Paris Trip Part IV: Dinner at L’Arpege

Our evening at L’Arpege was elegant, beautiful and surprising from start to finish. There were some lovely highs and some dishes that missed their lofty marks which were luckily only minor distractions and not able to derail the lovely experience.

The interior was modern with brightly colored chairs, and each table was decorated with an object like a gourd or a stump. And the restaurant was completely empty for at least an hour, so we could hear everything going on — the vacuuming in the back, the staff talking, the phone ringing, the door to the kitchen distractingly swinging open and closed. Once the room filled up a little though it was easier to relax more and feel less kind of “under the microscope.” Of course there are also service benefits to being the center of attention… always there but never hovering.

The amuse were two discs of gelee, one of beet and the other of basil (I think). Light and refreshing, enough so that even if beets are not my thing I could appreciate them. The egg course followed – creamy lusciousness that coated the tongue (slow-cooked eggs are overdone these days? sign me up for this one every night). And then starkly contrasting, the ravioli course with a very light broth and pea sprout ravioli with at least three different accents so that each bite is a revelation. It was such a surprise to bite into the second after the first and find it so different from the first. And then the menu took another turn to its first sour note. Well, not so much a sour note as a thickly sweet and gooey pile of lobster coated in a honey sauce. “Yuck” is a little too strong, but it was not that appealing. Even so we both did clear our plates.

Next up, a plateful of vegetables. Now, I’ve heard people complain that Alain Passard has moved to much towards vegetables in the past few years. All chefs should make vegetables like this garden play — the spinach perfectly cooked, a delicate yet flavorful root puree, and candied pieces for contrast. Afterwards, two courses not listed on the menu — an ephemeral smoke-scented foam that was actually too smokey for me — and fresh peas that burst in the mouth. I’m not a pea lover and this (unlike the beets) was something I devoured happily. Yum. The foie gras… good, tasty, with a nice little pile of sort of candied rhubarb, but not a standout. Maybe I’ve been eating too much foie gras… I’m a little jaded on it. Or maybe Passard’s focus on the lighter dishes shows.

And happily we then entered the main courses… First up the turbot which they trotted out to us to see before serving (doesn’t it look amazing?). The turbot was incredibly delicate and sang in its light bath (which I am sorry to say I can’t remember how it was described to me). I consumed it… but unfortunately I could feel myself starting to get full then, so when the server came around to offer a second serving of turbot with a green tea sauce (surprise! second servings? really?) we both decided to turn it down to keep room for the rest of the meal. And now I really, really wish I had gotten that second serving.

And then the “meats.” I ordered the sweetbreads, which were very well cooked (firm but still moist) with a good mouthfeel, and nearly no sauce, with exceptionally fresh vegetables. Who knew a scallion could be so sweet? And Gus’s chicken cooked with hay… I mean, really, who thinks of this kind of chicken as 3-star food? But the slices were juicy and tender and here Gus gave in and got the second portion with the green sauce… luscious.

The cheese course was fun, although at this point I was getting almost too full. The selection was lovely and the cheese guy (is there an equivalent cheese word for “sommelier”?) described each in detail and helped us make up a trio of cheese to fit our tastes. I couldn’t finish them all and I felt guilty.

Desserts were sadly the most disappointing part of the meal (well, except for the goopy lobster pile)… the apple tart (apples made into little rosettes) was delicious, and we got miniature tartlettes as well, so we gorged on them. There were also two little squares of nougat which I enjoyed. The miniature macarons were good (well one was flavored with beet again… ick) but by this time I had the full stash of Pierre Herme and Lauderee macarons back in the hotel so these were not entrancing. And the last dessert, the pineapple with thin apple slices and more of that house honey… well, it was unusual, and it was definitely better than the lobster… but really. I expected more. Particularly after my marvelous souffle the previous night… I want my desserts to leave me flying, not sinking.

Overall, I was impressed with the meal. The highs outweighed the lows and I loved some of the courses (the turbot comes to mind as particularly amazing). Its downfall was the inconsistency (in contrast although some of the dishes flew higher than those at La Table, that meal was more consistently excellent across the board) but at least the experimentation was there. And they were incredibly generous, with extra courses beyond those listed in the tasting menu, not to mention the second servings of the mains… and I think we were only supposed to get one plate of the little goodies but since we ate it so quickly, they brought us a second tray of them before we left. Unbelievable generousity.

I would love to give it another roll of the dice and eat there again to see what else Alain Passard would do. And I know he was in the house because he came out into the dining room and circled like a gracious host, speaking to every table. He even asked us where we were from and said some nice things about San Francisco… I felt a little like a fumbling fool. What do you say to a complete stranger who’s cooking you a lovely meal other than, “I love the food” and “Thank you”?

Other than maybe, “I look forward to coming back again.”