Ze Kitchen Galerie and Les Bookinistes

[annadev]

I am leaving for Paris on Friday, and friends have recommended the above two restaurants. Any views? Also, how far in advance should one reserve?

I am also interested in Violon d'Ingres, being discussed in another post, and am wondering about how far in advance to reserve?

[grace3]

I would email for a reservation at Violon d'Ingres now, or ask your hotel to make the reservation for you..either way. If you are asking your hotel to do it, you might as well ask them to make the Bookinistes too......

[grace3]

Forgot...Violon may be closed..you better check on that ..they usually head south in August ....

[rshorens]

I ate in Les Bookinistes(on a side street perpendicular to the street that parallels the left bank of the Seine) several years ago and enjoyed it, but I was under the impression that it no longer exists.

Roz

Edited August 25, 2004 by rshorens (log)

[Bux]

I ate in Les Bookinistes(on a side street perpendicular to the street that parallels the left bank of the Seine) several years ago and enjoyed it, but I was under the impression that it no longer exists.

Roz

We ate there quite a few years ago. As I recall it was right on the corner, but I can't remember if one entered directly off the quai des Grands Augustins or the rue des Grands Augustins that runs into the quai. It's still there, or at least the Michelin web site says it is at 53 quai Grands Augustins.

[Felice]

Les Bookinistes is definitely still there and yes it's right on the corner by the Quai on rue des Grands Augustines in the 6th. Ze Kitchen is right next door on rue des Grands Augustines. I've been to both in the past year and loved both of them.

Ze Kitchen is more modern and would be considered "fusion"cuisine. I think a day or two in advance should be fine for reservations.

[John Talbott]

Felice is correct (as usual) but I think there is a palpable difference between the two. While William Ledeuil was the brains behind both and when Ze Kitchen Galerie opened, shuttled between the two, now he's at Ze having left the Savoy empire. In addition, because Bouquinistes is older (by maybe 10 years) it has more tourists than Ze and has continually raised its prices if those are issues for you. I wholeheartedly endorse Ze, it is fusion but without the excess exhibited by places like L'Angl'Opera or Lucullus. I will post my reactions to Pinxo next week which I think is pleasing like Ze but in a Basquoise way; short conclusion=I loved it. Finally, I think everything Christian Constant touches- eg Violin, Fables, Cafe C - works very well.

Edited August 25, 2004 by John Talbott (log)

[Felice]

And just in case anyone is interested, Ze Kitchen has cooking classes on Thursday (I think) afternoons, or at least they did last year.

[John Talbott]

I am delighted to report that Ze is even better today* than it was when it opened, can it be five years ago?, indeed, as I said to the chef today, things have changed since he/they got the macaroon/star, it's even better.

I took notes madly during the meal until my good food pal, Atar, said "Just say it was all good, can't be replicated in NYC and has spices one cannot pin down."

We spanned the food groups: scallops and bulots, escargots, squid and monkfish to spring lamb and herb croquettes. I must say I thought my fried crab was as good as one could ever get on the Chesapeake and the chocolate dessert just fine.

Our bill was 90.30 E per couple, with wine, coffee and only one dessert and no bottled water. If they can serve such one star food and hold costs down like this, M. Ledeuil et Co. have the restaurant of the decade.

* Our last meal was March 14th. FD: We were each comp'd a bouillion of raviolis of chopped lamb with (I think) lemongrass.

[John Talbott]

One more visit and one more blowout meal for 91.30 E for two (altho' full disclosure, I and we were treated to a long, long and fascinating chat with Mr. L., a coupla soups of carrot with shrimp, basil, mushrooms and was it coconut milk?, a glass of wine and an extra dessert).

I started with scallops with bulots and asparagus, all microtomed - just heaven!

Then came the comp'd carrot and shrimp soup.

Then Colette had the lotte with lemongrass, white asparagus and green beans? thinly sliced and I tiny chicken wings (cheapest product on the planet) and sweetbreads (hardly so) - so so good.

Finally Colette ordered the orange/ginger cake with a sorbet of blood oranges and lemongrass and we both enjoyed it.

Bottom line - better and better and for one star, incredible.

[PhilD]

I am delighted to report that Ze is even better today* than it was when it opened, can it be five years ago?, indeed, as I said to the chef today, things have changed since he/they got the macaroon/star, it's even better.

←

John sorry I have to put an opposing view.

I have been perplexed by the rave reviews Ze Kitchen Gallerie receives from so many posters. We ate there a few years ago and were distinctly unimpressed. Were we unlucky? Was it an off night? Has it changed? A quick day trip to Paris gave me the opportunity to give it another go and to try and reconcile my experience.

I started with a marinaded tuna sashimi, with artichokes, asparagus and a kumquat sauce. The tuna was good; nice and “fatty”, and the artichoke and asparagus were fine. However, I found the kumquat sauce dominated the dish, it sort of jumped off the plate and hit you around the head, it was so strong in comparison to the rest of the dish.

Next I tried the young rabbit, with thai style sauce (the real name is a lot longer). The dish consisted of two tender pieces of rabbit with a classic mustard glaze; a ball of rabbit meat, deep fried like a croquet; and a thai green curry sauce with peas, a spring onion and (I think) another leafy vegetable. Oddly the flavour of the thai green curry was so subtle it had almost disappeared - almost analogous to a homeopathic remedy where the active ingredient is so diluted only a molecule or two is present. My guess is it that t is a short cut thai green curry sauce without a lot of the key ingredients that give it depth and balance. The dish appears to be a a “western fusion deconstructed” green thai curry with peas instead of pea eggplants, and spring onions instead of thai aromatics. This was OK, if bland. However , the main issue I had with the dish was that the mustard coated rabbit simply didn’t work with the thai style sauce. The tastes simply jarred.

Two things strike me. First, does the kitchen really taste the food before it leaves the kitchen? The flavours of my two dishes were so out of balance that I couldn’t believe they had. If they do then their palates are quite different to mine and I really don’t think my is that bad. Second, I wonder if the reason the food appeals because it has such big simple flavours. The contrast to the subtleties of traditional French cooking is refreshing for those that live in Paris (when we lived there we often yearned for different tastes), and a novelty for people who have not tried this style of food before.

My overall conclusion has not changed from my first visit, I don’t really think the cooking is that good. To be frank I believe Paris has many better places than this, both traditional and innovative. If this is the best of “east/west fusion” in Paris then give it a miss and take the opportunity to try this food elsewhere - although I think the east/west fusion stye has evolved a lot from where still ZKG is.

Finally why did Michelin award it a star this year? My suspicion is that Michelin is very strong on traditional cuisine's, but less so on Asian influenced ones and I think their ratings of London Indian restaurants proves that point.