Well, sorry again guys... I've had a busy
week. My shortened classes ended this week and I had 2 finals
and 2 papers. The good thing is I'm done now, and I'm about to
leave for Spring Break. We're going sailing in the Whitsundays
islands, then spending a few days in Cairns and Cape
Tribulation. It should be an amazing time. I won't be bringing
my laptop though, so hopefully this update will satisfy you guys
for now...
Our
final dinner in France was on a Monday night, and we had booked
for Le Cinq, a
Michelin three star in the Four Seasons George V Hotel. My dad
was hoping to go to Taillevent during our stay, but it just so
happens that they closed for summer vacation the very day we got
to Paris. Philippe Legendre (isn't that a sweet name?), the Chef
of Le Cinq, was the Chef at Taillevent for a long time, so we'd
be getting something similar. Le Cinq's dining room is quite
amazing. It was definitely an old style decor, but not nearly as
extravagant as Le Meurice's. The room had a modern, elegant
feeling despite the fanciness. It's quite a nice place to eat.
All seven of us went for this final meal, and
because of the size of our group we had to pick a menu in
advance. We picked the so-called light tasting menu, as we
thought we could use something lighter to wind down after all
the crazy meals. The cost was 120 euros for 5 courses, which was
actually a relatively good deal considering the quality.
terrine of cepe mushroom with its vinaigrette
This was an absolutely wonderful amuse. The
terrine was soft, rich, and full of mushrooms, while the
vinaigrette was light and refreshing. I would have been happy to
eat an entire course of this.
mousse of sole with Oscetra caviar
Another great dish. The fluffy mousse was well
balanced by the saltiness of the caviar. The care put into the
dish was obvious from the thinly sliced piece of asparagus. This
plate was quite beautiful to look at.
gambas fricassée with artichoke puree, oysters, and lemon sauce
Now this was a very interesting dish. The
shrimp were perfectly cooked as you'd expect from a 3 star. The
oysters, which you can see chopped in the back, added a very
unusual twist. The flavor was pretty light and didn't overwhelm
the shrimp, and went surprisingly well with the lemon foam.
roasted line-caught cod with green olive harissa
This dish was the weakest of the bunch, I
thought. Don't get me wrong - it was delicious, but it lacked
the extra punch that the other dishes had for me. I think that
maybe it just wasn't as good or as cool as the turbot from Guy
Savoy, and was thus a bit underwhelming.
squab
from the Racan region stuffed with herbs and seasonal
vegetables
I'll keep this simple: best squab I've ever
had in my life. No contest. The meat was tender and delicate. It
was actually a pretty simple preparation - basically a squab
with jus, but done to absolute perfection. The vegetables were
also masterfully cooked, and I cleaned off every last bite.
strawberry purée, peach cream, basil and lime sorbet
This pre dessert was a very interesting mix of
flavors. Together, they tasted quite good and did their
palate-cleaning job rather commendably.
macaroons with fresh cream cheese and lime frosting,
hibiscus flavored raspberries
This was definitely one of the most
beautifully-presented desserts of the trip. It was hard for me
to wreck it and start eating. It wasn't all looks either - it
was light, not too sweet, and very refreshing. A great dessert
all around.
I really have to go catch our cab to the
airport now. I hope this shortened entry doesn't make it sound
like this wasn't an amazing meal - it certainly was. The service
was absolutely top-notch, reaching a wonderful balance of
friendly and professional (just like Guy Savoy). The food was
wonderful. I do hope to go back, as there are a bunch of things
on the menu that sounded really interesting.
© 2005 Arthur Che. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Arthur Hungry "eating one meal at a time"
www.arthurhungry.com
