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.”

Gallery of Photos from L’Arpege

The Detailed Bits

L’Arpege
84, Rue de Varenne
75007 Paris
01 47 05 09 06

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• Paris Trip Part III: Dinner at La Table de Joel Robuchon – consumableJoy

Monday night, after spending the day scouring Paris 6 for goodies and the afternoon napping and recovering, we headed to La Table for dinner. Never having eaten at a Joël Robuchon restaurant before, we didn’t have much to go on for what to expect other than his appearance on Top Chef this past season (you may recall the episode where poor Kevin had the privilege of sitting with a whole table of people speaking French that later became the “what Kevin hears” segment?). Well that and the fact that I had heard about the small plates at L’Atelier.

We arrived just before seven pm, and unlike at Market, we were warmly greeted and seated immediately. In fact, we were not even the first people to sit down (we had made special effort not to arrive *too* early). The restaurant is elegantly appointed in muted colors, the chairs comfortable, and the acoustics quiet. Overall, perfect for a romantic dinner where conversation can be had without shouting, but not so quiet you feel like the staff is listening to you breathing.

The menu was completely in French, but the staff was kind enough to explain everything we needed. We decided not to get the tasting menu but instead went with ordering a la carte to increase the number of options we had. The plates were divided into smaller plates (cold and hot), appetizers, and mains (many of which were also available in the smaller size). We split the difference with two appetizers, one small plate, and a main course each, which, along with dessert, was exactly the right amount of food for us.

The amuse bouche (which, sadly, I did not record what it was) had bright and lovely flavors and seemed like an excellent palate cleanser to get the mouth in the right mood, so to speak. We had some lovely bread as well, crusty outside and chewy inside, with some beautiful butter (but had to be careful not to stuff too much bread into myself before eating the meal).

Our two appetizers contrasted sharply with one another…. The langoustine coming two to the plate, wrapped in filo and easy to share… The langoustine was perfectly cooked and the flavors were not too heavy, accented with the herbal purée. The araignée (spider crab) was a tiny delicate pile of crab meat in the center of the plate and I almost felt guilty taking any of it off of Gus’s plate for a taste. It was good, but I’m not certain I could say anything definitively about it afterwards that it was clearly spider crab.

After that we shared the Iberico de Bellota a la plancha. I’ve had the Jamon before, but never a piece of pork. I loved it. I know I sound like a broken record, but it was also perfectly cooked. Not covered with sauce or spices, it was able to bring out the rich porky flavor of the meat… While not tough, the meat had enough bite to it so you had something to really chew and taste.

And then onto the mains. I felt like I was in heaven when I took the first bite of my duck and that feeling never faded away. It was comprised of a duck breast mated with foie gras and it was so meltingly tender it… I mean I do not even have the words to describe it. It was rich and lovely but delicate and masterful and well it might be one of the best things I have eaten. The rhubarb accompaniment was nice, a bit startling, woke up the taste buds between bites of the richer duck. Gus’s quail was good too, a little more toothsome and hefty (which sounds strange to say about quail) but frankly I was so busy enjoying my duck I didn’t spend much time raiding his. And I almost completely forgot to mention the puree… that pale scoop of silky loveliness on both of our plates. It would be a travesty to call something so smooth and luscious “mashed potatoes” but unfortunately I don’t know the French word for what that was.

The cheese course snuck up on us. But of course, since we were in France, we ordered it. And then had absolutely no idea what most of the cheese were. And I still don’t. So sorry for the lack of elaboration here but I can say the far one was Gus’s favorite and the near one mine.No comment on how much of that preference was driven by proximity.

And then dessert. I had to have the soufflé. I had one last night? Pshaw! Does not count! And oh my gosh…. The yuzu soufflé was out of this world. The picture really cannot do it justice. It was incredibly fluffy, light and airy, with an almost creamy mouth feel, and the flavor of the yuzu came through so nicely… and I love yuzu (I decided during the dinner we have to buy a yuzu tree for our home). It was beautiful and in its glory called to light the flaws with the soufflé from the night before (thank goodness I ate them in this order because that way I was able to appreciate both instead of being disappointed). The soufflé was so lovely that the accompanying ice cream almost felt like a distraction for me from the beauty of the soufflé. Maybe I should have stayed longer and ordered a second soufflé. Gus ordered the Paris-Brest, made up of little puffs of pastry filled with light creme mousseline of hazelnut praline. It was good but I don’t feel like it was spectacular, but that may be unfair considering my taste buds were entranced by the soufflé… you may have to ask Gus for a more measured perspective.

And that was that…. except for the glass of dessert wine and the glass of kirsch.

Oh — and the other thing I absolutely loved was something that made you think “only in Paris” — during dinner, two different parties were accompanied by their very-proper, well-behaved and quiet dogs. Yes, people brought in their dogs who trotted in and settled themselves right under the tables (no, not on seats). In a 2-star Michelin restaurant. Next time we go to Paris, we have to bring Bello.

La Table de Joël Robuchon
16, Avenue Bugeaud
Paris 75016
+33 (0)1.56.2816.16
Open for lunch and dinner
And it says right there on the website: Pets are allowed

(Quick aside: we used our credit card’s concierge service to make our reservations for this trip which was easy and not only that, worked. If you’re in a hurry, traveling last minute, or don’t speak the language, it’s worth a try. Ours was Merrill Lynch Accolades but American Express concierges can work wonders. Or so I’ve heard.)

Related Posts:

• Paris Trip Part 1: Dinner at Jean-Georges’ Market – consumableJoy
• Paris Trip Part II: A Walk in the 6th Arrondissement – consumableJoy