565 replies to this topic

[Chambolle]

Les Cocottes - this is a well known Christian Constant restaurant we've avoided so far because it's a Christian Constant restaurant. We've heard enough good things about the food that we decided it's worth a try on a Monday night when 90% of serious places are closed.
...
I'd only go back for a main course and a glass of wine if I'm in the neighborhood without a reservation.

This is how I normally use the place. I also like the fact that it serves lunch from something like 12pm-4pm and it can be a fairly quick affair. Personally, I don't do dinner here. Normally, I get the cocotte du jour for 15-ish euros if it sounds decent. I also seem to prefer going here in the fall and winter.

For comparative reasons, I ordered the cocotte Gambas et encornets, legumes nicois. 28 euros.

Served in an oval cocotte. Two King Prawns of a reasonable size, head on, body shell off, sitting on top of an almost hidden ratatouille-like, flat-ish mound of veggies. Encircled by pieces of squid. A nice jus has been slightly poured over all with a thin puddle resting on bottom of the cocotte. Lots of green herbs up and down the head and shoulders and body of the gambas and sprinkled all about.

First taste is of the squid. Very nicely and delicately cooked, tender, nice flavor when the squid is used as the bottom of a mop to sop up some jus and some herbs. And a very fair portion of squid too. Frankly I was surprised how tenderly the squid was prepared.

But the dish was ordered to gage their gambas. I don't normaly sit at a counter and spend 28 euros for some slimy squid (unless Joel R. is present). I cut a nice hunk of gambas from just below the head. The thick part. I wipe away the greenery and the light coating of jus. I taste. Verdict ? Tasteless ! Exactly what I was expecting, hence expectations met. Bravo.

I decided to eat the rest of the gambas fully covered in jus and herbs and with a half forkful of veggies. Much better, but once you know the gambas are just texture and totally tasteless that tends to take away substantially from the full enjoyment of the dish. Given all that, it's not like I left anything in the cocotte other than some gambas heads. Oh yeah, I tried to suck something out of them. Nothing. Pretty much bone dry. Not even sure if I got a drop from within, although the jus and herbs that covered them weren't too shabby.

I ask if they know where the gambas come from. Counter girl one isn't sure. She asks counter boy two but he's not sure. Counter boy three, who seems slightly more managerial says "De la mer!, but he's joking. They send someone to the kitchen to find out. The answer returns.

"De la Nouvelle Caledonie."
"Donc, d'elevage, sans doute?", I respond.
"Oui, monsieur, they are farm raised."

This dish isn't worth the price. Further, the dish should come with an appropriate warning label:

WARNING: CUSTOMERS ARE ADVISED NOT TO ORDER THIS DISH IF THEY HAVE BEEN TO SPAIN WITHIN THE LAST 2 MONTHS !

http://mouthfulsfood...ost__p__1144392

[Nancy S.]

Les Cocottes - this is a well known Christian Constant restaurant we've avoided so far because it's a Christian Constant restaurant. We've heard enough good things about the food that we decided it's worth a try on a Monday night when 90% of serious places are closed.
...
I'd only go back for a main course and a glass of wine if I'm in the neighborhood without a reservation.

This is how I normally use the place. I also like the fact that it serves lunch from something like 12pm-4pm and it can be a fairly quick affair. Personally, I don't do dinner here. Normally, I get the cocotte du jour for 15-ish euros if it sounds decent. I also seem to prefer going here in the fall and winter.

For comparative reasons, I ordered the cocotte Gambas et encornets, legumes nicois. 28 euros.

Served in an oval cocotte. Two King Prawns of a reasonable size, head on, body shell off, sitting on top of an almost hidden ratatouille-like, flat-ish mound of veggies. Encircled by pieces of squid. A nice jus has been slightly poured over all with a thin puddle resting on bottom of the cocotte. Lots of green herbs up and down the head and shoulders and body of the gambas and sprinkled all about.

First taste is of the squid. Very nicely and delicately cooked, tender, nice flavor when the squid is used as the bottom of a mop to sop up some jus and some herbs. And a very fair portion of squid too. Frankly I was surprised how tenderly the squid was prepared.

But the dish was ordered to gage their gambas. I don't normaly sit at a counter and spend 28 euros for some slimy squid (unless Joel R. is present). I cut a nice hunk of gambas from just below the head. The thick part. I wipe away the greenery and the light coating of jus. I taste. Verdict ? Tasteless ! Exactly what I was expecting, hence expectations met. Bravo.

I decided to eat the rest of the gambas fully covered in jus and herbs and with a half forkful of veggies. Much better, but once you know the gambas are just texture and totally tasteless that tends to take away substantially from the full enjoyment of the dish. Given all that, it's not like I left anything in the cocotte other than some gambas heads. Oh yeah, I tried to suck something out of them. Nothing. Pretty much bone dry. Not even sure if I got a drop from within, although the jus and herbs that covered them weren't too shabby.

I ask if they know where the gambas come from. Counter girl one isn't sure. She asks counter boy two but he's not sure. Counter boy three, who seems slightly more managerial says "De la mer!, but he's joking. They send someone to the kitchen to find out. The answer returns.

"De la Nouvelle Caledonie."
"Donc, d'elevage, sans doute?", I respond.
"Oui, monsieur, they are farm raised."

This dish isn't worth the price. Further, the dish should come with an appropriate warning label:

WARNING: CUSTOMERS ARE ADVISED NOT TO ORDER THIS DISH IF THEY HAVE BEEN TO SPAIN WITHIN THE LAST 2 MONTHS !

http://mouthfulsfood...ost__p__1144392

I kind of like the lobster ravioli at Les Cocottes, in a homely, mushy sort of way. Also, I think the chocolate tart is pretty good. Still, I agree that with low expectations, one is satisfied.

[Chambolle]

After a pretty crappy lunch at La Grande Cascade (granted, it was the cheapo one) yesterday, I went to Le Cinq today and got their cheapo lunch.

First off, please bear with me while I write a quick letter to La Grande Cascade.

Cher Grande Cascade,

I agree completely that the French language is absolutely beautiful and that it has wonderful adjectives and sentences can flow and flow and flow as smooth as silk.

It is surely the best language in the world to describe sensual things, food included.

However, when you ask me how my gigot d'agneau was (you know, the one you recommended after I told you that I was interested in two other dishes) and I respond by complementing the vegetables and appreciating the quasi-colorful presentation on the plate and then, as a smile is building upon the visage of my interlocateur, I finish my discourse by simply stating that the lamb was unfortunately overcooked, that is not le bon moment to begin your own virtually endless discourse about how your lovely lamb is cooked oh so slowly for 7 long, laborious hours in a virtual panoply of seductive-sounding spices until that exact moment when the lamb is mouth-wateringly, meltingly tender.

Why do I say this?

Because your effing lamb WASN'T meltingly tender ! C'etait nettement TROP CUIT !

You can't convince me otherwise ! I'm Chambo !

Sincerely,

Chambo.

[Chambolle]

At Aida last week, talk turned to other Japanese chefs working in Paris.

Passage 53 and Kei were mentioned. And they have been mentioned here before also.

Sola came up too.

http://www.restaurant-sola.com/

Francois Simon loved it (while also throwing a quick complement to Kei) but he did mention that the place was empty when he went:

http://francoissimon...-japonaise.html (French required, unfortunately, but good visuals for all)

Francois says that you leave "leger comme une plume". Light as a feather. Others have said that you leave hungry.

I would like to get there, but I'm not sure that I'll have time. I'll have to choose between Kei and Sola.

[Nancy S.]

After a pretty crappy lunch at La Grande Cascade (granted, it was the cheapo one) yesterday, I went to Le Cinq today and got their cheapo lunch.

First off, please bear with me while I write a quick letter to La Grande Cascade.

Cher Grande Cascade,

I agree completely that the French language is absolutely beautiful and that it has wonderful adjectives and sentences can flow and flow and flow as smooth as silk.

It is surely the best language in the world to describe sensual things, food included.

However, when you ask me how my gigot d'agneau was (you know, the one you recommended after I told you that I was interested in two other dishes) and I respond by complementing the vegetables and appreciating the quasi-colorful presentation on the plate and then, as a smile is building upon the visage of my interlocateur, I finish my discourse by simply stating that the lamb was unfortunately overcooked, that is not le bon moment to begin your own virtually endless discourse about how your lovely lamb is cooked oh so slowly for 7 long, laborious hours in a virtual panoply of seductive-sounding spices until that exact moment when the lamb is mouth-wateringly, meltingly tender.

Why do I say this?

Because your effing lamb WASN'T meltingly tender ! C'etait nettement TROP CUIT !

You can't convince me otherwise ! I'm Chambo !

Sincerely,

Chambo.

Once again, your posts charm.

[beachfan]

And how was le Cinq?

Thanks in advance!

[Chambolle]

My recollection is Le Cinq is open 7 days a week and offers their modestly priced lunch. Verify that, though. I love that room if you are in the mood for such an imposing setting. Yet the service is very friendly and they try to see that you enjoy yourself and are not intimidated by the space. That said, I recently popped in there to take a peek at their lunch menu and I was a bit uninspired by it. I took my parents there for lunch two years ago and we had a very enjoyable time. A pretty decent wine list, as I recall.

Yes, it's open 7 days per week and the 85 euro lunch is offered every day. Their pretty decent wine list is actually a pretty decent, expensive wine list. Their lunch menu recently improved enough to meet my inspiration threshold level, hence I went. Enough boring facts, it's time for some storytelling ...


As you enter the third week of June in Paris, Les Soldes arrivent. 40% off lots of stuff. Do I need any new clothes? No. But need is never the right word. Do I really want any new clothes? Not really. Can I resist 40% off the stuff that I don't need and don't really want? No, of course not. That would be close to impossible. The sales don't actually start til this Wednesday, but on the weekend prior they always seem to find a way to accommodate you or put the stuff aside for you. Avenue George V, Francois Ier, Avenue Montaigne and Fbg St Honore are on order for the afternoon. Le sixieme arrondissement is on the morning agenda. A quick lunch separates the two. Hence, I had a busy Saturday planned. There was only one slight problem. If you don't go to bed until well past 3am, you don't wake up all that early. Two hours later than desired, I arrive at destination number 1 in the 6th. I go downstairs. Ooooh, unexpectedly those Lanvin sneaks and those Common Projects sneaks are on sale. I SMS her "I'll be 10 minutes late ! ". Not too much later, I SMS her again "That was a typo Make that 20 minutes late ". The final SMS was "Dans le metro. Meet ya on the corner of les Champs et Georges V." I pop out of the metro. She's not there. I check my phone. I have a msg "Dans Louis Vuitton ". Not much of a surprise.

We walk down George V, go thru the revolving door and are confronted with a dazzling display of violet and purple. The theme continues into the courtyard in a flourishing fashion. You can always count on The Four Seasons in Paris for a fantastic flower arrangement. Turn right, down the marbled hallway, turn left, down the "runway" past people having a cup of tea or a bite of this and arrive at the podium. "Bonjour Monsieur Musigny, your table is waiting." I respond "Call me Chambo" and we are guided to our seats.

The 85 euro menu is entree / plat / dessert. Choice between 3 entrees / 2 plats / 3 desserts.

Our quick lunch ended three hours later. The day didn't really go according to plan. Oh well. Here's what we ate:

A spoonful of something or other. As we were reading the menu, somehow they slipped an extra spoon with some goodies on it next to our existing spoon.

Tri-part amuse: 1. A 3/4" half-sphere of some clear gelatin with whole peas visibly suspended within sitting on top of a cracker. 2. Smoked eel completely covered by a white horsradish coating. It's a thin (1/4") rectanguloid shape. It looks exactly like one of the chocolates off the dessert chariot at the end of the meal - only it's totally white as opposed to dark chocolate-colored. 3. A tall, skinny shot glass of pale-colored foie-gras mousse on the bottom with a pretty-in-pink grapefruit foam on top. After making the initial error, I advised my dining partner to be sure to did deep with that long slender wooden spoon to get the mousse on the bottom and the foam on top. Thankfully, there were a good 3 spoonfuls so I still could appreciate the chef's concept. The amuse overall was very pretty, colorful and good. It's a generous amuse that was indeed very much enjoyed. If you want to get really critical, you could say that the horseradish coating should have had a bit more zing to it, there is better smoked eel than that, the pea thingy was probably presentation over palette. All that said, if served in NYC, it's probably one of the best amuses on offer.

Me: Tartare de veau de lait. Aux huitres de l'etang de Thau, condiments aux algues
She: Foie gras de canard des Landes. Roti a la verveine, peche blanche aux amandes

It was a very tasty, medium-to-fine-chop tartare, shaped as a rectanguloid. Excellent and interesting seasoning going on within. One naked, shell-less oyster and a few of these green algae condiments, shaped as squashed-flat gumdrops. Maybe something else was on the plate.

But if you like foie gras, this is the uncontested entree to get. A major-sized lobe of super-delicately roasted duck liver with two sweet, ovalized playtoys: one of peachiness as given in the menu description; the other of highly-pleasing prune-iness went unmentioned. Some jus. Enough foie for two. Damn good. Reaffirms why I never voluntarily order foie gras in the US. This foie is prepared and roasted to yield a less dense / less thick / less richly-pasty-decadent version, but it's a version worth trying.

Us: Lotte bretonne nacree au fenouil sec, copeaux de poutargue. Legumes au jus d'une bouillabaisse.
Us: Lapin Rex du Poitou. Cuisine aux couteaux, haricots borlotti. Jus au muscadet.

When ordering, I told the server that we would like to have the monkfish and the rabbit and that we would like to share them. Hence, if possible, we would like the kitchen to plate the half portions for us and serve them sequentially. He said that there is no problem doing that for the monkfish. He further described the rabbit dish as having one chop, one rable de lapin, one of these, one of those, etc. and hence they can surely bring the standard plat to the table and provide us each with separate empty plates. I said "Hmmmm, sounds a bit complicated?" He said let me touch base with the kitchen while you finalize your dessert choice. He returns swifty and says the kitchen will figure out something.

The half portion of very appropriately-cooked monkfish was a perfect quantity. An interesting saucing. A separate cup of lightly-jus-coated veggies (carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, x, y, z) with a bit more jus on the bottom. The jus was and tasted exactly as described on the menu: a classic bouillabaisse. A very pleasant eat. Nothing to fault on the fish front. If I wanted to get critical, I might have been wondering in the back of my head if the bouillabaisse jus allowed for hiding vegetables that were not of the highest order, but I was lost in conversation.

Le Cinq does the simultaneous cloche-removal thing when appropriate. After the empty monkfish plates were retired, we soon each received the cloche-removal treatment. Prior to the removal, I had a pretty good idea what was happening. Upon removal, it was clear. They opted to give us each the entire rabbit plate. And it's a pretty impressive display of rabbit showmanship. Without giving the total blow by blow, there are at least 6 unique components to the dish. A razor clam to be reckoned with (except for one bite that had a bit of sand in it - and this happened to both of us - no teeth were broken though): seriously tender, beautifully cooked and seasoned with some complex, buttery jus in the shell. A very nice mini-millefeuille-like veggie construction. Could the rabbit loin have been just the tiniest bit too dry if you eat it all alone? You know, it's quite possible, but I surely wasn't about to waste a second bite to find out when I had so many different juicy options to pair it with. An impressive output from a kitchen for a meal at this price point.

Due to lack of time, I'm going to accelerate here.

Desserts: Excellent. Lovely colors, construction and plating. And if you think you know what color that peach dessert dish was, you're wrong!

Me: Abricots rotis au miel de romarin. Chocolat fondant praline, sorbet abricot
She: Peche blanche d'Amour. A la verveine glacee, lait frappe a l'orgeat

Pre-dessert first. Dessert chariot after. Box of dessert goodies for her. Check for me.

Decent to good bread, not more. Two tall, slim conic sections of Bordier butter (demi-sel et beurre aux algues), proudly presented as such (take note M. Simonin).

This is all happening in a most gorgeous room. With excellent, knowledgable, highly-professional and very friendly service, as usual. What's not to like.

Is this the best food in Paris? No.
Do I go here to ponder and meditate over their incredible, lunchtime ingredients? No.
Do I go here by myself to savor every last bite and chew? No.
Is there a better way to spend 85 euros at lunch in Paris? I say no. But I'm all ears.

I go here for lunch to enjoy a very good meal in a gorgeous, sophisticated space with people with whom I want to converse and share a restrained yet festive time. It's pretty reliable for that.

Others might want to consider using it to impress a young, hot babe. Not me, though.

[Chambolle]

Today. Sola for lunch. Kei for dinner.

Don't have time to fully elaborate, and substantial context is surely needed.

I'm in serious transit for a bit (Paris, NYC, Boston, Cape Cod, Nantucket) and hence I will have forgotten everything by the time I'm resettled.

In short: Sola, yes. Kei, ehhh? Frankly, for me, Kei != OK; Kei = No.

Sola is a very nice 35 euro lunch option in the wasteland that is the 5th just opposite Notre Dame. It's worth it. It deserves many more words but I'll leave it at that. My instinct says do lunch here first and then see if you want to dine here. We lunched upstairs. Downstairs, which was empty at lunch, has those low Japanese tables and you do the "take of your shoes" thing, I believe.

Kei is a place that many diners who don't have much of a clue are going to like. They will think that they found that a cute, little, 20-something-seat, all-white-decor jewel of a restaurant serving great food. However, they have no idea what they are really talking about. It is actively bad? No, of course not. It's decent (Spring's better). Could Chambo just have been grouchy tonight? Maybe. Well probably, but they and their clients made me so. Lots of annoying tourists who are horribly dressed do indeed affect the meal, believe it or not. Knowledge level of service needs to jump a quantum level. (An example. Every single diner is being served the same composed homard bleu dish. I ask how was the lobster is cooked? Server says "multiple ways, it's complicated". I say "no problem, I'm not pressed for time, please explain?" He responds "I don't really know. Let me ask the chef". That's fine, but I do expect an answer. He avoids me. He eventually comes to take away my plate and he must think that I have forgotten my cooking question. Dude, I'm Chambo! As he's leaving with my plate, with his back to me, I say "Et le cuisson? He turns around and give me his answer "They are really busy in the kitchen" Needless to say, he and I are not bonding. I eventually ask the cook who brought out my next plate: pigeon. He answered the lobster question in appropriate detail. Yeh, it was a bit complicated. A bit of back and forth with the cook re the pigeon and a prior dish. I sense that they are getting nervous that I might be in the business (in fact, that cook will indeed ask me that very question) and they surely sense that I'm not loving my meal because unlike the other people around me, I'm not saying that every dish is fabulous.) So how was the food? It was totally correct. Some innovation here and there. None with the pigeon, though. But, for me, this night, it just wasn't excellent or interesting enough to make me want to really remember it. Moreso in my mind are recent dishes from le Cinq and Sola.

Also, this was the first time when I actually told the pseudo wine guy and the chef (Kei, lui-meme. As I was leaving, they told me that the chef would like to meet me. Meet moi? I thought they were really busy in there! And I feel bad to have to write all this actually, because the chef seems like a sweet, nice, young, hard-working guy, but I call 'em the way I see 'em) that the wine list simply wasn't acceptable and that they need to know it. Just four wines by the glass; one is red. That's it. (Yeah, they'll pour some other stuff for ya from a few medicore half bottles, but ...). Two of the four or five pages of red wines are Bordeaux and most are pretty screamingly expensive. What's wrong with that? Well, there wasn't a single dish for which they are appropriate. The half page of Burgundy wines had one bottle at 65 euros and then the next price point was double that. Give me a effing break, guys. Overall, an out-of-whack, inappropriate wine list, says Chambo. When I call them on their wine list, the pseudo wine guy (the older, mature adult in the room) will indeed say "Je suis tout a fait d'accord, monsieur. Vous avez raison." And he wasn't just yessing me. He knew it and admitted it.

My strong suggestion. Don't spend 75 or 95 euros for dinner at Kei, when you can spend 85 euros for lunch at Le Cinq and then go see a movie in the evening.

My instincts also tell me that others will like Kei more than me.

Look at that, I wrote way more that I thought I would.

Chambo is over and out.

[Nancy S.]

Yikes! Thanks so much for the warning! Now I need a replacement for a Saturday dinner. Please, where?

[Chambolle]

see below

[Chambolle]

Hold onto your reservation.

I'll try to further elaborate and talk about the food at some point. I was probably overly harsh, but if you didn't really enjoy yourself that night, you can't make believe that you did. Note that the criticism is mainly non-food related and I really didn't talk about the food. I stand by the above recommendation, though.

This intro was unfair and inappropriately penalizes the restaurant and inappropriately extrapolates based upon who their clients were that night. I'll tweak it:

Kei is a place that many diners who don't have much of a clue are going to like. They will think that they found that a cute, little, 20-something-seat, all-white-decor jewel of a restaurant serving great food. However, they have no idea what they are really talking about are exaggerating because this is the type of cute, little, 20-something-seat, all-white-decor place in which you wish that they were serving great food with great service. It is actively bad? No, of course not. It's decent reasonably good 75-95 euro food but Spring's better as a restaurant (if seated on the street level), not because of the food, but because the experience feels a bit more real and genuine to me.

With the major caveat that I have gone here one and only one time.

[Nancy S.]

Hold onto your reservation.

I'll try to further elaborate and talk about the food at some point. I was probably overly harsh, but if you didn't really enjoy yourself that night, you can't make believe that you did. Note that the criticism is mainly non-food related and I really didn't talk about the food. I stand by the above recommendation, though.

This intro was unfair and inappropriately penalizes the restaurant and inappropriately extrapolates based upon who their clients were that night. I'll tweak it:

Kei is a place that many diners who don't have much of a clue are going to like. They will think that they found that a cute, little, 20-something-seat, all-white-decor jewel of a restaurant serving great food. However, they have no idea what they are really talking about are exaggerating because this is the type of cute, little, 20-something-seat, all-white-decor place in which you wish that they were serving great food with great service. It is actively bad? No, of course not. It's decent reasonably good 75-95 euro food but Spring's better as a restaurant (if seated on the street level), not because of the food, but because the experience feels a bit more real and genuine to me.

With the major caveat that I have gone here one and only one time.

Chambolle --
Although I do not know you, I trust your intuition and opinion. Your review of Kei reminds me of my experience at Hiramatsu several years ago. The food was nice, and beautiful. But the room and the crowd (and the service) were most disappointing. And, it was expensive. I would never return. I imagine that one could feel similarly at Passage 53. For me, though, it's a bit different because my first experience there was fabulous. My husband and I sat upstairs in the little alcove with the sole table for two, under the stars and moonlight. Even though my next dinner there was in the main room, my affection for the place (and the personalized service that we now receive) mitigates the seemingly disappointing room issues. So, I would now worry that Kei would mimic my Hiramatsu experience. I think I would be happier eating less "precious" food (though still tasty and not overwhelming "heavy") in a more convivial atmosphere. I am grateful for your reviews, and thank you for your authentic and objective reporting.

[Orik]

You may or may not know this, but Hiramatsu is a Japanese mega-brand that runs something like 25 places in Japan under brand names from France and Italy, including Paul Bocuse, Auberge de l'Ill, Pourcel, Hiramatsu, Aso...

They're all (or at least all the ones I've seen) like you describe, perfectly fine food but you really don't want to be there.

[beachfan]

when you can spend 85 euros for lunch at Le Cinq and then go see a movie in the evening.

Thanks for the review!

So now I have to narrow down my choices for the prior night:

1) Akrame (the lead contender)
2) La Regalade (the lead contender from a wine friend)
3) Le Villaret, which I reserved before talking with others (I loved it the time I was there, but folks have said I can do better for not much more).

Anyone agree/disagree with the order I've put the restaurants?

Thanks in advance!

[Nancy S.]

when you can spend 85 euros for lunch at Le Cinq and then go see a movie in the evening.

Thanks for the review!

So now I have to narrow down my choices for the prior night:

1) Akrame (the lead contender)
2) La Regalade (the lead contender from a wine friend)
3) Le Villaret, which I reserved before talking with others (I loved it the time I was there, but folks have said I can do better for not much more).

Anyone agree/disagree with the order I've put the restaurants?

Thanks in advance!

I didn't love La Regalade. I didn't think the quality of ingredients was that great; I thought the preparation was a bit lazy; and I hated the atmosphere of the room.