Hiramatsu

[cabrales]

My take on Hiramatsu – Good enough, and clearly deserving of a Michelin star, but no L’Astrance! There are clearly aspects of the restaurant, apart from the cuisine, that were helpful to Michelin’s award.  And only two noticeable Japanese influences (the use of clear consumme/bouillon almost as a sauce or principal ingredient in certain dishes, and the manner in which egg was steamed). If I were not deliberately evaluating this aspect of Hiramatsu’s cuisine, I would not have identified these influences. I would consider the cuisine French. Additional discussion can be viewed in “Hiramatsu – Now In Paris” under “Japan”, and “Guy Savoy” under “France”.  Dorie – Thanks for your recent post under the latter thread :)

Menu “Saveur D’Hiver” – Menu Degustation, Quatre Plats en Demi, Fromages et Dessert

(Tasting Menu with “Tastes of Winter”, 4 Dishes in ½ Portion, Cheese and Dessert; note

½ portions were generous)

Raviolis de saint-pierre et d’aubergine parfumes aux petits legumes de Provence

           (Ravioli of John Dory and aubergine perfumed with little vegetables from Provence)

Foie gras poele aux huitres, poireaux au champagne et sauce aux truffes

            (Pan fried foie gras with oysters, leeks and with champagne and truffle)

Bar de ligne braise sur coulis de citron confit

            (Braised line-caught bass on a coulis of lemon confit)

Selle de chevreuil en croute, roti aux oignons doux et marrons ecrases

           (Roasted saddle of venison in a pastry shell, with onions and crushed chestnuts)

Fromages

Duo de cornets de marrons aux coulis d’abricot a la lavande

            (Duo cones of chestnut with apricot coulis and with lavender)

Bollinger R.D. 1985

½ Bottle of Gev.-Chambertin 1997

Coffee (indicated on the bill as Moka Sidamo of Ethiopia)

The meal unfolded with appealing amuse-bouches of thin slices of (Spanish?) ham drizzled with olive oil (Dorie – the oil was indeed excellent) and a “royale” of black truffle. The latter amuse consisted of a small shotglass housing steamed egg custard that was smooth and light, and that reminded me of comparable items offered at certain authentic Japanese restaurants. Covering the custard was “consumme de volaille” (broth of fowl/poultry) – surprisingly dark and intense, and likely including pigonneau in the preparation – with small shards of aroma-enhancing black truffle.

I was glad to see the ravioli of John Dory with aubergine featured on the tasting menu, as the combination was unusual. The dish worked, with two flavorful decent-sized pieces of John Dory lodged loosely, together with the succulence of large pieces of aubergines, underneath a thin pasta layer. Very small, diced vegetables (including different roasted peppers and zucchini) added aromas and depth to the dish. My only (minor) complaint when I was sampling the dish was the use of a yellow-colored, cream-based, fairly thick sauce that was uninteresting (together with the nice olive oil), but in hindsight the sauce allowed the other flavors in the dish to come through.

The foie gras/oyster/leek/truffle dish was impressive, despite my reservations (prior to tasting) about the potential complexity associated with using so many principal ingredients (another pet peeve). A slice of pan-seared foie gras that, despite its lack of too much thickness, displayed a luscious interior alongside the slight crispness associated with pan-frying along the edges.  On top of the foie was a thick bright-yellow colored dollop of a bernaise-like sauce with leeks and a champagne reduction. It was laced with large pieces of black peppercorn, and materially augmented the foie. The foie was sitting in a meat-based (likely chicken or veal, but refined and likely made with herbs I could not identify) bouillon that was appropriately gentle. This I found to be a Japanese influence, as it is relatively uncommon (although not unheard of) for French chefs to use a bouillon or consumme as essentially a sauce. Also sitting in the bouillon was a wonderfully refined and fatty single oyster, draped with a delicate leek section that was a blush pink color.  A pile of sliced green cabbage, nicely sprinkled with small truffle slivers, completed this dish.

As Dorie mentioned, the sea bass with lemon was appealing. Dusted appropriately with a limited amount of orange-colored seasonings, the flesh of the bass was nicely prepared and the skin was crisp. Two slices of lemon confit added a bitter “kick”, which melded with the cream-based sauce (which likely also had traces of lemon, although it did have ever-so-slight connotations of sweetness as well).  Behind the lemon confit was a mashed item that I believe contained celery root and possibly potatoes. While my personal preference is for bass cooked less than it was at Hiramatsu, I would imagine that most diners would consider the amount of cooking for the bass to be just right.  So far, so good – if the venison dish had been as good as the dishes already described, I would have still considered Hiramatsu considerably less appealing than L’Astrance, but I would have been happier with Hiramatsu.  The venison dish disappointed not due to the preparation method (which was nice), but from the particular piece of venison I was served (a bit “mushy”in some places, even though most of the piece was appropriate in texture). Two round pieces of venison flesh were wrapped in an extremely thin shell that reminded me of the crispiness of skin (which it was not, of course). Nice, dark sauce. A hearty diced chestnut side – creamy, and yet with enough of the chestnuts intact to taste them. And a good roasted small onion, which not only housed a wonderful onion-flavored veloute, but also allowed the tasting of the onion flesh (including inside the tiny “lid”) that comprised the container.

Only average marks for the cheese plate, with no meaningful blues. However, top marks for the chestnut cone – a beautiful, lean cone of light, sweetened chestnut puree, with a whole candied chestnut alongside. Also, nice use of bits of lavender strewn on the plate. The use of light yellow, light green and medium brown effects in spirals up the cone was visually appealing.

If the above description sounds a bit mechanical, it is not because the restaurant is wanting. I have to admit, however, that, for me, Hiramatsu was not a revelatory restaurant experience, but neither were many others I have had recently.  I liked Hirmatsu enough (for its price point) to make a return reservation there on the spot.  The wait list for certain weekend reservations is now well into March; the restaurant does not appear to have a 30-day reservation policy. Note Hiramatsu offers a business lunch menu at 46 euros (please verify availability before reliance). The menu described above was at 90-100 euros. L’Astrance’s tasting menu offers many more dishes at a price range lower (and with wine, to boot!) than the latter.  But wholly apart from price considerations and focusing only on cuisine, L'Astrance would be my strong recommendation over Hiramatsu.

Decor and Wine List

The external surroundings and interior decor of Hiramatsu are quite beautiful. Lodged along a small road on Ile Saint-Louis, Hiramatsu overlooks a Seine landscape that on Saturday was framed by the greyness of a small refreshing rain and defiantly barren tree limbs. When I arrived in a cab, a member of the dining room team (maitre d’ and one member apparently of French origin, the sommelier and another member apparently Japanese) was on hand to open the cab door and gingerly lead me into the restaurant.  The decor was modern – the entryway being bordered by a glass screen with muted “dots” sparingly included in the glass.  Along the right hand side of the restaurant was an elegant, but modern, expanse of dark, dark wood, on which were arranged tall leather medium yellow seats that could slide along the wood.  The free-standing chairs were modern-looking, and done in any ivory/yellow color with cone-shaped legs.  On the left were some tables for two people, at one of which I sat.  The dark-brown, yellow and ivory/yellow colors were nice, and contrasted with the more traditional looking wooden beams that adorned the ceiling area of the dining room.

The wine list is strong for a one-star restaurant, with developed selections for Champagne and white Burgundy for a restaurant at that level. There were some wines with a normal restaurant mark-up, others that were quite well-priced (e.g., a 1988 Krug Clos de Mesnil at 1800 FF, 1985 Salon at 1200 F). A 1971 Batard Montrachet in half-bottle (1700 FF) tempted me! The wine list lacked depth in white Bordeaux. (I did not review the depth or strength of the red wine selection.) Clearly, the wine list would have been pleased Michelin at the one-star level (6-8 different years of LaTour; 5+ different Salon years, the occasional very old bottle). The wine and food service was good, with the very knowledgeable Japanese sommelier (or at least lead wine person) having a bit of a Japanese style in speaking French and speaking slightly more rapidly than I would have wanted. The maitre d’ noted that Guy Savoy had been at the restaurant recently, and that Chef Hiramatsu is at the restaurant two weeks out of every month. He was there when I visited, although he did not tour the dining room and I (uncharacteristically) did not ask to visit the kitchen. The restaurant has a small circular stairway in the back leading upwards to a private area.  

Ice Cream On Ile St-Louis

The headquarters of Berthillon, also on Ile Saint-Louis, were sadly closed for the school break.  I readily located two nearby cafes offering ice cream (Le Louis IX and L’Escale, at 23 and 1 Rue des Deux Ponts, respectively; the former did not serve the item cold enough). I sampled a bit of the following flavors: (1) Rum Raisin (French name: Creole) – strong rum flavors, and nice utilization of white raisins, (2) Hazelnut (Noisette) – contained broken nuts, and was also strong in flavor, (3) Candied Chestnuts (Marrons Glacees) – a disappointment, given that the flavor was weak and the texture of chestnuts was not reflected, (4) Coffee (Moka) – ordinary, and (5) Pistachio – bland.  Overall, the Berthillon ice cream was nothing special.  The texture was like that of many other ice cream I have had, and the flavoring could not be described as memorable.

[Bux]

The recent NY Times article noted that the wine list also offers some very inexpensive wines. From my visit to l'Astrance I recall a very limited selection of wines and all at budget prices. I believe they were all (or mostly) from the southwest and finds. Clearly from your description of the reception, decor and wine list, Hiramatsu is the product of a far greater, and perhaps calculated, investment. In another thread, Dorie Greenspan quoted Francois Simon's article in the Figaro about Hiramatsu having "trapped" the Michelin into giving him the star. He spoke of the restaurant's trappings (no pun intended, at least not at first thought) which seem to be noticeably appealing.

From what I've read, it might not be unfair to note that the food is far less adventurously creative than it is at L'Astrance. I suspect the French and the French press, not to mention perhaps the Michelin guide, are far more willing to allow a French born chef trained at one of Paris' three star restaurants more leeway in the introduction of new ideas than they would for a foreigner. One could speculate that the design of the food prepared at Hiramatsu is calculated in this regard. The Japanese are often accused of being great copiers. I find that's not exactly true. They can be as creative as anyone else, but they seem to follow a path of proving they can faithfully duplicate, before asking their creatvity be recognized. Perhaps it's in an understanding of a popular opinion.

[cabrales]

From what I've read, it might not be unfair to note that the food is far less adventurously creative than it is at L'Astrance.

Bux -- I'm prepared to say that the food at Hiramatsu is markedly less creative than that at L'Astrance (in a relative sense), without any negative connotations with respect to the absolute (i.e., non-comparative) level at Hiramatsu. But I have to add that, for me, the food at L'Astrance is decidely French (in the most fabulous sense), even though creative.

With respect to decor, L'Astrance has, for me, wonderful decor. The yellow and orange suede seating at L'Astrance against a graphite grey textured set of walls is more to my personal liking than the decor at Hiramatsu. Hirmatsu was brighter in its use of lighting.

On wine, I don't need to know there are so many years for LaTour unless I'm ordering that type of wine. At L'Astrance, the wine list is beautifully crafted with care, and while not exhibiting the monetary investment associated with a family of restaurants in Japan, is appropriate for the cuisine and offers many good buys  

Also, a Japanese-ethnicity chef entering Paris' restaurant landscape would tread carefully, I would imagine. It's a fine line between trying to establish oneself for one's own dishes, and being faulted for being pretentious and for telling the French what is French food. In this respect, Hiramatsu is particularly interesting. Unlike Jean-George's Market, it launched as a restaurant aspiring to produce French haute cuisine. Even the Pourcels' Maison Blanche was arguaby not as obviously seeking a first star in the way that everything about Hiramatsu (including the cuisine) makes clear.  For example, what one star restaurant (except for demoted establishments) is there in Paris that has Christofle cutlery?  (I don't know the answer to this question; it's not rhetorical.) Another example: I have never had a one-star, non-hotel restaurant in Paris have personnel come to receive me at my cab. Granted, it was raining and the street on which Hiramatsu is located is a small one where there is less other traffic. Also, some restaurants are not located curb-side. However, the restaurant has all the right "Michelin" touches for a restaurant at the one-star level.

[Bux]

From your description of the curbside welcome, I'd say Hiramatsu has the touches or trappings of a two or three star restaurant. I suspect it's aspirations are higher than one star.

[cabrales]

I suspect it's aspirations are higher than one star.

Bux -- I can see how Hiramatsu's aspirations could be higher than one star over the long run. First, Chef Hiramatsu is presumably cooking there 50% of the time. Second, the restaurant does use more expensive produce -- a predicate for the two-star climb. Witness, one or more of truffles, foie gras and caviar are components of a number of dishes on the menu.

http://www.hiramatsu.co.jp/lang_french/carte.html

Dorie -- While cod is not one of my preferred fish varieties, the Cabillaud cuit minute, truffé aux fèves (slightly cooked cod, truffled with broad beans) seemed to have large slices of black truffles plastered onto the side and top of the fish serving. It might be an interesting dish, if you have several people to sample it and do not have to choose the cod at the expense of other entrees that may be more interesting to you from the menu description.

I believe much can be gleaned from a restaurant's menu, both in terms of the items that are included and in the way they are described (unless one is confronting Gagnairian-type convoluted descriptions and cuisine). That is part of why I collect menus. The menu description further spurred my interest in Hiramatsu prior to taking a meal there. (By the way, the use of expensive ingredients dove-tailed with my wondering about how an 18-seat restaurant can have rewarding economics, but the responses to both questions are somewhat clear now.  A good point was made in another thread about how there might be economic benefits inuring to Hiramatsu's restaurants in Japan from Hiramatsu's having earned a star in Paris. While that might very well be the case, my take is that Hiramatsu launched in Paris for personal/professional gratification.)

The restaurant utilizes Brittany lobster (Homard Breton rôti aux pousses d'épinards et son beurre aux fines herbes; Roasted Brittany lobster with spinach shoots and a butter of fine herbs). The bass I had was line-caught. The rabbit is described as young rabbit (lapereau) from a farm (Râble de lapereau fermier braisé aux truffes; saddle/back of free-range young rabbit braised with truffles.) There is currently no chicken dish on the menu; if there were, it would be Bresse or something even more specialized.

The scallops are flanked by asparagus (Coquilles Saint-Jacques poêlées au beurre de champagne, croquant d'asperges fries; pan-fried scallops with champagne butter and crunchy asparagus fries?).  The little vegetables in the John Dory and aubergine pasta dish are carefully noted to be from Provence. The spinach accompanying the lobster is not just spinach, it's spinach shoots. It's heart of lettuce (and romaine lettuce, to be clear) that accompanies the turbot (Turbot poêlé à l'orange, cœur de romaine au thym, gaspacho vert moutardé; pan-fried turbot with orange, heart of romaine lettuce with thyme, a green gaspacho with mustard). Note the listing of the seasoning (like thyme) for non-principal ingredients in a dish (like the lettuce, presumably) is another sign of ambition or pretension, depending on how a diner looks at it.

Steven S -- Please don't remark (with partial accuracy only, as intentions may be indicative of the trend of the restaurant) in a post that Hiramatsu's motivations with respect to coming to Paris are not germane to the quality of his cuisine!  

[cabrales]

If members spotted it, what was the gist of Jacqueline Friedrich's review of Hiramatsu in the February 28, 2002 (Thursday) Wall Street Journal?  It appears positive, as the heading was apparently "In Paris, a Star Is Born".

Also noted the write-up by TimeOut, which describes the pigeon with foie gras appetizer as also utilizing bouillon. It is interesting that we have talked about successful incorporation of non-French influences in French cuisine. Bouillon utilization by Hiramatsu is a good example. Japanese cuisine is quite well-developed on bouillons, including in connection with the serving of noodles that are an important aspect of Japanese culinary culture (as BON's work no doubt confirms)  I would imagine Hiramatsu has something to add in this respect.

"Just as 2001 ended, Japanese chef Hiroyuki Hiramatsu produced the culinary event of the year with this spectacular new restaurant . . . . [i wouldn't agree with this statement, or the next] Easily the most important new restaurant to open in Paris in the new century, this place serves sublime Franco-Japanese dishes like a salad of raw pigeon breast, savoy cabbage and foie gras, poached at the table in hot bouillon, . . . ."

Dorie -- Have you had your second meal at Hiratmatsu yet?  

[Bux]

I'm greatly appreciating your comments on Hiramatsu. I look forward to reading Dorie's and would like to read Jaqueline Friedrich's. Does anyone know if the WSJ review might be online?

Bouillon as a course, is an old item in French cuisine. On reflection, it's usage has slipped, but I have seen dishes served in a clear broth. I would be hard pressed to say whether it's reappearance is a revival or response to Japanese influences.

On an earlier note about light and lighting at Hiramatsu and l'Astrance, one of the things I really like about dining in France is that restaurants are generally very well lit. I really like bright restaurants and I suspect I have been favorably influenced towards the food, but the light level in a restaurant.

[cabrales]

Bouillon as a course, is an old item in French cuisine. On reflection, it's usage has slipped, but I have seen dishes served in a clear broth. I would be hard pressed to say whether it's reappearance is a revival or response to Japanese influences.

Bux --  Thanks for spurring my thoughts and clarification.  Bouillon has a history in French cuisine, but the way bouillon is used at Hiramatsu was surprising to me (almost as a thin, thin sauce in the foie gras/oyster/leek dish, and potentially unusually in the pigeon dish, which also involves cabbage and foie gras, all in a bouillon ?! -- I'll verify later this month upon a revisit).  Granted, in the truffled royale amuse-bouche, the bouillon is in a more traditional preparation.  It's hard to tell with TimeOut's descriptions sometimes, or from the Hiramatsu menu (Aiguillettes de pigeonneau au foie gras et consommé de julienne de légumes), which does not mention how the consumme is utilized in the dish.  

[cabrales]

but the way bouillon is used at Hiramatsu was surprising to me (almost as a thin, thin sauce in the foie gras/oyster/leek dish, and potentially unusually in the pigeon dish, which also involves cabbage and foie gras, all in a bouillon ?! . . . .

Bux -- Here's another description of the pigeon dish, from the February issue of "Where" (Paris) magazine:

"A Japanese chef has taken the city by storm and opened Paris' newest haute cuisine restaurant . . . . To find out what the fuss is all about, order the 'aiguillettes de pigeonneau au foie gras'.  Thin strips of pigeon with foie gras and Savoy cabbage are posed on a porous plate over a bowl, then doused with hot bouillon.  Once you've eaten what's on the plate, the waiter takes it away and leaves you with the consumme. . . ."  

[magnolia]

If members spotted it, what was the gist of Jacqueline Friedrich's review of Hiramatsu in the February 28, 2002 (Thursday) Wall Street Journal?  It appears positive, as the heading was apparently "In Paris, a Star Is Born".

Here's the link to Friedrich's gushing review.

http://online.wsj.com/article....body%29

If this doesn't work, just go to www.wsj.com and type "Hiramatsu" in the search box

[Jon Tseng]

Cabrales - if you have Reuters Business Briefing where you are try doing a wordsearch on Hiramatsu - the articles in there

J

[cabrales]

magnolia & Jon -- Thanks. Unfortunately, I don't have the Reuters subscription, and the WSJ site also requires a paid subscription.  (Even the two-week free WSJ "trial" subscription might have strings attached). Which dishes were described with specificity?

[Bux]

I tried the WSJ link and serached for "hiramatsu" on the free tour page. In both cases I ran up against a page that notified me that the page was only available to subscribers.

[Steve Klc]

Is anyone else slightly suspicious that Friedrich perhaps wanted to be the first out of the gate on Hiramatsu and overstepped a bit?

A few years ago she did a piece in the Times about Barcelona dining--and the only Michelin-starred place she chose to dine at was Neichel.  She said she "knew that Jean-Louis Neichel was from Alsace, which worried me, as I live in France and didn't want to eat French food in Barcelona. I'd read, however, that Neichel's classic French cooking had been transformed by the influence of Catalonia."  Needless to say, she found it wanting: "there is no reason in the world why the Barcelonese shouldn't have a classic French restaurant. My only gripe is that it took me back to France before I was ready to leave Spain."  How's that for insight?  Too bad I had the sense she'd decided on the verdict before the case was tried.  

I have that same whiff of over-reach, of trying to get ahead of the story when I read things like "Hiramatsu produced the culinary event of the year with this spectacular new restaurant" or "easily the most important new restaurant to open in Paris in the new century."

Thank you to those who have shared their Hiramatsu experiences here.

[Bux]

Steve Klc: Is anyone else slightly suspicious that Friedrich perhaps wanted to be the first out of the gate on Hiramatsu and overstepped a bit?

For what it's worth, who chose the headline In Paris, A Star Is Born?

On Jan. 26, 2001 Patricia Wells entitled her review of l'Astrance, In Paris: A Star is Born.

It's also worth noting that Regina Schrambling already mentioned Hiramatsu in her The New Paris, Where Chefs Come Out to Play article on Wednesday, February 20th. So this is not the first word to be published in NYC on the restaurant and the news of its star is also not a scoop as the Times had covered the Michelin press release of star changes.

It's not news that a journalist would want a scoop. I thought that's the name of the game. Was she over reacting after just one meal? I don't know. In a way it reads more like a press release than a review, but the restaurant is news and the article is less a restaurant review than an article about a new restaurant that's causing a sensation in Paris with Ms. Friedrich merely bringling the news to the readers of the WSJ. This should not be the first mention a sophisticated New Yorker reads. Of course, a sophisticated New Yorker would have read about it here first.

[Steve Klc]

OK Bux--here's a relevant quote from the WSJ review or press release:

"This, I thought, walking home in a cloud of ecstasy, is fusion food in the most profound sense. It's French cuisine but it's made by someone so completely imbued with Japanese culture that we get a true Hegelian synthesis of the two worlds. This is no mere mixing and matching of ingredients; it's a marriage of the esprit informing each cuisine, the aesthetics that underlie Japanese floral arrangements applied to French cooking in order to give birth to something unique."

Hegelian?  Me still thinks there's more here than a "scoop"--a pitch for a book deal perhaps?

[Bux]

I did acknowledge that it read in part as if it was a press release.  

And if she want's the book that badly, that's probably a sign she thinks it's an important restaurant.

[cabrales]

Bux & Steve Klc -- Here's another excerpt from the WSJ article I found amusing: "I thought of Mr. Hiramatsu 's exquisite amuse-gueule . . . a shot glass filled with  consomme and a curdlike, off-white custard topped with julienned black truffles.  It was the essence of sophistication; it also looked for all the world like miso soup with tofu, garnished with seaweed. Personal or not, it seemed like a delicious culinary pun to me, n'est-ce pas?"

The miso soup visual analogy seems strained. The "royale" (note French origins of this dish) amuse-bouche did not look like miso soup, in that (1) it was served in a small, clear shotglass, unlike the non-clear round bowls with lids in which miso soup tends to be presented, (2) the consumme in the royale was clear, in contrast to certain miso soups, (3) the steamed egg (yes, that is the "curdlike, off-white" material) occupied the entire bottom half of the shotglass, unlike tofu which is usually in small diced cubes in miso soup, and (4) the truffle shards were spiky, unlike the softened seaweed in miso soup.    Obviously, tastewise, the royale of truffle was quite different from miso soup too.

[StuDudley]

My take on Hiramatsu – Good enough, and clearly deserving of a Michelin star, but no L’Astrance!

Cabrales

For those of us who consider price when we plan our dining itinerary, it would be helpful if you could include the price of the menu you ordered, when you review a restaurant.  

I dined at Astrance last Sunday and the price of the 8 course "Menu de Saison" was 58 Euros.  The 8 courses were actually 12 when they added in "surprises".  In addition to the white wine we ordered with our seafood courses, I ordered a glass of red wine which they kept filling up when it got low.  They did the same with the water, although we only ordered 1 half bottle (4 Euros). We also ordered Kirs.  They did not charge us for either the bottomless glass of red wine nor the Kirs - they said "not tonight" when we brought it to their attention.  The entire dinner for 2 was Approx 160 Euros.  We walked by Hiramatsu and the prices seemed to be in a different league than Astrance - high 30s for entrees & mid 40s for plats.  I did not notice the fixed price menu.  I suspect that Hiramatsu would have cost me twice as much as Astrance for only 4 courses (although they would probably be larger portions)

Thanks for the excellent review

[Steve Klc]

Stu--if any of us were not already convinced that L’Astrance was a must visit--your notes on price surely seal the deal.  What a fine-dining bargain!

Do you speak French or were you conversing in English?

[cabrales]

For those of us who consider price when we plan our dining itinerary, it would be helpful if you could include the price of the menu you ordered, when you review a restaurant.  

I dined at Astrance last Sunday and the price of the 8 course "Menu de Saison" was 58 Euros. . . . The entire dinner for 2 was Approx 160 Euros.  We walked by Hiramatsu and the prices seemed to be in a different league than Astrance - high 30s for entrees & mid 40s for plats.  I did not notice the fixed price menu.  I suspect that Hiramatsu would have cost me twice as much as Astrance for only 4 courses (although they would probably be larger portions)

Stu -- Thanks for your feedback. I'll try to include prices (at least sans wine) from now on, except in situations where they might lead members to think I am decadent  

The prices for Hiramatsu were included in the provided link to the sample menu. The tasting menu, containing four courses, is listed at the bottom of that at 92 euros. On L'Astrance, I could not speak more enthusiastically about its prices, and, wholly apart from prices, its cuisine.  See, e.g., "Gault Millau 2002 Guide France" under this forum for more on L'Astrance (G-M notes L'Astrance provides haute cuisine at bistro prices).

Is the Menu de Saison the one that has dishes listed on the menu? Note that the price of the L'Astrance all-surprise menu (I think it's called Menu L'Astrance) is slightly higher (relatively; but, in absolute terms, marvellous) than the price of the Menu de Saison.  The all-surprise menu price also varies slightly between lunch and dinner.

[StuDudley]

Stu -- Thanks for your feedback. I'll try to include prices (at least sans wine) from now on, except in situations where they might lead members to think I am decadent

I don't think you need to worry about that

 

The prices for Hiramatsu were included in the provided link to the sample menu. The tasting menu, containing four courses, is listed at the bottom of that at 92 euros. On L'Astrance, I could not speak more enthusiastically about its prices, and, wholly apart from prices, its cuisine.  See, e.g., "Gault Millau 2002 Guide France" under this forum for more on L'Astrance (G-M notes L'Astrance provides haute cuisine at bistro prices).

Is the Menu de Saison the one that has dishes listed on the menu? Note that the price of the L'Astrance all-surprise menu (I think it's called Menu L'Astrance) is slightly higher (relatively; but, in absolute terms, marvellous) than the price of the Menu de Saison.  The all-surprise menu price also varies slightly between lunch and dinner.

They list all the items on the Menu de Saison, and one of the surprises (La Betterave en fine galette, oignons et haddock) was listed on the Carte menu.  The surprises of Oysters in their shell (2) on a bed of chives with a "froth" of Camembert cheese sauce, toast soup, and sabayon in an egg shell were not.  The Surprise menu includes wine & was 76 Euros.  The lunch menu is not served on Sunday

[cabrales]

The surprises of Oysters in their shell (2) on a bed of chives with a "froth" of Camembert cheese sauce

Stu -- That was an outstanding dish, with the Camembert effect quite prominent on the nose, but very suppressed (almost non-existent) in the mouth (where the oyster tastes and textures dazzled). What was your assessment of the dish?  

[StuDudley]

Stu--if any of us were not already convinced that L’Astrance was a must visit--your notes on price surely seal the deal.  What a fine-dining bargain!

Do you speak French or were you conversing in English?

My wife & I converse in English to each other , but she converses in excellent French to the restaurant help.  A few times they tried to talk to me in English.

BTW, why do you ask ?

[cabrales]

Do you speak French or were you conversing in English?

My wife & I converse in English to each other , but she converses in excellent French to the restaurant help.  A few times they tried to talk to me in English.

Steve Klc -- The maitre d's English is good. There would be no problems for non-French speakers. I speak fluent French, but have heard him describe dishes in detail to adjacent English-speaking diners.

On the relative sizes of each dish, I would say that the Hiramatsu dishes were only slightly larger (if at all) than those at L'Astrance. L'Astrance is the way to go for too, too many reasons