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January 27, 2007
L'AMBROISIE (in French) and L'ASTRANCE Reviews by Atahan Tuzel
Atahan Tuzel is a friend of the Gastroville founders. This is what he wrote about himself concerning his passion.
L'AMBROISIE
Le 23 Janvier, 2007: Après 3 visites consécutives en l'espace d'un an, je suis encore plus convaincu de la réalité de mes sentiments ci-dessous captés la nuit même de mon premier repas à L'Ambroisie, le 2 Février, 2006.
Gougères
Langoustine au chutney d’ananas
Velouté de cresson aux noix de Saint-Jacques, émulsion de truffe
Escalopines de bar poêlées, étuvées d’artichauts et truffe
Feuilleté de truffe fraîche « bel humeur », salade de mâche
Sorbet aux fruits exotiques
Biscuit chaud et sorbet a la mandarine givrée
&
Champagne Roederer
Meursault les Tilles Michelot Mère et Fille 2001 (Harmonieux et supporteur, mais j’aurais aimé que les sédiments restent au fond de la bouteille a la fin)
Pomerol Châteaux Petit Village 1995 (Intoxicant et complice)
Bas Armagnac Domaine Boingnères [Folle Blanche] 1988
J’ai lu plusieurs propos qui reflètent l’avis que l’on n’apprécie pleinement la cuisine de M. Pacaud et l’impact total d’un dîner à l’Ambroisie qu’au bout de quelques visites consécutives. Je ne suis pas convaincu : Mon plus grand regret c’est que quand j’aurais l’occasion d’y manger prochainement, cela ne sera malheureusement pas ma première fois. (Au fond de mon esprit, je chuchote sans y croire aucunement « pourvu que ces gents aient raison ! »)
Comme mon appréciation pour la bonne cuisine est plus au niveau sentimental qu’analytique, par manque d’expertise certainement, voici quelques impressions :
[La fraîcheur et la cuisson de la langoustine sont excellentes, mais le tout est trop penché vers un sucre viscose, ce qui ne permet pas au crustacé de briller pleinement. Je note ceci seulement à cause de, et par rapport à, l’excellence qui va suivre. Les gougères sont parfaitement mesurées et impeccablement cuites mais sans intention de rapport avec la langoustine]
Velouté de cresson aux noix de Saint-Jacques et truffe :
Cette émulsion mousseuse est tellement ravageuse et délicate à la fois que quant elle disparaisse tout en douceur (et elle disparaît trop tôt par rapport à tout le reste comme dans la vie) on a envie de pleurer.
Quant « au reste ! » : les textures, la cuisson, ainsi que la transition entre le velouté, les Saint-Jacques et les lamelles de truffe sont tellement bien maîtrisées que ce n’est pas à moi d’en faire une déconstruction élaborée.
Le souvenir de cette beauté désormais absente en apparence me hante. Je ressens une reconnaissable jalousie envers le velouté de cresson (plus masculin encore que son article) qui l’a tenue plus longtemps que mon palais. Mon petit chagrin est suffisamment fort qu’il me fait oublier, pendant des heures, le grand plaisir innocent que j’ai éprouvé à ma rencontre initiale et quasi-magique avec l’élégante onde émeraude mais parfaitement opaque de cette concoction par suites du premier geste de ma cuillère.
M. Vettaux se rend compte de mon état émotif. Il en profite pour m’inviter à revenir déjeuner le lendemain, sans aucune pression, comme un parfait hôte. « Une petite fricassée de grenouilles, peut-être, et un poisson... » (Est-ce que j’ai bien dit sans pression ?!) Il me propose d’y réfléchir au cours du dîner. Je repars pour les Etats-Unis dans deux jours. À la fin de ce plat de rêve, je suis déterminé à accepter cette invitation, mais je prends mon temps.
Escalopines de bar poêlées, étuvées d’artichauts et truffe :
Le poivre fort sur les artichauts, qui n’est pas mentionné dans la description du plat, est très surprenant. (J’avoue que cette révélation est comme si l’on vous racontait la fin d’un film de suspense. Et je suis presque désolé pour cela)
Mais ce qui est plus surprenant encore, et ce qui est aussi un immense plaisir, c’est la réaction harmonieuse des morceaux corsés et volumineux de truffe, ainsi que de l’émulsion de l’huile d’olive, à cette expression violente.
Je trouve que j’ai été soit particulièrement perspicace soit très chanceux d’avoir commencé par une bouchée d’artichaut que j’ai retirée du dessous du poisson.
La sauce montée aux truffes écrasées, sans ajout de beurre, ni de crème est une merveille :
D’où sort cette huile exceptionnelle, sans picotement ni acidité, qui semble arriver à montrer tout son fruit sans effort même derrière la truffe? C’est peut-être une illusion créée également par le poivre. Même si c’était le cas, je suis totalement pour.
Mais encore, par quel tour de main et surtout grâce à quelle histoire personnelle peut-on réaliser une émulsion si parfaite ?
Le bar est savamment préparé et simplement présenté en deux parfaites tranches. Il est supporté et élevé en complexité par cette tension sous-jacente qui est équilibrée par les artichauts, tendres et affectueux maintenant ! Alors que c’était eux les responsables de la contrebande de poivre au départ. Je me sens joué.
Je croix que le persil dénote excessivement comparé à l’ensemble. Je pense que d’autres herbes aromatiques d’une tonalité plus mineure auraient pu êtres suffisants pour le contrepoint secondaire désiré.
Feuilleté de truffe fraîche « bel humeur », salade de mâche :
Je demande à avoir un Pomerol Châteaux Petit Village 1996 pour accompagner le feuilleté de truffe au foie gras. On ne manque pas l’occasion de me flatter en me demandant « Vous êtes … du vin, Monsieur ? », J’indique que je suis simplement en train de suivre un bon conseil. Qui a besoin de prétention dans ce temple du bonheur ?
(Temple, je tiens à préciser, dans le sens spirituel du terme et pas en tant qu’une qualification de l’environnement physique immédiat. Plutôt semblable à une expérience créée et recréée dans le temps et l’espace grâce a un rituel précis ainsi qu’à un respect profond où recevra celui qui demandera)
Des arômes inimaginables jusqu’au jour où vous dégustez ce chef d’œuvre ; un feuilleté dans toute sa splendeur et sans complexe ; une truffe de 60-70 gr coupée en deux, explosive mais pas trop avancée et qui rappelle curieusement la consistance des artichauts de tout à l’heure, surtout pendant les quelques premières minutes éphémères avant qu’elle ne durcisse légèrement; de truffe suffisant en masse d’ailleurs pour pouvoir protéger le foie gras en très bon état pendant les 10-15 minutes ( ?) de cuisson.
Sous la surveillance de M. Vettaux, je savoure les arômes impossibles à cacher qui traversent la croûte. Ensuite, quand je coupe le feuilleté en deux, le plus précisément que je puisse, d’un seul mouvement transversal vers l’arrière et ose écarter les deux parties, j’observe avec un enchantement enfantin le petit nuage d’encens qui se forme, qui remonte et qui s’arrête juste au-dessus du niveau de la croûte un petit moment avant de se dissimuler dans l’air, à la manière de la lampe d’Aladin.
Puis j’y goûte.... cela me fait rire presque à haute voix : Un réflexe spontané, complètement dépourvu de toute préparation ou initiative mentale.
Heureusement que je sais comment me redresser, même parfois sous des conditions extrêmes. Je fais un effort pour démarrer un simple acte cérébral, mais l’instant me résiste et je suis sauvé de cette manière.
De quel droit qui que ce soit peut-il accéder à une telle assiette ? Qu’est-ce que l’on peut dire ? Qu’est-ce qu’il y a à dire ? Même un simple merci serait présomptueux.
Puis:
Je demande un moment pour me reposer avant de passer au fromage et/ou au dessert. Je me sens dangereusement près d’avoir une crise cardiaque soit à cause des émotions, soit à cause des ingrédients et de l’exécution passionnée du métier.
Je reste en contemplation quelques minutes et je me retrouve avec un sourire de nouveau.
Par contre, je suis convaincu que j’ai atteint les limites impératives de mon abandon dans le plaisir. Tant pis, donc, même si je vois le chariot à fromage défiler avec toute sa tentation, je ne peux pas aujourd’hui. (C’est du jamais vu. « Ces truffes ont une manière de vous nourrir !! »)
Mais est-ce que je n’aimerais pas avoir un dessert ? M. Le Moullac me demande si j’aime le chocolat. Oui, oui mais du chocolat à la fin d’un grand repas me crée un obstacle à prolonger les saveurs et les plaisirs des mets précédents. Je remarque la déception dans ses yeux.
Je monte ma défense en disant que ce qui me relève l’esprit souvent à la fin d’un repas exceptionnel c’est un dessert comme « Les pêches blanches au sirop de cassis, avec une glace à la verveine » ou « un fraisier » Hélas on est en hiver.
Mais il ne veut pas me laisser partir comme un malheureux. « Dites à Pascal que le Monsieur voudrait un dessert fruité ». (Je remarque que le message s’est transformé en « dessert aux fruits acidulés» derrière les murs quand M Vettaux viens me le confirmer).
Quelques moments plus tard je reçois une glace aux fruits exotiques avec une légère nougatine aux amandes, des lamelles de noix de coco et un coulis aux fruits vanillés, et plutôt familiers, qui me font me sentir à l’aise et rafraîchi.
À la fin, juste quand je pense qu’ils ont eu pitié de moi et que je viens de terminer un repas excellent, arrive le Biscuit chaud ! Un soufflé à la poudre d’amande qui se tient avec beaucoup de confiance sans aide de farine, de beurre, de crème, ni de blanc d’œufs. (Est-ce possible ?)
Des petits quartiers de mandarines (de couleur, mais clémentines de substance ?) à écorce très fine et pur zeste, délicieusement glacés sans compromettre leur parfum essentiel ou leur personnalité vibrante et frivole, contournent une cuillerée de glace garnie d’une légère crêpe croustillante à la vanille et au chocolat.
Des petites tranches de mandarine plus avancées en confits se trouvent également au fond du soufflé. Le tout repose sur un coulis en accord, qui, pour moi, aurait été un dessert à lui seul. (En quoi ais-je offensé la Maison que je mérite une telle torture !)
Au moins mon excuse est incontestable pour finir par un Bas Armagnac !
Le Domaine Boingnères (Folle Blanche) 1988 a une bonne expression et balance entre le fruit et la vanille malgré son age. Un nez très invitant. Dans la bouche, il cache bien son agressivité, qui est plus forte que lui, le temps de vous permettre l’appréciation de ce dont il est capable avant de vous attaquer au fond du palais avec un alcool un peu enflammé. (Mais ne prenez pas tout cela tellement au sérieux car je suis en train d’ajouter ce petit mot à l’aube suivante, après une nuit sans sommeil, dans le ravissement)
Une soirée mémorable s’achève gracieusement au bout de quatre heures quand MM Le Moullac et Vettaux m’accompagnent à la porte avec des mots gentils. Le souvenir va sans doute persister pendant de longues années.
Paris, les 2 et 3 Février 2006
PS : Je pense que ce serait extrêmement ingrat de ma part de songer à y retourner le lendemain sans laisser place à la nostalgie.
L'ASTRANCE
L’Astrance is a delightful restaurant with impeccable service, contagious youth and joy, and great warmth. The following are my impressions from a lunch on January 4th, 2007.
Cream of Parmigiano - Thyme & Toasted Brioche with White Truffle Butter
Nice start with a play as both parmigiano and warm white truffles follow almost the same path from the back of the palate to the nostrils. The parmigiano had a very mighty but measured punch- i.e. not pungent despite the power. Fresh thyme provided a nice harmony but I think, while necessary for the balance, it was accidental. In other words, it was easily exchangeable with many other floral or herbal aromas because the parmigiano cream would allow it. Not a negative point, just to indicate that it would not be a stretch to imagine how Pascal Barbot would enjoy improvising with many of them in allegro like he has shown us all along this tasting menu.
Shot Glass with Layers of Cardamom Yogurt, Pumpkin Puree and Mandarin Sabayon
Only the yogurt-cardamom combination was intriguing because the acidity of yogurt was very low without loosing its nature and the cardamom measured perfectly. The rest was rather dull and I was not impressed by the total effect.
Foie Gras and Mushroom “Millefeuille” - Puree of Lemon Confit - Hazelnut Oil
Truly an unforgettable dish. One could experience immediately the wonderful quality of foie gras, excellent workmanship and lovely combination of textures. Hard to believe it was actually very easy to cut through the “millefeuille” without destroying it: A perilous act at the first sight, traveling via the gentle snapping of mushrooms, silence of the verjus marinated silky foie gras and the punctual cracking of the thin pastry at the bottom actually proved joyful.
Audacity in the simple hazelnut oil association on the plate was very recommendable, conceptually well grounded and esthetically irreproachable. I found that the lemon confit could have been lighter and still do its critical job. Dried mushroom powder on top was without any significant taste or aromatic effect but pretty.
Now, about “pretty”: This dish would have ranked very high even if judged with eyes closed. But I must note, for those who have seen some extremely appealing pictures of it on the Internet that either Barbot has recently reworked it for a considerable visual improvement or none of the pictures does justice to it: They all fail to convey the actual delicacy of the form, the perfection of the scale and the proportion, as well as the strength of the assembly.
The over-all impression was as aerial as the ideal of the first love and only slightly more real than a lingering dream dear to the heart.
Saint Jacques in Seaweed Consommé with herbs and flowers
So-so Saint-Jacques: The problem was that these respectable quality Saint-Jacques were very quickly and lightly seared which was of course very good, but the sear became rubbery in contact with the consommé.
The seaweed consommé, on the other hand, was excellent. Frank and clean seasoning notes obtained through tiny herb leaves (anise-scented to elevate the sensations), a small flower that looked like a wild rosebud of Victorian colors (a touch of bitterness to bring them down to earth) and a tiny piece of grapefruit (to tie it back to the Foie Gras dish) were very fitting to the purity of the elegant seaweed based consommé and worked wonders.
Having experienced Barbot’s precision-minded but light handed and melodious approach to cuisine, I would doubt that he might even consider resorting to any kind of food acrobatics to insulate the Saint-Jacques from the broth but I think he should have found a way to serve them outside of it.
Celeriac Velouté - Black Truffle Emulsion - Parmigiano Mousse - Black Truffle
The velouté was quite satisfying. But the dish appeared as an unrefined and forced flash back to the amuse-bouche. There could have been a black/white truffle variation intent there, but I was not convinced. And, even if that was the case, there wasn’t any significant elaboration in this variation.
Slow Cooked Saint-Pierre with Onion Confit - Curry Emulsion & Bok Choy
Now that was another great hit and saddening miss in a single dish: Excellent cooking for the fish which was very fresh, tasty, slightly flaky but still resisting pressure and nicely bouncing back. A real expert hint of caramelization at one of the sides was a pleasure to observe and an excitement to taste. It was a delight with the beautiful onion confit.
On the other hand, the curry emulsion was only a rough expression of the spice and lacked depth. Even when I tried to mentally and unobtrusively compensate for it by smoothing it out and imagining a certain layering to it, it didn't work with the rest.
In addition, the bok choy wasn’t adding any harmony and like the peppery Peruvian spice smear on the plate its impact was more visual than functional.
That fish and onion confit could have been elevated to a very special place, but unfortunately the ensemble crumbled. I would go ahead and dare to say because of not leaving enough free reign to imagination. I think Barbot was tempted to play it safe here in adding faux-fireworks and ended up in a constricted space where I do not feel he deserves to be.
Beans with Chorizo Sauce
I enjoyed a lot these jewel like, perfectly cooked crunchy/creamy beans (Possibly “coco nains”) as if from the kitchen of a true Tuscan master with a twist. The essence of chorizo sauce was definitely a beacon. A very pleasant stop over.
Lamb (Selle d'Agneau) with Leek-Capers-Olives Fondant - Grilled Tomme d'Auvergne
This lamb dish was so exceptional, even the odd, unnecessary grilled Tomme d’Auvergne couldn't destroy it. Should Barbot have found a better third leg than that, it could have been perfect.
Chapeau! for getting rid of safe, conventional ideas of however well prepared potatoes or eggplant to accompany the lamb.
2 times Chapeau! for the very successful, effortless looking but confident fondant of leeks, olives and capers with the right balance. There was an undisputable feeling of youth to it but it was still squarely and unashamedly rooted in tradition. A pleasant backdrop for the lamb.
4 times Chapeau! for the perfect cooking of the two rectangular pieces of lamb:
There was an unbelievably thin and crunchy outer face of fat at the top that was colored like a perfect crème brûlée. It was thin and pure like a first layer of ice on top of a glass of water from the freezer just when it starts crystallizing but prior to development of any opacity. And, it had the right amount of smokiness despite all its fragile texture.
Underneath it, there was a perfect white layer of fat hanging midway between liquid and solid forms. Feeling on the palate was almost like a light mousse: all the refined flavors but none of the weight.
Then there stood the meat: all gathered-up, juicy and tender but with enough firmness and with a so slight gamy reference.
Fromage Blanc, Potato & Vanilla Sorbet
More of a curiosity than anything else.
Lemongrass, Pepper Sorbet
Very interesting. I loved the bite as well as the gingery undertone. A second meat dish should have followed it. (Like a pigeon, maybe, why not?). Pity it wasn't.
Assortment of Desserts followed by Madeleines / Eggnog / Fresh Fruits
A shower of small desserts marked the joyful end to this rewarding experience. A special mention is due for pineapple claffouti with a mango-papaya-clementine quenelle.
Champagne Rose Jacques Selosse
Great. Quite a bit of development. Surprisingly pleasant at a wide range of temperatures.
January 24, 2007
Relais Louis XIII - Sloppy cooking and average ingredients in historic setting
Relais Louis XIII in Paris is a restaurant that I have wanted to try for quite some time. The chef Mr. Martinez has an impressive CV and is MOF. His restaurant, holding 2 Michelin stars, is about as much under the radar as one can be in the foodie communities. You literally never hear anyone talk about him or read anything about him. This silence has made me curious. Walking past the restaurant over the last six months I have at times found the menu interesting although quite traditional. I went before Christmas and I regret I did.
The first complimentary watery and tasteless soup with the texture of Tetra Pack packaged soup gave a good indication of what was about to come and the logic in the lack of positive recommendations in foodie communities. The scallops with endive salad and truffles that followed would perhaps have been deemed acceptable if served in an inexpensive bistro. The salad was carelessly cut and presented, the truffles lacked taste and the in half cut scallops were overcooked and rubbery. I have always wondered why some chefs persist to cut scallops in half and then cook them as if they were not in half. The gain in visual effect of there being twice as many “noix de Saint-Jacques” on the plate, is always outweighed by the resulted rubbery texture of the scallops.
The disappointments were unfortunately not ended with this start. The 70 euros a portion Pièce de Boeuf façon Rossini, which upon my questions, the maitre d’hotel, after having consulted the kitchen, claimed to be an exceptional piece of beef that had been aged for 4 weeks. I actually pointed out that I am very difficult with beef and unless it was both well-aged and marbled it would not interest me. It turned out to be a piece from the filet and a very boring such piece with absolutely no intra muscular fat or marbling and it had clearly not been aged for anything near 4 weeks. It was a tasteless and boring piece of protein that also leaked with juices as if the silence of the animal in question had been heard only days before. The tiny foie gras piece on top of it was soggy and slightly burnt. The tiny and muted truffle pieces with it were not great. The sauce was a typical sauce served in another time and even then it would not have been good. The potato puree was broken and leaked of fat and grease and tasted greasy as is does when it is not at least a bit emulsified. It was a mean and poor dish. Of course I felt compelled to complain. And those who do this in this historical setting should be prepared to have the chef running out in the dining room with his ingredients and in a nonchalant style trying to lecture you. The filet of beef on the plate Mr. Martinez was carrying looked as boring as supermarket beef; fresh and with no marbling. A long argument with Mr. Martinez followed during which Mr. Martinez first claimed that the beef had been hung for 2 weeks but then jumped ship and said 4 weeks when confronted with the fact that his maitre d’hotel had advised me of a hanging time of 4 weeks. He felt compelled to one more time jump ship when I told him that the beef he showed me on the plate impossibly could have been hung 4 weeks unless in the freezer, so he finally settled with that he had to ask the butcher. Why would you let a chef with such boring ingredients redo a dish so you have to endure the pain to eat it one more time? I didn’t anyway much to Mr. Martinez’ discontent.
A picture of the beef can be seen below.
It was easy to pass upon the cheese after a quick glance at the cheese cart.
I was offered a chocolate cake. It was an unsuccessful attempt to copy Pacaud’s fantastic chocolate tarte.
Gastroville rating: 7/20. This meal was a monumental rip-off. The only positive things to remark are the wine list which is fantastic with many great wines at for Paris reasonable mark-ups and the friendly and professional service rendered by the staff. Reviewed by Mikael J
Posted at 04:43 PM | Comments (0)January 19, 2007
LEDOYEN: TRADITION AND MODERNITY RECONCILED
When at its best, French Haute Cuisine generates a feeling of opulence and satisfaction which may not be matched by anything else in the realm of gastronomy. The problem is that, French Haute Cuisine rarely delivers its promise. Sometimes it becomes the victim of shortcuts which are disguised through clever plating and aesthetically pleasing presentations. Other times it may suffer from an excess of Cartesian accuracy and the search for perfect symmetry and technical mastery at the expense of deliciousness. On the other hand, when a reasonably young chef steeped in tradition attempts to render classical dishes more amenable to modern palates without giving concessions from the inherent complexity and harmony of these dishes, the result can be quite stunning.
Such is the case with Christian le Squer, the hard-working and intelligent chef of Ledoyen, which is a gem of a historical institution in its own right, located next to the Grand Palais on the Champs Elysees. Led by the gracious Monsieur Simiand, the general manager of the restaurant, Ledoyen also boasts some of the best food and wine service imagineable, which is equalled only by a select few in the world. But most important for our purpose, this is a cuisine “sans concessions;” it does not wish to awe the typical one time three star Michelin diner through culinary blitzkrieg tactics favored by many “creative” chefs nowdays.
Instead, Monsieur Le Squer aims to target the repeat client and the demanding gourmet through a limited number of well thought out dishes. These dishes give the impression that they have been perfected through the years down to the most minute detail. Certainly the level of near perfection we experienced in our mid-November dinner in this restaurant may not have come easily or automatically. Rather it must have been the result of incessant search which derives its inspiration from tradition and time tested taste combinations, while at the same time striving to incorporate an element of fantasy and a sense of playfulness in the tradition. But because these modern touches are rather subtle and spread throughout the whole meal rather than in single signature dishes, it is very likely that many diners and food critics accustomed to theater and stark contrasts may not notice how daring Le Squer is, in terms of not following any fad and in cultivating a STYLE which is clearly his own.
This style manifests itself in the extreme self confidence of the chef which does not shy away from making a dish look deceptively simple and unadorned, relegating his creative touches to the background in order to highlight the majestic quality of the products. Hence, some of the best dishes, such as GROSSES LANGOUSTIMES BRETONNES, which juxtapposes two freshest plump langoustines on their shells, one cooked a la plancha, the other coated by a very light batter and fried, look extremely simple. But the subtle infusion of Agrumes with its perfect harmony and the precise calibration between the sweetness of the shellfish and the scent of agrumes with a hint of acidity is so perfect that one wonders why it is that some chefs pair the royal langoustines with caviar and mask the quality of both.
Maybe the Bretons have a particular knack for seafood. The other two examples of shellfish we tried, the OURSINS DE ROCHE AU GOUT IODE/VEGETAL and HOMARD BLEU/CHATAIGNES EN COCOTTE LUTEE, have garnered my vote as the best sea urchin and lobster dishes I have had in 2006. In both of these dishes, the secondary element more than complemented the main ingredient, that is, it actually served to unleash hidden intrinsic qualities of some of the world’s best shellfish. In terms of complexity, had these preparations been further simplified by the removal of some secondary ingredients, they would still have been very tasty given the pristine quality of the lobster and sea urchins, but they would have lacked the multidimensionality of French cuisine at its best. Conversely, if additional elements had been added or textures altered, they would have become overwrought and fussy. Herein lies the true creativity of a great chef: knowing/feeling the point at which he should refrain from further complicating the dish.
Le Squer’s respect for the integrity of the main ingredient works best when cooking techniques don’t interfere with the texture of the ingredient. Strangely, I found the only questionable dish of the night to be the dish which is the signature dish of the house, that is, TURBOT DE LIGNE JUSTE BRAISE, POMME DE TERRE TRUFFEES. There is no denying that they cut beautifully square and thick pieces of turbot and the crushed rattes potatoes at the bottom are some of the best on earth. The subtle beurre blanc sauce with Bordier salted butter and a dash of olive oil is also first rate, even though the truffle puree painted on the turbot is tasteless when frozen truffles are used. But the problem for the dish is the texture of the turbot: it is so cottony that one wonders if it has been cooked sous vide for a long time. It just does not taste like a line caught turbot which, when fresh and cut from the bone or served with the bone (the gelatine of the bone is the tastiest part) can be mind blowing. In Ledoyen’s version, unfortunately the turbot one gets is an overly civilized but ultimately disappointing version of a great species.
In return, the level of excellence one expects from Le Squer also revealed itself in the game and offal dishes we tried. Indeed the sweetbread dish, RIS DE VEAU EN BROCHETTE DE BOIS DE CITRONELLE RISSOLEE JUS D’HERBES, was so good that it equalled the best sweetbread dish I have eaten, that is Robuchon’s version (in the mid-90s at the ancient Jamin) which was also a lobe braised whole and served in spring with the very first green asparagus of the year and a coulis of the same asparagus. In Ledoyen’s version, the sweetbreads were equally tender and flavorful, and the unique flavors of the whole lobe were enhanced by the lovely and subtle scent of lemongrass. The dish is served with a puree of green herbs and a salsify coulis and overall it is a light, almost ethereal version of an often abused offal dish.
Since we were in the middle of the game season, we also ordered NOISETTES DE CHEVREUIL FRUITS ET LEGUMES D’AUTOMNE. Because I like venison very much, ordering it proves to be often frustrating for me, especially in high end US and Spanish restaurants. The problem is that, when venison is farmed, the taste is not very interesting. Worse still, when gastro tech avant garde restaurants serve a small piece of venison, the piece they serve is often cut after the slaughter and arrives already vacuum packed to the restaurant without dry aging. Consequently, the taste becomes one dimensional. Besides, chi chi, painted on the plate, squirt from the bottle type sauces and infusions favored by avant garde restaurants don’t match well with wild game. On the other hand, some French bistros which may serve good quality venison don’t have the resources to prepare a proper classic sauce without taking shortcuts. Hence, I was particularly impressed when served three thick slices of wild chevreuil, which tasted deep and complex, and an incredibly rich sauce which is not “a la mode” nowdays. That is, it was a sauce which was like a cross between classic “grand veneur” and “poivrade”, reduced to an optimum and prepared with no shortcuts. Of course, all the classic garnies were there too: griottes, cranberries, braised apples, endives, caramelized carrots, chestnut crumbles, etc. To me this was an epitome of the best seasonal game dish one can yearn for in late fall.
If Le Squer has the guts to offer most classic dishes such as this or a “Lievre a la Royale” at a particular junction in history when the majority of food critics and Michelin seem to be awed more by showmanship and theater than tradition and substance, it is because he knows he can play the violin too. He reserves his more unusual dishes for the beginning and end of the meal, that is the amuses and desserts. The former, amuse bouches, display a good sense of humor along with the keen intelligence of a chef for whom deliciousness is always the ultimate goal. All four of us thought that his amuses, such as the langoustine with seaweed meringue foam, crispy parmesan chips, chapelure de truffe (like a cromesquis), little tiny pastries, foie gras mousse with sweet wine gelee, eel with beets, etc., were both delicious and creative.
Similarly, both the pre-desserts and desserts impressed us. The canneles were as good as one can have in the best restaurants in or around Bordeaux, if not even better, and his little candied fruits filled with different mousse, sorbet and fruit pieces were all zesty and light. Similarly the desserts are light and interesting at the same time and, although I am not a chocolate dessert fan, I will reorder his excellent millefeuille, which tastes like a decadent fondant, served with pistachio ice cream (Chocolat nore en fines feuilles croustillantes, lait de pistache glace) (picture below). This said, his blanc mange d’oeuf with a dollop of yeast sorbet on top (Blanc Manger d’oeuf a la levure) gets my vote as the most interesting reinterpretation of a timeless classic (picture below). On the other hand, his best dessert, and one which gets a perfect score, is the CROQUANT DE PAMPLEMOUSSE CUIT ET CRU AU CITRON VERT (picture below). Clearly, Le Squer likes to end his rich meals with uplifting, acidic, fruit flavors, and he excels in preparing very modern tasting, non-cloying desserts.
The wine list and the service are remarkable at Ledoyen. On the other hand it may take a few visits for the sommelier to understand my preferences and tailor his recommendations to my taste.When I perused the list, and given the shellfish we had ordered, I was interested in a Cuilleron Les Chaillets CONDRIEU, in which Cuilleron concocts (along with Perret) one of the best expressions of this fickle, delicate grape. The sommelier steered me towards a Vernon Condrieu, which is more “gras”, but, to me, less interesting and more angular in taste. The compromise solution in the same price range proved to be a 2000 Guy Roulot Meursault Boucheres (1er cru), from a producer which is a favorite of both Mikael and I, and this particular bottle was certainly not a dissappointment even though Roulot wines show best when they develop more complexity with aging. On the other hand, my choice of 1981 Montille Pommard Rugiens proved to be a disappointment as the wine had long past its prime. Although I am the one to blame for the decision, I think the sommelier should not have included it on the list or should have deterred us from ordering it.
On the other hand, I was quite impressed by the sommelier’s choice of the four glasses which he kindly and, very expertly paired with a remarkable chesse course. Excellent St. Nectaire was paired with St. Estephe, a 2003 Comte from B. Anthony with Vin Jaune from Jura, artisanal roquefort with Quinta de Naval and Puligny St. Pierre with a grassy, varietal tasting Sauvignon. I also recall two more impressive slices: Brie de Meau at optimum ripeness and a Vacherin Mont d’Or which was equally ripe.
Breads are very good too. The homemade small baguette is excellent, but the one that is to die for is the whole wheat roll. I also liked the roll with bacon, but found the roll with shrimp to be a bit odd.
Breads are served with salted Cordier butter which is also exquisite.
This is a restaurant to which we will surely return, and I hope they will be able to repeat the same performance.
Gastroville ranking: 18.5/20 (Vedat Milor-January 2007)
January 10, 2007
Les Ambassadeurs – Almost perfect ingredients but imperfect conception
Readers may remember the two fantastic meals I had earlier this year at Les Ambassadeurs. Several dishes, the fantastic Cevennes onion tart, the sweet breads and the huge scallop with a perfect vinaigrette all rest in clear memory. In fact the onion tart bears the signs of one of those rare really great dishes that seem to grow in grandness in memory as time passes. Also not to forget was the Galician beef, a real pièce de résistance (also in its original meaning). So it was with perhaps unrealistic expectations I revisited les Ambassadeurs a couple of weeks ago. Since it was the end of the white truffle season and the beginning of the black truffle season, it seemed like a good time to go.
The reason the March meals impressed me so much was not only the incredible quality of the ingredients, but also the sophistication, clarity and perhaps most importantly the yet obvious greatness and class of some dishes. Although Piege’s compositions have a tendency to be a bit complicated, some of them still bore simplicity in terms of flavours and clarity.
This more recent December meal confirmed yet again that the ingredients sourcing at les Ambassadeurs is simply mind boggling. Literally everything is perfect. There are few restaurants in the world were such meticulously selected ingredients are served consistently throughout a meal and throughout meals. This was my fourth meal under Piege’s tenure at les Ambassadeurs and I continue to be surprised at very high level of ingredients served. Quite a feat. Well almost perfect as it says in the header. The white truffles served were somewhat muted as were the black ones. Even if it is early in the season for the black, I have had significantly better black truffles scored on the “black market” this season.
Piege’s strengths i my opinion lie in when he modernises classic French dishes or dishes with roots in French classic cooking and without compromising the deliciousness by overly complicated presentations and applying modern techniques achieves a result that feels so obviously great. His onion tart in March was an example of this as were the fantastic endives with ham and truffles from a meal just after Piege took charge of les Ambassadeurs. I think however that some dishes become overly complicated. Like his casse-croûte of lobster in March and when he used the same concept for the scallops and pumpkin in this more recent meal.
Piege composed a meal for us that featured some white truffle and black truffle dishes as well as his signature dish langoustines with caviar.
The meal started with Piege’s TV-platter. It was somewhat changed since March, although only in the details. Although all items are well conceived and well made, for the frequent goer may like some alternation. The one objection I may have is the cylinder with snails’ mousse inside. On the three occasions I have had it; I have not managed to eat it without dripping on the napkin. A cornet would be more convenient although perhaps less original for Piege.
The first dish served was one of Piege’s signature dishes Caviar golden d'Iran/nage corsée/langoustines. As can be expected here, the langoustines were of unbelievable quality or perhaps like Nerieds disguised as langoustines, which a good friend once said when commenting on the quality of langoustines he had at l’Ambroisie. The caviar was good, even Vedat, who knows his caviar from consuming huge quantities of black market caviar over the years in Istanbul, would have conceded that the caviar was of good quality. So what is there not to like? Well, the langoustines explained to be “en tempura” were deep fried in a wrapper of a dough that was somewhat crispy on the exterior but almost soggy inside and a little too greasy, which all somewhat tainted the impression of eating the langoustines. The wrapper has really nothing to do with tempura and is hardly an improvement over a feather light perfect tempura like Gagnaire can serve instance. It is really not an improvement as a trial to remake tempura. Actually, serving the langoustines in this poor spring roll style fashion has improved nothing compared to just serving them as they are in the natural state cooked in any fashion. The side dish of nage corsée was well made but the sushi style piece of langoustine with it made little sense. Langoustines are in my opinion not one of the most interesting produce from the sea to eat sushi style unless cut very thinly. Although this dish displayed fantastic ingredients and impressive craftsmanship, I frankly find it overreaching and boring.
The egg dish that came next was much better. Like an oeuf Florentine but served as a golf ball sized cracking cromesqui of egg yolk. It was really excellent, and to my taste better than Pacaud’s more classic Florentine egg version, although the shell appeared slightly too thick and the squeeze effect of punching a hole in it stained on my jacket. This dish displayed that fantastic deliciousness that Piege can capture in remaking a classic dish.
The rolled toasted bread came next, or casse-croûte of lobster as it was called in March. This time it was filled with scallops and pumpkin slices. It was served with Alba truffles slices and slices of pumpkin chips. Scallops and pumpkin go very well together. The two different sweet notes of the two produce marry in an interesting manner. The white truffles were rather muted although to the restaurant’s defence it was cut in pretty generous and thick slices. The scallops came across as imperfectly prepared. Personally, I find this preparation a good example of when a dish is over worked and when the visual presentation of the dish seems to have gotten priority over the appearance in taste and mouth feel. The dish becomes more of a decoration rather than being visually appetising.
The probably best dish was the sweet breads façon Crécy, another squared preparation much favoured by Piege. This was an exceptional dish even if it was eclipsed by the extraordinary sweetbreads dish in March.
Cheeses from Antony were of course a real treat and included fantastic camembert, Saint Nectaire and l’Abbaye de citeaux and a comté from 2003.
Dessert was a variation of one of the desserts from March. Leaving aside that I don’t really favour desserts made with banana for their usually cloying mouth feel, this was excellently made. But again, a bit too much of a decoration.
It was perhaps too much to expect another stunning meal on the level of the ones in March. I am unsure if any restaurant is able to consistently perform on such level. There is no doubt that Piege is a technician in the cuisine that sets a new standard. Having said this it was an excellent meal but my impressions are somewhat negatively affected by the for me somewhat overworked aspects of some preparations. They lack spontaneity, simplicity and obviousness of truly great dishes and I know that Piege is capable of doing better than this. Therefore I rate this meal less than previous meals but it is still a highly recommended restaurant that is one of very few that is capable of turning out extraordinary preparations. It will be interesting to follow Piege’s developments. Gastroville rating of this meal: 17/20.
It will be interesting to see if Michelin will elevate les Ambassadeurs to 3 stars next year. Even if this last meal was not as great as the two March meals, it did prove that it is a restaurant with consistent high performances and les Ambassadeurs is clearly performing better than many French 3-star restaurants and probably most non-French. Piege is also, with Cordeillan Bages the one that has impressed most on me and Vedat of the current espoirs whereas for example le Meurice provided me a really disappointing meal in March that was simply not acceptable for the prices these meals command.
Finally a few word about the excellent wine service at les Ambassadeurs as it deserves special mentioning. Not only is the wine list very extensive and well chosen, but there are also – not common for Paris – a number of relative bargains. It also highly recommended to seek advice from the knowledgeable David Biraud who is the chef sommelier and responsible for the wine service.
David recommended a 1993 Meursault-Perriers from Roulot and it turned out to be quite a surprise. I had the last of my own bottles from this vintage before 2000 and asked the several times if the wine was not past its prime. David persisted that it was not. The first tastes revealed a fully mature Meursault, but the real surprise came later during the meal when the wine, after having been opened for a while, changed completely and smelled and tasted like a much younger wine. It was quite a stunning wine for lovers of the style in which Jean Marc Roulot makes his wines. We followed with a 1991 Pommard Rugiens from Hubert de Montille which must be considered as one of the excellent value at this restaurant.
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