the soup which absorbed the textures of the vegetables into a dull sappy potage. The consistency of the broth was also thick enough that it could not complement the fish’s texture, thus adding no additional moisture. I did, however, like the thin strip of pasta hanging loosely over the fish as a second skin, locking in the moisture of the filet and adding a playful surface chew on the first bite.

Last on the no-go list was something I actually sent back to the kitchen, a hard and lifeless rack of suckling pig, Le Cochon de Lait en côtelettes à la marjolaine avec jeunes oignons au jus. The texture of this meat was firm and dry, two things I did not expect to encounter. Perhaps if this was my first course for the night I wouldn’t have sent it back; but, since it followed La Langoustine, my favorite dish of the evening, I was utterly disappointed. Aside from the delicious dollop of Joël Robuchon butter-mashed potatoes, which were mouthwateringly satisfying, the raw green vegetables were misplaced, creating too striking of a textural contrast. I would have liked to see some more young onion jus, and perhaps a more rare cut of meat next time. But the kitchen gladly took this back, and offered me a replacement, for which I chose a second tasting of La Langoustine, the luscious crustacean filled ravioli which, as of now, is my favorite dish in Paris.

Alas, La Langoustine en ravioli truffé à l’étuvée de chou vert, two large langoustine tails enveloped in a thin strip of ravioli and sauced with a truffle crème. The juicy and soft texture of the langoustine melded with the resilient sheet of pasta, creating a chewiness that soon gave way to the rightfully undercooked shellfish center. The velvety crème filled every crevice of the lightly stringy langoustine, coating each bite with the earthy essence of truffle. The truffle crème locked in the moisture of the ravioli, which in turn kept the langoustine moist and supple. This was a sensational dish, so much so, that I ordered a second in exchange for the lackluster suckling pig that followed it. Mmm.

After seeing my ecstatic facial expressions from devouring tasting the ravioli, the waiter went to speak with the kitchen and came back with an off-menu surprise: potato gnocchi with black truffle shavings, parmesan, and radish leaves. Not sure where the radish leaves fit in here; but, this was a very pleasant follow-up to the langoustine ravioli. The mild flavor of the gnocchi made them the perfect vehicle for the earthy, aromatic truffles. The thin parmesan shavings added the salt for this dish, gently melting over the gnocchi while leaving the truffle in tact.

The first time I visited L’Atelier Paris, I went with my mother and sister, two people who have very different tastes and preferences when it comes to food. Fortunately for me, however, it forced me to try dishes I would have otherwise never ordered. Take Les Spaghettis à notre façon, for example; a small bowl of spaghetti with a home made marinara sauce and whole olives. I never would have ordered this; but my sister, a pasta fanatic, put this as most desired dish for the evening. Another benefit of having a little sister is to take advantage of her little appetite, another socially acceptable excuse to try to get closer to the nirvana-like state that most call, being full. Les Spaghettis was fairly straight forward, though perhaps under-salted: a handful of spaghetti prepared the way god intended al dente. Though not exactly a French dish, and perhaps the preparation was not so complex as some of the other items on the menu, this was a refreshing break from the heavy crème-laden sauces of French cuisine, albeit there was quite a bit of oil in the sauce.

My mother also ordered something I would look past, La Sardine en filet, façon escabèche aux épices, small spiced sardines to be eaten, bones and all. These five whole fish were served with a side of an herbal mayonaise, reminiscent of summertime fried fish and tartar sauce. The saltiness of the small fish were tempered by the thick mayonaise. There was nothing out of the ordinary about this dish; but given the choice, I would have liked to see a preparation more exemplary of Joël Robuchon and his technique. This dish seemed very ordinary. To be truthful, I’m not sure why it was even on the menu.

My mother also ordered Le Foie Gras frais de canard cuit au torchon, foie gras pâté briefly torched on the surface to add a smoky essence while preserving the natural foie flavor. This was served with toasted brioche, a vehicle for taming the buttery richness of the liver. This was a lot of liver; I couldn’t believe it was served with a single brioche — a ratio that implies a mound of foie should be applied to each fragment of bread. Unyielding to culinary pressure, I asked for 2 more slices so I could have some my mother would enjoy the textural contrast more. That being said, I did not like the flavor of this foie pâté — the smokiness completely distracted from the flavor of the liver, as did the spiciness of the pepper sprinkled on top.

Now for my course, which stole the show that evening, La Morille sur un lit de macaronis au foie gras, sot-l’y-laisse et jus de volaille, morel mushrooms, fowl, and foie gras seated on a bed of macaroni and sauced with fowl jus. Oh god. Well to begin, look at the incredible diversity of all-star ingredients combined in a very original way. Morels and foie gras? Mmm. Foie gras and fowl? Mmm. Fowl and morels? Mmm. Macaroni and fowl jus? I think it’s clear that these ingredients just work wonderfully together, particularly with texture: the buttery foie against the firm fowl, the slightly crispy morels accentuating the al dente macaroni. The volaille jus was the only salted element on the plate, adding a creamy finish making every bite simply explode with flavor. And with all that, the presentation was beautiful.

The last course that evening for me was Le Saint-Pierre en filet avec ses vévettes mitonnées aux piments doux et chorizo, whole scallops served with sweet pepper and chorizo. This dish was somewhat confusing as I could not tell whether it was a salad, in which case the chorizo and rationing of scallops seemed off, or if it was a more hearty dish, in which case the raw greens held it back. The scallops were also slightly overcooked, which left them dry and flavorless, particularly since there was no saucing. I found myself pushing the rocket to the side, as well as the chorizo, eating only the scallops. This was a little disappointing.

The first time I visited L’Atelier my family requested to skip dessert, so I had to make up for it the second time with three. The first was Le Caramel glacé au Nougat et Poire fondante, caramel and nougat gelato with a black pepper fondante. The fondante, in particular, sounded interesting to me. Fortunately, the taste of pepper was unidentifiable; if it weren’t for the menu telling me, I would have never guessed pepper. The texture of the gelato was slightly sticky so that as it began to melt, it held its shape. It wasn’t very sweet, and a little more sugar would have gone a long way.

The second of the three desserts was a new addition to the menu, Le Multivitaminé ganache au chocolat jivara, a Jivara chocolate ganache covered with verbena leaf crème and red fruits. Perhaps in French, multivitamin means high caloric intake; because I certainly could not see the nutritional value in this. This seemed more like a thick chocolate pudding, garnished with red and brown chocolate circles. The flavor was muted, not identifiably chocolate nor anything else for that matter. It left my palate disappointed, and my iron count low.

And last, Le pot de crème vanille et chocolat, two pot de crème served with a chocolate biscuit, caramel mousse, and a thin caramel crown. The vanilla and chocolate pot de crèmes were pretty boring; both of which, like Le Multivitaminé, had muted flavors. These were also texturally boring with nothing to break up the monotony of the pudding consistency. The biscuit, on the other hand, was the best part of this dish, as it was more interesting. Sitting atop the slightly salty chocolate biscuit was a sweet vanilla crème, the flavors of which, when combined with the crispy caramel roof, left my mouth tingling. It was also pretty to look at, much more so than two opaque white cups.

It was interesting for me to see how this “chain” would turn out in a different country, particularly when it comes to finding the balance between Joël Robuchon’s international technique and the local culinary team’s own style. Ultimately, there were two extreme highs, la langoustine and la morille and two excellent dishes, la châtaigne and l’oeuf, the rest fell slightly north of average. All of the desserts that I tried were disappointing.

What was interesting was that all the dishes I felt were the strongest were listed on the tasting menu, suggesting that the restaurant is well-aware of its culinary strong points and the other dishes exist to please the wide array of diner palates, such as those of my mother and sister. I appreciate that very much, as finding the balance between a chef’s vision and a diner’s taste is an ever-going challenge in humility and creativity for any chef. I look forward to returning when the menu changes this spring.

Edited December 15, 2007 by ajgnet (log)

[luizhorta]

Remarkable description of a meal! Thank you! Would you mind telling us about the prices of the dishes/menu?

[ajgnet]

Remarkable description of a meal! Thank you! Would you mind telling us about the prices of the dishes/menu?

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Thanks! Most of the smaller dishes were around 20E, and the larger dishes 35E. There were some exceptions, like L'Oeuf which was 80E. Desserts were around 15E.

[vmilor]

Nice reports ajgnet, please continue and enjoy Paris.

My best guess is that the "elderly" lady you described at L'Ambroisie is the lady at the "vestiaire". It is hard not to use adjectives such as "elegant", "refined", "chic" describing Madame Pacaud. She is almost "ageless".... she is not aging.

Unlike many other 3 stars in Paris the staff at L'Ambroisie, with the exception of Pascale Vettaux, do not speak English. This creates some misunderstanding at times....

Since I am neither French nor American, I can say that the 2 culture rest at polar opposites among Western-individualist cultures. Selective/elitist/discretionary versus inclusive/populist/anti intellectual. Conflicts arise, esp. in case of an institution like L'Ambroisie which embodies some French values to the dismay of even some younger and/or more "liberal" French people (who don't want to be or behave like their parents). There is also a good number of Americans who feel more at home at L'Ambroisie than anywhere else in America.

I respectfully disagree with the comment that the "young and the foreigners" are discriminated against in l'Ambroisie (personally I was 27 when I first ate there). It is all a matter of body language and unconscious conformity to certain norms.

I also think that "having fun" is a culturally constructed notion and the "sense of humor" differs widely among countries and social classes. It is almost impossible to explain to a third party why something or someone is "fun' because this very endeavour is meaningless when people do not share a common baseline/experiences.

[Andy Fenn]

Yes!  I now have a second reservation at L'Ambroisie for late January.  Fingers crossed that everything works out this time.  But I can promise you, I was not at all argumentative.  It takes a lot to anger me, and I certainly wasn't going to be irritated by a restaurant that I can return to in the near future.  I was also very careful to be as flexible as possible, particularly since I'd been meaning to try this menu for awhile.  I was just a little startled, I suppose.  But no worries -- fingers crossed for January!

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Did you make it? Hope it was worth the wait.

[ajgnet]

Yes!  I now have a second reservation at L'Ambroisie for late January.  Fingers crossed that everything works out this time.  But I can promise you, I was not at all argumentative.  It takes a lot to anger me, and I certainly wasn't going to be irritated by a restaurant that I can return to in the near future.  I was also very careful to be as flexible as possible, particularly since I'd been meaning to try this menu for awhile.  I was just a little startled, I suppose.  But no worries -- fingers crossed for January!

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Did you make it? Hope it was worth the wait.

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hi -- just got back into the swing of things after winter break. and in fact, l'ambroisie was one of the first meals of 2008 in paris for me. in a nutshell, i was blown away. i'm getting my pictures together now, hang in there!

[ajgnet]

L'Ambroisie

9, Place des Vosges

Photos available here.

The first time I arrived at L’Ambroisie I was told that I wouldn’t be eating there that night. Apparently, the maître d’hôtel called earlier that day to confirm my table. After getting dressed up and arriving, I was turned away. There were no missed calls on my phone, nor any messages. I was disappointed, to say the least. But I made a reservation to return at the next available date, nearly two months later. Certainly, there was a sullen taste in my mouth from being turned away last time; but this flavor was quickly reversed when I finally had the chance to sample what I believe are some of the most well-executed dishes I’ve ever experienced.

As I walked into the dining room, I was immediately turned off by the room’s apparent chill that came from the cold marble flooring and vaulted ceilings. But as I sat down and probed the space around me, things began to warm up. I realized that unlike Les Ambassadeurs, this was not necessarily cold so much as it was kept understated. There were no gold ornaments nor heavy crystals to this space. In fact in this room, there were only five tables which kept the feeling intimate. Only on my way out did I find out there was indeed a second dining room, which seemed to be the more impressive of the two; but was not nearly so intimate. The other room was more ornate with parquet floors and a grand chandelier. The decorative elements on my table, a simple pink rose and white candle, maintained a level of elegance while keeping a strong focus on the food and the other person.

The meal started with my waiter holding a plate full of gougères in front of me until I took one, while the remaining plate of two were placed on the table. This subtle coercion, a testament to the pastry’s time sensitivity, worked; otherwise, I would have been sure to take a picture first. And what a nice treat this was: relatively hollow on the inside with a thin layer of warm fragrant crust, not at all oily; but rich with the warm flavor of cheese. I was reminded that gougères do not have to be a dull requirement of haute French cuisine; rather, when as impressive as the ones I’d just tasted, can be really jump start a palate, setting a foundation of savory to be contrasted with a sweet glass of champagne. I curiously awaited the next step.

Next came the amuse bouche, lightly smoked salmon cooked sous vide, potato strings, and a dill mousse. Two things struck me immediately about the salmon: the slightest hint of smoke, and it’s buttery texture. The salmon was so lightly smoked that the woody flavor added a subtle hint of complexity rather than dominating the flavor, something I feared at first as my eyes viewed the setting of this dish with disappointment. Nothing to be disappointed about here. The texture was lean and supple, so much so that it seemed to melt into the plate. Although the dill mousse was lighter, the flavor of this dish became redundant after a few bites. For me, this was too reminiscant of bagels and smoked salmon without enough of a significant difference to warrent serving it. The strips of crispy potato did help to break up the textural monotony; but the dish was overwhelmed by the one dimensional flavor of the cold and sour cream.

Things turned around significantly in the next course, a velouté de topinambours et noix de saint-jacques, émulsion de truffe. Sitting in a velouté of Jerusalem Artichokes were three round scallops topped with black truffle. Oh god, how things turned around. There was no tableside truffle shaving here, a sure sign of L’Ambroisie’s confidence. But while there was no truffle show, the fragrance of these heat-activated thin black sheets was outstanding. A first bite revealed the complexity of this dish. The velouté was left grainy, a reminder that artichokes were involved. But more importantly, this texture led right up to the softness of the scallop, supporting its smoothness rather than contrasting against it. As I filled my spoon with the velouté, I noted how it took several seconds for the thick velouté to fill the empty space. The artichoke scallop component, an impressive marriage of earth and sea, frankly made me wonder why chef Savoy’s soupe d'artichaut à la truffe noire gets so much attention. This was much stronger. Nearly all of my senses were immersed in this dish. Did it really have to end?

Next up was not only the highlight of the night; but also a course I am unlikely to ever forget: feuilleté de truffe fraîche “bel humeur.” As the waiter approached me carrying what seemed like rather large but simple pastry, I began to second guess my ordering decision. It was humbly placed in front of me, a golden brown puff pastry on a bed of puréed truffle. The dominant smell was of moist bread, a scent similar to walking by a bakery early morning. But what made this scent different was a gentle hint of truffle: I knew it was there; but it smelled as if it was hidden. And it was. I picked up my knife, and sliced the pastry in half to uncover a hidden treasure. With the first slice, a puff of steam was released revealing the hidden scent: so that’s where the fragrance of truffle was escaping from. The smell was so pleasantly strong and intense, for a brief moment, the entire dining room smelled of my dish. Perhaps that’s why this dish is titled “beautiful mood,” I certainly was in one. As I parted the now split pastry, I shook my head in astonishment. Was this for real? Inside this pastry were two layers of black truffle, each as thick as a generous hamburger patty. I’d never seen truffle in this quantity before. I laughed out loud. Separating these layers of truffle was a layer of creamy foie gras, adding a meat component to this earthy dish. I could not wait any longer, and took the first bite. What immediately struck me was how I was able to actually feel the texture of the truffle. When truffle is shaved, its contributions are in the form of scent and flavor. Here, on the other hand, a third component was added: texture. I was shocked to feel this firm but surprisingly delicate ingredient fracture in my mouth with each bite. The truffle maintained its dryness, a necessity to enjoy its natural texture. The dish’s moisture was balanced by the milky foie and the truffle oil purée beneath, the excess of which was absorbed by the light pastry. What a fantastic dish.

It was only after finishing this that I noticed a small mâche salad to my right topped with a light crème à la thousand island dressing. Hello there. Was that more black truffle on top? Frankly at this point, if it wasn’t so thick as a Pierre Hermé macaron, I wasn’t interested. I think the salad was more of an afterthought, or perhaps a social scapegoat to justify having eaten at least something green throughout this culinary adventure. Nevertheless, I finished it. It should be noted that this was some wonderfully fresh mâche; something I would have eaten on its own without truffles or dressing. Though, the pleasure from this course was vastly skewed toward the truffle pastry, the sheer audacity of serving a truffle in this quantity left me in awe, and in a position where I will likely remember this course every subsequent time I see a truffle. I took a brief trip to the bathroom, glanced in the mirror and smiled to reveal my black teeth. I had officially become a truffle vampire.

I spent a lot of time thinking about this dish. Pretty much nonstop for the next week. While it was certainly the ingredients that made this dish special, it also seemed to be technically flawless. The moisture rife pastry could have stood up on its own, and I would certainly wait in nearly any line to have one so hot and fresh as this. It also seems difficult to me to have baked two ingredients of completely different texture: truffle and foie gras, together in a single pocket of pastry without sacrificing one of the ingredient’s textures for the other. Somehow, they both just came out as if cooked independently. Even the truffle purée was a nice addition to the mixture, seeping into the soft pastry adding an earthy salt. As I finished up this course, I noticed the table next to mine just cutting into theirs. I first heard the chuckle of astonishment, which was quickly followed by the scent of black truffle. For another moment in time, the dining room belonged to them.

Following this pinnacle was another wonderful course, a fricassée de homard sauce civet, purée Saint-Germain, a large lobster tail served over a bed of gently smashed Saint-Germain peas. The sweet red wine with the salty pea purée was a combination I’d not experienced before, and would be a welcome dinner guest at any future point in time. Delicious. My only complaint was that the lobster was slightly overcooked, a texture that would have been even more inviting to absorb the red wine reduction had it been slightly softer. The purée also made for a nice bridge between the lobster and reduction, soaking up the sauce while clenching tightly to the lobster. The three of these together made for quite a few nice bites.

Finishing the savories, a scoop of pear ice cream was served before dessert. The graininess of the pair was obfuscated by the creamy texture of the glace, teasing my mouth with the flavor of pear; but never quite tasting it. I would have liked something stronger. This was disappointing and I expected something either more creative, or with a purer flavor. This was also texturally bland as there was nothing to break up the monotony of the cold crème.

For dessert, there were quite a few appealing choices. Since I had done my exercise for the day by walking to the restaurant, I chose all of them. I was slightly surprised, and perhaps a little embarassed, that all the desserts were brought out at the same time. There was hardly any room on the table! But more importantly, it made me concerned about time sensitivity of the dishes. I triaged the plates, and started with the most critical: ananas “victoria” rôti, crème glacée au lait de noix de coco, a cluster of pineapple sided with ice cream, mango vanilla reduction, almond tuiles, and garnished with a few raisins and a pepperment leaf. This was an appreciated appetizer for the dessert tasting. Nothing exquisite, just a light dessert with bright tropical flavors.

Next was undoubtably the highlight of the dessert course, tarte fine sablée au chocolat, glace à la vanille, an ultra-light chocolate tarte with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This was, without a question, the lightest slice of chocolate cake I’ve ever had. The slice had the airyness of a souflée; without any runny or creamy textures on the interior. But while it was light, it was still substantive and was not overwhelmed by the vanilla ice cream. The flavor bordered on bitter, taking much of its sweetness from the vanilla glace. This was fantastic.

The final dessert was a little less memorable, palet de chocolat lacté aux marrons glacés, sauce moka. A chocolate mousse surrounded with dark chocolate squares, with a mocha sauce and a candied chestnut. I was reminded of how much I dislike candied chestnuts, their dry pastiness gets redundant and boring after the first bite. These chestnuts were no different, although they appeared to be flawless. While the sauce was of mocha, the coffee flavor was so light that it did not bother me. In fact, the flavor of chocolate was at the same level of intensity allowing the coffee, chocolate, and crème flavors to meld together nicely. I found the dish texturally boring and the whole chocolate exterior somewhat annoying — it always takes extra time to chew chocolate at a cold temperature, and it so it always lingers unnecessarily long in the mouth. I probably wouldn’t order this dish again.

Last was a small plate of mignardises: almond tuiles, granny smith macarons, cannellé, pieces of chocolate with hazelnut, and wedge-sized apple tartes. Of the collection, the tuiles stood out as fantastic: a fragile web of pastry and almond. The flavor of the tuiles had an essence of nearly-burnt caramel adding another element of complexity. I also really enjoyed the macarons; despite not having a traditional ganache center, the tartness of the apple confiture was pleasing. The cannellés were kind of dense, almost like geletin; I didn’t enjoy them that much. The chocolate at this point was superfluous and seemed kind of taxing on my palate: half of one was more than enough. Lastly, the wedge-sized apple tartes could have used a little sprinkle of fleur de sel, I think; other than that, they were very sweet.

And just like that, it was over. A special meal with two dishes that stood out so strongly, the velouté de topinambours et noix de saint-jacques and feuilleté de truffe fraîche “bel humeur,” I will not forget them anytime soon. I’m glad I was able to return despite some confusion the first time; in my mind, it was certainly worth the trouble. Were I to return only able to order one course, it would undoubtably be the feuilleté, and that is what I would highly recommend that other visitors here try. I only hope it impacts you so profoundly as it did me.

[HOLLY_L]

I'm so glad you ended up having a good experience at L'Ambroisie. Did you experience any other service issues, besides the oddity of the desserts arriving all at once?

I will have to try to plan a visit to Paris during truffle season!

[ajgnet]

I'm so glad you ended up having a good experience at L'Ambroisie.  Did you experience any other service issues, besides the oddity of the desserts arriving all at once?

I will have to try to plan a visit to Paris during truffle season!

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actually, no! the service was very attentive and surprisingly flexible. there was no tasting menu; but after explaining how there were a few dishes that caught my eye, i was provided with half portions with everything except the feuilleté. the other table next to mine was full of fish-free vegetarians (thank god they weren't at my table) and i was astonished at how the restaurant tried really hard to please them. i wouldn't say that the service was so warm and friendly as places like alain ducasse; but it was very professional.

[prasantrin]

Did they recognize you from your previous attempt to dine there?

Glad you're back in Paris--I'm looking foward to more! (Got any patisserie or boulangerie visits planned soon? Not that I'm hinting....but I am )

[ajgnet]

Did they recognize you from your previous attempt to dine there? 

Glad you're back in Paris--I'm looking foward to more!  (Got any patisserie or boulangerie visits planned soon?  Not that I'm hinting....but I am )

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haha i don't think they did; or, at least they did a really good job concealing it. it was like two months later. i would have been startled if they were like, "you again ..." next up is going to be gérard mulot i think, right after le cinq.

[ajgnet]

Oh yeah, so I stopped by Ladurée shortly after my return, to notice these beautiful round frangipane filled tartes. I immediately backtracked as I saw these wonderful looking things in the window. Eh, I could be a little late for my date. I stopped in to pick one up. The conversation went something like:

"they're called galette des rois ... of course; and this is for how many people?"

"one person."

"... no, how many people?"

"one person?"

(switch to english)

"how many people is this for?"

"this is for one person."

albeit they were a little confused, i was not, and neither was my stomach for that matter! i ran home, the delicate tarte held protectively in both hands, and postponed my plans for an hour later. this was like a giant croissant with frangipane filling. the buttery crust flaked with each slice, and my teeth just sunk through the frangipane. the flavor was not only full of almond; but vanilla as well. really a nice treat.

a small ceramic piece is left somewhere in the cake. and tradition has it that whoever finds this piece in his slice will have good luck for the coming year. it seems that this was my lucky day!

[pierre45]

Did they recognize you from your previous attempt to dine there? 

Glad you're back in Paris--I'm looking foward to more!  (Got any patisserie or boulangerie visits planned soon?  Not that I'm hinting....but I am )

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haha i don't think they did; or, at least they did a really good job concealing it. it was like two months later. i would have been startled if they were like, "you again ..." next up is going to be gérard mulot i think, right after le cinq.

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Ajgnet.Very well written review,very personal .You seem to be a true gourmet.

Incidentally ,did you find the food quite rich?also what makes L'ambroisie different from any other 3 star restaurant.?

Did you reserve under the same name as previousely? if that's the case they knew who you were.Also what did you drink and what's next.?

[ajgnet]

Did they recognize you from your previous attempt to dine there? 

Glad you're back in Paris--I'm looking foward to more!  (Got any patisserie or boulangerie visits planned soon?  Not that I'm hinting....but I am )

←

haha i don't think they did; or, at least they did a really good job concealing it. it was like two months later. i would have been startled if they were like, "you again ..." next up is going to be gérard mulot i think, right after le cinq.

←

Ajgnet.Very well written review,very personal .You seem to be a true gourmet.

Incidentally ,did you find the food quite rich?also what makes L'ambroisie different from any other 3 star restaurant.?

Did you reserve under the same name as previousely? if that's the case they knew who you were.Also what did you drink and what's next.?

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thanks!

the only course i found rich was the feuilleté; mostly, because of the foie gras and the truffled butter reduction underneath the pastry. i enjoyed the richness of the course; mostly because the other courses seemed light in comparision.

i think it's hard to draw differences between service at the 3-star restaurants -- generally from my experience, the service has been excellent across the board. what made my experience at l'ambroisie was chef pacaud's daringness with the feuilleté. a teacher in third grade once told me you know a good invention when, after hearing it, you think "why didn't i think of that?" this was one of those things. until i had eaten this, i never even imagined truffles served in this way. the pastry was like a scent pocket, intensifying the truffle aroma as it baked. it was almost obnxious! he's one creative man. the quality of ingredients was also really high. not only was there a lot of truffle; there was a lot of very good truffle. everything from the mâche to vanilla bean in my ice cream was of impeccable quality. i had 3 dishes here that really impressed me (jerusalem artichokes and truffle, the feuilleté, and the brittany lobster) which might actually make this the most rewarding meal i've had here so far.

i didn't drink at this meal. generally, i rarely drink with dinner. it's kind of weird; but i'm not that interested in wine with my food. i'd rather have it before or after, or just by itself.

the next two places are le cinq (ate there a week ago) and le pré catelan. stay tuned !!

[robert40]

ajgnet,

I noticed something that I found surprising. You mentioned the smoked salmon was cooked sous vide. I would have never guessed Chef Pacaud and sous vide would be mentioned side by side. Nothing against the technique but just found it surprising.

Again thanks for the terrific thread.

[tupac17616]

"they're called galette des rois ... of course; and this is for how many people?"

"one person."

"... no, how many people?"

"one person?"

(switch to english)

"how many people is this for?"

"this is for one person."

cue the commentary from our waiter at TFL: "You are an inspiration to us all..."

[ajgnet]

"they're called galette des rois ... of course; and this is for how many people?"

"one person."

"... no, how many people?"

"one person?"

(switch to english)

"how many people is this for?"

"this is for one person."

cue the commentary from our waiter at TFL: "You are an inspiration to us all..."

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my mother had dinner with me a few weeks ago ... "i've never seen somebody eat like this" she kept saying.

[pennylane]

I have also been known to eat a whole galette des rois, provoking the same comments from my co-workers!

[Bu Pun Su]

ajgnet,

thanks for an excellent review of l'ambroisie - glad that you had a wonderful experience after being "turned down" in your first visit. I assume this is your best meal ever? How's it compared to Calandre, Savoy or French Laundry - either food only or overall experienced combined?

I have this "stupid" question to everyone . For Pacaud's feuilleté de truffe fraîche “bel humeur.” or something similar to this dish, what would happen if instead white truffle (forget about the price for the time being) is used? Would it fit well with the foie gras? Or the alternative - like the creamy sea urchin plus white truffle would work better?

[julot-les-pinceaux]

It is a stupid question, Bu Pun Su White truffle flavour disppears with heat. So no one ever cooks white truffle (to be fair, Guy Savoy used some peels in his risotto, but he only adds it at the last minute). That's also why the best way to have it is to shave it on your plate, because the flavour and the smell are so volatile.

[Bu Pun Su]

Julot,

Thanks for your response anyway

I know that you're "harsh" to Ducasse Plaza and Piege - well, I understand since their dishes do not change much. But, how about Guy Savoy? Doesn't his menu also pretty much constant throughout the year in particular his tasting menu, yet I hardly see you treat Savoy the same way as Piege. Why is that?

What's special dish at Savoy during the truffle season since you mentioned that this is one of the "must-go" place during the truffle season? Do you also dislike Le Louis XV the same way as Ducasse Plaza?