John Talbott's Paris

Guilo Guilo: Exquisite Japanese in the 18th

 

6.0 Guilo Guilo, 8 rue Garreau, in the 18th, 01 42 54 23 92 opened a few months ago to admirable reviews.  Because of my rigid rule about only eating French food in France, broken only when I'm leaving for a period of exotic cuisine, in this case Romanian such, I didn't get around to eating here until today despite the recommendations of the big boys as well of at least two members and one co-host at the eGullet Society of Culinary Arts and Letters.

Colette and I tried reserving by delegation, telephone and finally had to walk over to this place in the midst of Amélie Poulainland to secure a table, only available at 7 PM, "in the back room," apologetically said the star chef.  (As if it were Siberia - Folks, ask for the backroom if you wish to talk to your loved one, ask for the front bar if you wish to watch Eiichi Edakuni at work.)

There are 8 courses in the degustation menu, which from Clotilde's blog's pix, are clearly different each night/week/or whatever.  Our amuse bouches consisted of figs in a sauce and jambon cru with a mango puree.

2nd was a panoply of veggies and fruits: a Japanese (cherry) tomato, eggplant, taro and sashimi strips and 3rd shrimp sushi with marinated vegetables.  4th - a soup with a folded over egg block with andouille in a sauce; 5th salmon pieces with a zippy sauce and cucumber.

6th for us were corn fritters/tempura with two sauces - one soy, the other dots of foie gras in another sauce.  7th was a spread of red tuna which one dipped in egg yolk and then a light soy sauce with pickled cabbage and rice with seaweed strips and sesame seeds.

And we thought finally, was a pumpkin puree/jelly with morsels of coffee jelly and an almond jelly block.  I was humming "This is the end, Beautiful friend, This is the end, My only friend, the end" but the Doors did not appear. 

Indeed, the chef proposed a topper - ennobled with his name (and presumably reputation) of dessert saki, fruit juice(s) and sparkling water - a nice end, but it was not part of the menu so another 17E was added to our bill! 

The bill with 4 draft Asahi beers was 127 euros.

Go again?  Despite the "show," I think in the 18th I'd choose Enishi.

Ingres drawings at the Romantic Life Museum

    

While there are many drawings of Ingres in this exhibition at the Musee de la Vie Romantique in Paris, what was arresting to me was the number of preparatory sketches for the Martyrdom of St Symphonien which hangs in Autun.  When you look at the reproduction of the painting it seems a modest composition, but the incredible care Ingres took on each person portrayed is impressive.

A show worth going to until January 4th aside from the spectacular setting.

Writing restaurant reviews - An archival review*

For Christmas, one of my Paris eating companions suggested that my wife Colette give me Dianne Jacob’s Will Write for Food. It’s a terrific book but I realized it’s not for me after eating at two places in the past while: the spectacular L’Escarbille in Meudon and the glitzy but banal Seafood Bar Prunier aka Caviar House & Prunier in Paris.

Why do I say this? Surely I, among all persons, need a lesson in writing well. Granted. But I don’t know how to say this and be respectful of Ms. Jacob: I can’t write by formula or by using guidelines.

Sure, I include the name, coordinates, closing dates, prices, etc., of restos. But it is rare, in fact, I cannot recall a time, when I haven’t either loved a place or hated it. So I’d be dead in the media markets where one has to sell papers or magazines or whatever and seemingly find something good about even the most dreaded experience.

Therefore, as opposed to such intellectual, gifted and golden tongued masters as Francois Simon and Sebastien Demorand in their “Croque Notes” and “Zurban” respectively, whom you finish reading and say – “huh, but should I go?,” if you read my stuff - it’s pretty clear.

(I think that Simon was told this 10 years ago and then, at least in his “Haché Menu,” began to specifically ask himself at the end of each piece - “Should one go?”)

On the other hand, in defense of them and in all honesty, it’s also a lot easier when you are eating for yourself and only 20,000 readers max and any reimbursement you get is independent of how the review comes out. I know at least one food writer in Paris whose hate mail is pretty nasty.

So what did L’Escarbille and Prunier teach me aside from loving one and hating the other? Well, first, that aside from taking notes (hell, no one here knows who I am until the review appears anyway), I begin my writing a review in my head from the instant I set eyes on the place.

For example, with L’Escarbille, the moment you get off the Toonerville Trolley in Meudon you’re thrown back decades, if not more, trudging beside the train tracks up to what looks like it was the auberge serving the town. There it is, in full view of the station, homey and comfortable if not comforting; gravel outside, warm greeting inside.

I always insist that the quality of food has to be judged separately from the décor, welcome, service, etc. and that I’m equally happy eating great food off newspaper as on linen, or equally unhappy eating bad stuff in starred-places. Anyway, as soon as I got the amuse bouche I began writing in my head – “pretty good tampenade, nice toast.”

Then the menu - terrific selections, wine list - sensible and broad, and order taken - promptly and caringly. From then on it was all terrific, right up through the coffee that could have come straight from Naples , it was made so correctly. By the time I’d reached the train station to return to town, the review was all but written.

Ditto at poor Prunier but as opposed to the day before, I remember that name from a long way back. To me Prunier represented the most famous, indeed, “the” almost mythic fish place in Paris.

I’d read some good reviews of this recent incarnation and went, fully knowing it was touted as a “seafood bar” and was dependent on its downstairs’ larder/boutique, but hey, both Petrossian 144 and Flora Danica are as well. Anyway, I know the Place de la Madeleine well, passing through it probably twice a week when I’m in town; and things didn’t look much different.

But on climbing the stairs I realized that the place was in the grips of a designer’s serious vision. Bright, mirrored and stark (not Starck). Off-putting? Not necessarily. The guy who greeted me seemed OK.

Two people downstairs at the empty boutique; six upstairs for about the same number of customers. OK, so far, so good. Would I like an aperitif, no thanks, a menu would be fine, I thought to myself. No menu, for 5-10-15 minutes; all the while looking/smiling/raising eyebrows at the wait-staff talking amongst themselves, safely ensconced behind the bar.

My review began to write itself. This place is in trouble – in the wake or the defeat of the government’s “first employment contract,” these young folk, whom I hope have night jobs, know they’ll be let go in six months, so why should they hustle?

Finally, I order and the bread and toast are from yesterday at best. That’s OK in your local crummy bistro but a place that gets close to a $1,000 for 125 grams of caviar should have a little pride. And it went downhill from there to such an extent that I fled before any hint of dessert or coffee.

So let’s come back to writing reviews. In both cases, where the settings, meals and experiences couldn’t have been more different, I could no more write a formulaic piece than whistle through my ears.

As I approached each place, I began to compose; when looking over the menu and wine list, I formed certain impressions that took shape as phrases; eating definitely pointed out the pluses and minuses in bold type; and from that point on, the reviews were out of my control.

My only favorite:

L’Escarbille
8, rue de Velizy, 92nd (Transilien train from Montparnasse to Meudon @
Bellevue on the Rambouillet/Mantes line – 4.10 € RT)
T: 01.45.34.12.03
Closed Saturday lunch, Sunday night and Mondays
Menu-carte 36, a la carte: firsts 21 €, mains 22 and desserts 8€.

*Originally published in April 2006.

L'Ami Jean in the 7th - You can go home again - An archival* review

5.5 l’Ami Jean, 27, rue Malar in the 7th, 01.47.05.86.89, closed Sundays and Mondays is a place where I had two disappointing meals after it opened and that would normally be that. But so many people on the France Forum of the eGullet Society of Culinary Arts and Letters, including my charming cohost, have raved about it, that I acted abnormally and went back.

On entering I was struck by how jammed together the tables were and how much it resembled Le Regalade, which is of course is where Stephane Jego came from. The menu, which started below 30 is now 32 for three courses.

I had the timbale of escargots, mushrooms and (?) pied de porc with (?) espelette pepper which came on a hot hot plate but was of varying temperatures within, making it rather interesting. Then the paleron of beef which was huge but like the beef in pot-au-feu, not much to write home about, save for the wonderful vegetable/condiment that had a spicy chard and carrots and the crisp salty bacon that made it a good dish.

I had a dessert described as a tatin of yellow lemon, but it was green and deconstructed, but quite good. The service was so good they poured my carafe of wine into my glass when it needed it.

It being game season, there were ample specials that by themselves approached the price of the menu. The one that looked terrific was a casserole of fowl, pork and foie gras.

Should you go? I think this is an ideal place to send 1st time visitors; good chow, authentic surroundings and nice staff.

*Originally published in October 2007

Silly walks about Paris - beauty and the beasts.

 

"Down by the station, early in the morning, see the little puffer bellies, all in a row."

 

 

 

Klimt drawings and Art in the city at St Sulpice

There are two shows of mixed impact running right now.

 

Gustav Klimt, he of the dazzling glittered and over-the-top colored paintings, (obviously) sketched out his ideas before executing them and twelve or so of these drawings and six or so reproductions of his final results are on exhibit at the Galerie Eric Coatalem in the 8th until October 4th.

My impressions are that Klimt (whom I've always liked and at which the SEITA museum was a shrine) was an incredible drawer (second meaning), that these sketchy things are much more erotic and indeed pornographic than the final results and that it's worth a visit despite the deafening construction sounds from le Bristol.  (PS Colette respectfully disagrees.)

 

However much I like what they do on the grill at the Luxembourg, hanging all sorts of photos from winners of competitions, to poverty throughout the world to space shots; this show around the fountain at St Sulpice doesn't make it.

The new crisis in French eating establishments - Figaro speaks.

Today's Figaro's business section had a full page with the lead-off article by Francois Simon and Mathilde Visseyrias, devoted to the Crisis in Restaurants.

Today at lunch, I was complimenting Eric Jolibois at Clocher Periere for holding down his prices (menu at 30 E, reasonable wines) while serving first rate food such a a full lobe of foie gras, colvert, ombre chevalier, etc. He said it's tough, but with customers (and his are all business folk with suits and ties and he was turning away folks who hadn't reserved) feeling the pinch of buying power, he had to provide good food at a decent value.

Well, Simon and Visseyrias confirm this. The last 6 months, compared to last year, 25% more of restos, 19% of fast food places, 56% of cafes and 45% of traiteurs have gone belly up. Folks are coming in for one dish and skipping coffee for one made from the machine back at the office.

The topper, the famed Bobose at the Quincy near the Gare de Lyon says how can he manage if folks don't order all the courses.

AntiMalaria Photos on the Pont des Arts.

The Pont des Arts is (temporarily) home to a series of photos showing the devastation of malaria.  It's called Bad Air, was supposed to close Aug 30 and has a dozen or so heart-wrenching scenes.

 

 

 

Lunch not brunch on Sunday!

I’ve written twice before about eating lunch on Sundays, so it’s clearly a preoccupation. Why? Because so many places are closed then, even if they open Sunday night and because those that are open, often only serve brunch or even if they say they serve regular food, it’s on an abbreviated carte.

I faced this problem last week when I glanced at my carefully constructed rentrée list and saw that I really had only one new place to take Colette and our friend Felice. So I reviewed the information I had and there were the deadly words – brunch Dimanche – brunch Sundays.

Oh oh, I quickly reviewed my list of existing places that I’d liked from prior meals:
Pinxo, 9, rue d’Alger, 1st, 01.40.20.20.00
La Mediterranee, 2 pl de l'Odeon, 6th, 01.43.26.02.30
L'Ardoise, 28 rue du Mont Thabor, 1st, 01.42.96.28.18
La Cagouille, 10 Place Constantin Brancusi, 14th, 01.43.22.09.01{mainly for burned finger moules and buttered coques}
Vintage, 46, rue d’Argout, 2nd, 01.40.26.57.54
La Marée Passy, 71, ave Paul-Doumer, 16th 01.45.04.12.81
Petrus, 12, place du Marechal Juin, 17th, 01.43.80.15.95
Mon Viel Ami, 69 St Louis en l'Ile, on the Ile St-Louis, 01.40.46.01.35 {off last time}
Brasserie aka La Lorraine, 2, place des Ternes, 8th, 01.56.21.22.00 {off last time}

Well that should do it I thought; so many choices. Colette, musing in the corner said, “You know, if it’s as nice a day as today, we should eat somewhere, like…….” “Ah,” I said, “like Garance aside the Canal St. Martin, where we had a fine meal one bright sunny day.”

So off we set. It was glorious - a sunny, mild, day with the Canal glistening, the skaters, runners and bikers buff and the world a better place.

I don’t want to blow the meal out of proportion; it wasn’t Giradet or Bocuse at their height of their craft, or even Ledeuil or Rose now, but it was the perfect place that Sunday. And we had a great experience.

I ordered a tempura of calamari on a dusting of piment d’espelette with a homemade tartare sauce for dipping and the three of us declared that while certainly white (a deadly color according to the great food god Atar) it was very good.

Then one of the ladies had scallops on top of mixed fall vegetables and the other bass with a side of greens and I the veal liver prepared exactly as I’d asked – blue.

The two others shared a moelleux of chocolate with ice cream that were gold standard. With three coffees and a bottle of fine Morgon the bill was 87 Euros.

Where should you go for a real lunch on Sundays (no brunch available)?

 

Garance
96, quai de Jemmapes,10th, (Metro : Republique, Gare de l’Est)
T: 01.42.02.87.95
Closed Mondays
Lunch menu (except Sundays) 18 €; a la carte 30-40 €.

Reviews of reviews - The Week of September 15th, 2008

Monday, in Le Fooding Julia Sammut wrote of Les Bacchanales in Vence.

Monday-Tuesday, in A Nous Paris, Jerome Berger reviewed and gave 3/5 dots to La Table d’Eugene, coordinates given elsewhere, where he liked the seafood gratin, grilled squid and strawberries but not the dry cote de cochon and his partner in reviewing, Philippe Toinard had a less successful meal giving only 2/5 dots to Cul de Poule, coordinates also given elsewhere, which was noisy and where he commented on the banality of the salmon carpaccio, andouille or cold meats and warm cod.

Wednesday, Emmanuel Rubin in Figaroscope awarded two hearts to l'Assiette, 181, rue du Château in the 14th, 01 43 22 64 86, lunch menu 25 €, evening menu 50 €, a la carte: 25-40 €, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, now under the command of David Rathegber, who serves up insipid escargots, quenelles with a non-ponderous Nantua sauce and tuna belly with spinach as well as Le Dos de la Baleine, 40, rue des Blancs-Manteaux in the 4th, 01 42 72 38 98, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays with a lunch menu for 16.50 € and dinner running one 40-50 € serving fresh cuisine such as a ceviche of shrimp, mushroom soup with peanuts, filet with five flavors and “ultrabio” wines. One heart each went to l'Ardoise Gourmande, 12, rue de Belzunce in the 10th, 01 48 78 40 03, lunch menu at 22 € and a la carte 30-55 €, closed Saturday lunch and Sunday dinner and serving pork, boudin noir and creme brulee and Crep Story, 23, rue Rambuteau in the 4th, 01 42 77 05 06, closed Sundays with a lunch formula = 12.90 € and a la carte 20 € for salads, crepes and cakes. A busted heart went to La Paiva, 25 ave des Champs Elysees in the 8th, 01 73 54.77 00, open 7/7, located in a superb hotel particulier serving 4 bling food for 50-70 €.

Wednesday in the “Dossier” Colette Monsat et al covered Sugary treats at the Plaza Athenee, Jean Paul Hevin, Chez Jean, Palace Elysee, l’Arpege, Pierre Herme, Café de la Paix, Hotel Meridien Montparnasse/restaurant Justine, Angelina, Laduree, Lenotre, Dalloyau, Fauchon, Pain de Sucre, Ble Sucre + des Gateaux et du Pain. Last Wednesday, also, there was a nice Dossier in Figaroscope on the Martyrs/Trudaine area that mentioned Spring, Sobane, Rose Bakery, Hotel Amour, Fontaine Fiacre, Hotaru, La Pizzetta, La Bocata, Cantina clandestine, Cesar + Wally le Saharian and Francois Simon singled out the Brazilian Gabriela as a place one should go to.

Wednesday, Richard Hesse on Paris Update wrote about A la Chataigne, coordinates already given, where he recommends you go after he had a meal described as an “honest take on an excellent regional cuisine” with an “inveterate food blogger.”

Wednesday-Thursday, Jean Claude Ribaut wrote two articles in Le Monde – one on preparing langoustines, the other wine making in Provence.

Saturday in Le Figaro Francois Simon talked about Cyril Lignac {of "Oui Chef" TV fame} who has also {in addition to the Quinzieme Cuisine Attitude} taken over Chardenoux, in the 11th, where despite his not yet ranking as a great chef, he serves up OK {Paul Bert area type} food on a 18 € formula and charges 20 € for cod and 9 € for dessert. The article also speaks well of Thierry Burlot’s take-over of Zebra Square but only makes passing reference to Benoit Rathgeber at l’Assiette, Eric Briffard at the Cinq and La Paiva. Next door, Alexandra Michot wrote a {very thoughtful} article on "What will replace tuna?" suggesting sushi of pollack or a tartare of oysters. She mentions that Auchan and Casino have stopped selling tuna, Moshi Moshi sushi stores in the UK have replaced it with local coalfish/black cod or mullet, Prince Albert of Monaco has asked it not be served there and certain chefs such as Romain Corbiere at the Relais du Parc agree but some, such as Benoit Delbasserue of La Mare O poissons in Ouistreham refuse to. The author also suggests replacing it with mackerel, raised shellfish, Pacific salmon, Gascony Bay sardines and whiting. {One strange omission : she never mentions that the fishermen of New Zealand halted its depletion of its waters of fish by agreeing themselves to stop over-fishing some species.}

Saturday/Sunday, in Bonjour Paris, Margaret Kemp wrote of the Maison de Sophie Dudemaine near Deauville and John Talbott wrote an article whose title was published as “Reservations needed?”

Sunday, in the JDD, Astrid de T’Serclaes interviewed Maki Maruyama (Japanese tea specialist; who directs Jugetsudo in the 6th). {While it is not my practice to cover “foreign” restos, her choices were interesting to pass on}. Best take-out sushi = Naoki; best Chinese(he)/Japanese(she) resto = Ebis; best Japanese = Kai; best tea pavillion at the Maison de la Culture du Japon; best patisseries – Aoki + Toraya; best epicerie = Kioko.

Rosa Jackson, in her Paris Bites, in Paris Notes, now only on line, reviewed Itineraires and continues to like Sylvan Sendra’s taking risks, although not all are successful.