Gastroville

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)