A restaurant located in a
famous palace hotel with two marvelous dining rooms, one for the
winter and one for the summer. A large and professional kitchen
brigade headed since 2000 by Eric Fréchon, backed up by
professional waiting staff. A team up that ensures high
expectations from diners.
Execution and presentation of the cuisine is as good as one can
expect from such a professional operation; precise timing,
perfectly cut garnish, good seasoning, very good if not
exceptional produce and platings by a team attending to detail.
Yet the characteristics often intimately connected with the
large palace brigades are a bit too present; one-dimensionality,
lack of style, lack of originality and lack of excitement.
After a few somewhat definition lacking nibbles, a Baba truffé,
imibé au vin jaune et bouillon de poule, aileron de volaille
farci was served. The baba was beautifully displayed under a
small stack of truffle juliennes. The hen bouillon was poured
over it. What gourmandize it could have been this showcase of
classic taste combination with different textures, different
taste nuances and truffles, dark black, as they should be late
in the season. Truffles were only good rather than exceptional.
The truffles were quickly overshadowed and overpowered by the
much too smoky hen bouillon and smoked streaky bacon. After only
a few spoons of the bouillon, the taste of truffles had vanished
in the juxtaposition of smokiness.
A few scallops with clams (coques) on a watercress purée like
sauce followed. Equally beautifully plated and cooked “à point”.
Slightly rubbery scallops, which if I had to guess had been on
land for three days, but still good although a shadow of what
they can be. The watercress tasted clams and the clams tasted
clams. The result was one-dimensional with no contrast, no
support or enhancement to the scallops. Despite the general
perception that scallops are bland, scallops have much flavor on
their own and possess an incredible ability to grow in presence
with several contrasting flavors. Here the scallops were left in
dullness.
Next up was a sea bass from the Yeu Island. A superbly cooked
piece from a 4-6 kg sea bass, but it was a sea bass in disguise,
fully coated by tandoori powder and accompanied by cabbage
enhanced with lemons and ginger and a shellfish reduction.
Indeed the tandoori-taste was so present and much too
long-lingering that the taste, not only completely masked any
taste characteristics of a great sea bass, but was also, at
least in my mind or imagination, much too present even after the
dish that followed. Was the origin of the sea bass stated
because it was unrecognizable? Why was this sea bass on a
postmortem masquerade? Was it a bridal dress to disguise a poor
quality fish? Well, the fish did not have that so seductive
texture of a day-fresh sea bass, like firm mashed potatoes,
which one can have at L’Ambroise with Pacaud’s fabulous caviar
sauce. But sea bass can be equally interesting if it is a few
days old and the texture has firmed up a bit. The back of the
skin, impenetrable by the tandoori, smelt of fish but other than
that there were no traces of a not so fresh fish. A pointless
preparation in which the fish could have been replaced by a slab
of Soya protein, the ultimate test of the presence of a massacre
of a great ingredient.
The duck that took over the role from the poor sea bass was
exceptional. It is indeed rare to encounter duck with such
appealing texture, firm yet exceptionally tender and cooked to a
pink perfection. Glazed turnips, a nice orange confit and a
slightly over-sweetened fig accompanied the duck. A superb
balance of flavours that lifted the duck a step or two. Bravo
Mr. Fréchon! But the pommes soufflés served on the side should
never have left the kitchen. They will rest in memory as an
antithesis to pommes soufflés that should be crisp, tasty and
irresistible. Fréchon’s version was much too over-salted and
soggy.
The cheese board was delivered by Madame Marie Anne de Cantin.
It is a good source for cheese but a class below the top
suppliers such as Bernard Antony.
Desserts were the highlights. Especially the chocolate dessert
prepared with Venezuelan Criollo chocolate provided a superb
show of different chocolate tastes at different temperatures and
taste nuances. A real treat.
This is a very good restaurant but it is too expensive for what
it is and some of the ingredients could have been better.
Should you go? There are other palace-like restaurants in Paris
that provide better food and better wine selections at
approximately the same price but it is still worth trying.
Gastroville score: 16/20
/MJ
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