John Talbott's Paris

The Shang Palace in the 16th: Pretty fancy Cantonese cooking, pretty fancy service, pretty fancy prices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Shang Palace in the Shangri-La Hotel, 10 ave Iena in the 16th, 01.53.67.19.92 (Metro: Iena) has been open 18 months and already garnered a star; I had hesitated to go for many reasons but guided by three experts in Cantonese cuisine, ventured to today.  We had the 6-plate dim sum menu for the table (58 E each) plus three dishes off the carte (dishes run 15-175 E), one amuse and two others that appeared somehow.  Rather than describe each I'll just post the photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ran the gamut from salmon to crab, shrimp to pork, chicken to suckling pig, noodles and a dessert of mango cream and sago pearls.

The bill - with 1 bottle of wine, many cups of tea and no bottled water it was 223.50 E a couple.

Go?  I suspect all three of my partners will go again but I'm not so sure given the price point.

Premices in the 9th: Wow! One more for Colette in April.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.5 Premices, 24 rue Rodier in the 9th (Metro: St-Georges, easier by #85 bus though), 01.45.26.86.26, closed weekends and lunch Mondays, has been open 3 months but hardly caused a ripple, which is amazing since chef Alexandre Weill has an amazing cv; HEC School of Management; VP Morgan Stanley (Paris & London); then saw the light and followed his passion to the Ecole Ferrandi, the Restaurant du Marché, Ambroisie, Apicius, Bigarrade, the Ritz and Troisgros and cooks amazing food.  The menu looks familiar and the prices not so easy but choices are difficult to make.

 

The amuse gueule was a glass with a base of celery puree with a touch of mustard grains on top of which was a small but beautiful piece of cod (cod was also on the 24 E "menu"); my Food Goddess Friend who's eaten everywhere, ordered the declinaison of green asparagus (done 4 ways: with fleur de sel, nuts, sauce and some other way I couldn't distinguish) which she thought was over-cooked but since she gave me the ends not the tips to sample - was perfect; and I had a sauteed lobe of foie gras with a puree of carrots with a touch of curry - superb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For mains she had the lobster, potatoes and teeny-tiny mushrooms, which I tried to discourage her from having after my Lobster Roll disappointment yesterday, but was I proven wrong; and I had the duck pithiviers, which the charming waitress had made sure I understood was a tarte (having read the Bluffing for Dummies book I was ready for anything) that came with fingers of winter vegetables - wunnerful, except I thought several dishes had a tad too much salt.  We finished by sharing a Paris-Brest, which she, a Paris-Brest expert declared very good (I agreed but not because I'm an expert, just because it was good).

With wonderful bread, a bottle of Cotes du Rhone Villages and two coffees, our bill was 110 E which I think was too little but maybe M. Weill comp'd us after engaging us thusly in French: "So, am I hearing an Anglo-Saxon accent."  "Oh, oh, a horrid one?"  "No, no, very light."  And then commenced to speak in "London City" English about his two careers."  Very personable chap indeed and a great chef.

Go?  It's on Colette's list, a definite "must."  And a dB level of 75.1 despite stark walls and ceiling.

Lobster Bar in the 1st: 4 Weddings and a funeral - no 4 circumstances and a disclosure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.5 (The) Lobster Bar, 41, rue Coquilliere in the 1st, 08.99.02.45.54 (Metro: Louvre-Rivoli) opens April 2nd and today (disclosure) was open to the press which included American bloggers.  It's not large - 20 covers, has a startling mural and mirror showing the rapport between Cape Cod (upper center left) and Brittany.  The concept is that of Mathieu Mercier who has been chasing lobster rolls up & down the American East Coast and figured, I figure, since Paris has gone nuts over burgers, food trucks and brownies, why not lobster rolls.

Circumstances: 1. The PR firm clearly invited too many guests and in 45 minutes the staff was overwhelmed and invitees were shoving to stand at the bar and the decibel level exceeded 75.7.       2.  I have spent or mis-spent my summers in Maine for over 70 years so think I know more about lobster rolls than is safe.  3. I love American bottled mayonnaise and ballpark rolls, and 4. No matter what the erudite folks on websites say about being the same species - homarus - the US variety - Americanus is different from the Breton one - gammarus.  M. Mercier states that "Brittany lobster.....has a softer and more refined flesh, with a sweeter and more intense flavor...."  OK to the food:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The menu couldn't be simpler and the spread of 3 taramas, 2 rillettes and anchovies spread over terrific bread - most delicious.  The urchin and crab ones were especially magnificent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lobster roll itself is not huge, for 26 E, it's about 6 inches long; the roll part is sweet not neutral; the lobster in bigger chunks than usually served Down East; the sauce very hard to discern; the fries nice but ours were served semicold due to the crush I fear; but the lettuces had a terrific sauce.  At this point we were asked to move to the counter so those there could sit - cool - and there we had the spice cake and brownie with ice cream and coffee that I thought were great but my guest said she can do better.

The bill (if we had been charged and had two rolls and 2 glasses of wine each) would have been about 104 E plus whatever the coffee runs.

Go?  If you're from New England, I think not, but if French or from west of the Hudson and are into novelty Yankee food, why not?  (I'll be interested in what my expat pals who were there will write - all had different reactions verbally to me).

Le Verre Moutarde in the 17th: Another interesting find off the beaten track.

 

 

 

 

 

6.6 Le Verre Moutarde, 145, rue de Saussure in the 17th, 01.42.27.35.55, closed weekends (Metro: hummm, Wagram) is hidden behind the cleaning structures that Haussmann called for every decade to cleanse Paris' face, a law that wasn't implemented until the 1960's.  However, one enters to a full salle, turning tables over as businessmen come in, have the two-course, wine and coffee formula at 13.90 E and exit.  The tables are set with mustard pots and glasses for kids circa 1940 that they either picked up for 10 cents or 10 euros apiece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We looked at both the 13.90 and 29.50 E menus and decided to try almost everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our resident sculptor had the ceviche of crevettes marinated in lime with a guacamole of avocado and mango (the chef is Columbian but has spent time under the banner of Gordon Ramsay and Joel Robuchon); and Madame, the chefesse in our party, "had" to test the formula and was very taken by the "salad" of crevettes in an artistic mound, which once warmed up a bit, were splendid; and I got a most unusual presentation of escargots with garlic cream and pepper coulis - at this point we all three knew we were in the hands of someone with vision and daring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then Madame had the very rosé duck (which they apologized for giving her a magret rather than the advertised cutlet) and was she and weren't we happy; Monsieur had a Thai Bo Bun that had enough shaved vegetables and rice noodles for a week; and I had the only clunker of the meal (because I can tell when lamb is not milk-fed but trending towards mutton) a slice of gigot with 24-hour sauce - it's my fault, I should have asked - "Pascal or not?"  But I didn't.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our desserts (shared three ways) were just as inventive and interesting as the other dishes - what was called a pain perdu with caramel but was really a new sort of innovation of the chefs and a cool young grenadine/strawberry jelly with pineapple ice cream - equally new to me and us.

We had the equivalent of almost 2 bottles of a Gamay and a Breton Cola (the sculptor had to sculpt afterwards I guess), OK bread and three coffees and our bill was 107 E or 73.34 E a couple.

Go?  My glory be, you need to ask? - between the inventive chef and our two really pleasant, almost manic owner-hosts Christophe and Mathieu, who from the cards scattered about seemed to have passed through the doors of L'Avant Gout, L'Ecole Buissonniere and L'Escargot in Puteau (two of my top meals in 2012), we had the most unexpectedly interesting meal of the year.

Les Tablettes de Jean-Louis Nomicos in the 16th: The best meal to date in 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.5 Les Tablettes de Jean-Louis Nomicos in the 16th, 01.56.28.16.16, open 7/7 (Metro: Victor Hugo) opened two years ago and my buddy Pti kept suggesting i go, but I never got aound to it until today when I needed to find a place for another buddy who works in the 16th, to eat.  "Yah, I've always wanted to go," she said.  The "menu" at lunch is a steal: 58 E for an amuse gueule, first, main, cheese, dessert, coffee, mignardises, 1/2 bottled water and 1/2  bottle wine (shades of the old Goumard).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The amuse was a layered glass of something almost custardy at the bottom, then cream of onion and then a watercress emulsion; divine.  Then she had the sliced carrots on minced to your life carrots with equally minced chorizo (boy, somebody should get combat pay for this chopping) with savory and fevettes; and I had white asparagus and morilles with rocket chantilly and magret de canard.  Both exquisite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then she had 4 raviolis stuffed with joues de boeuf, sage butter, olives and parmesan and I had the farm chicken with green asparagus, teeny-tiny button mushrooms with a wine sauce (so good I was tempted when asked if I desired more); then the cheese was/were fresh goat cheese with sweet pepper, olive oil and marjoram.  Boy we were soaring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then she had the tarte fine with mango, pineapple and combawa zest while I was set off by the croustillant of chocolate/coffee/cardamon and fleur de lait ice cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wine we were offered was an especially nice Carignan.  The bill - as guaranteed - was 116 E.  dB level = 81.

Go?  For sure.

Jin Xin Lou in the 13th where Chef Wang Gilly cooks French food. Yes it's true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.1  Jin Xin Lou, 63, rue de l'Amiral Mouchez in the 13th (01.53.80.27.89) closed Wednesday dinner, Saturday lunch and Sundays is a place "discovered" by Heidi Ellison of Paris Update (I only use names when friends have already disclosed their identities), who herself learned about it from one Therrese who works in the 'nabe, which I believe, because while I was being welcomed by Mrs W., another neighbor came in and said to Mr. Wang she'd heard great things about it.  It's a strange juxtaposition; a Gagnaire-trained guy cooking French food in the midst of his parents' Chinese/Viet Namese/Thai takeaway shop.  His blackboard has a Chinese rope tastle thingy dangling off it; the bread basket is filled with rice crackers; and the locals are pouring in to eat there or take-out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When my dining companion who is in the food biz learned that the 3-course "menu" was 19.80 E he had already fugured out where in the area we could bail-out if it was horrid.  But no, his soup of lettuce, haddock and chorizo was truly outstanding - he and I both loved it; and my fine tarte of tomatoes, ham and cheese was equally meritorious - excellent crusty tart, tomatoes OK even though out of season, ham zesty and cheese neat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then my friend had an entrecote cooked saignant to his liking with mashed potatoes (which lacked a bit of butter but for under 20 E one doesn't overdo such ingredients) and I had the jarret and poitrine of soy/caramel laquered pork and ginger; quite yummy.

We had a bottle of Brouilly and that with no bottled water and nice coffees resulted in a bill of 54.80 E.

Go?  Heidi, I apologize for queestioning your sanity - you were right and tonight I'll test some of Mom and Pop Wang's Chinese takeout dishes.

Reviews of reviews: The week of March 18th, 2013

Monday-Tuesday in A Nous Paris, Philippe Toinard reviewed and gave 3/5 dots to Le 1 Place Vendome, 01.55.04.55.60, closed Sunday and Mondays where he says the quantity/price/pleasure ratio for a plat (lieu), dessert, glass of wine & coffee (39 E) is excessive and if you can tolerate the stratopheric prices of the carte (75 E) the desserts are sinful; meanwhile  Jerome Berger gave 3/5 to a bagel place Slice in the 2nd .

Tuesday, Yves Nespoulous, in Le Fooding, reviewed the Italian Il Goto in the 12th.

Emmanuel Rubin, in Figaroscope rewarded four places with two hearts: Premices, 24, rue Rodier in the 9th, 01.45.26.86.26, closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday lunch which runs 50-60 a la carte but has a lunch menu at 24 and dinner one for 48 E and serves items such as green asparagus, duck and a Pairs-Brest; Invictus, coordinated given last week; the Italian Officina Schenatti in the 5th; and the oyster place open in the evenings - Mary Celeste in the 3rd.  He also gave one heart to another Italian place – Cantina di Luca in the 8th.

The Dossier this week by Colette Monsat and Hugo de Saint Phalle listed the food staff’s 20 favorites among the 100 cited in their new book – Croq’Scope 2013 (not rank-ordered but by Arr.):
Flottes
Spring
Au Bascou
Le Café des Musees
Isami
Sola
Le Comptoir de Relais
Ze Kitchen Galerie
Relais Pizza
L’Office
Pantruche
Albion
Bistrot Paul-Bert
Le Villaret
Le Regalade
Beurre Noisette
Le Grand Pan (which F. Simon covered in his Hache Menu)
Coq Rico
Baratin
Mama Shelter

This week’s L’Express had a review by Charles Patin O’Coohoon of L’Aller-Retour, 5 rue Charles-François-Dupuis in the 3rd, 01.42.78.01.21, closed Sundays and Mondays, with a lunch formula at 10.90 E, a la carte 25-35, featuring such items as beef tartare and frites and cheesecake; one by Mina Soundiram on Mum Dim Sum in the 17th and by Francois-Regis Gaudry on the Italian L’Officina Schematti in the 5th.

Anice Stellato in Venice and Columbus in Mestre: Maybe it's just a gouchy, rainy week, but....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anice Stellato has been my trustworthy Sunday haunt for the 20 years I've been coming here every other year and despite the considerable schlep, I've always been pleased, but.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know what it is/was but it's bloom is off the rose, despite the beautiful warm welcome a great service: my foursome appetizer of tiny pieces of sardine, mackerel, squid and herring was it? with accompanying artichoke heart slices, onions, grapes, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and potatoes was OK but couldn't make up its mind whether to be hot, lukewarm or cold so it was a mixture of all three; and my pasta (trofie) with ragout of carne was essentially OK pieces of stewed beef with horribly al dented pasta and a blah sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With very tasty bread circles, 50 cl of the house Cabernet, no bottled water and a coffee corrected correctly, my bill was 30.50 E.

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Columbus in Mestre has also been one of my Sunday mainstays, just down the street as it is from my hotel, taking no reservations and full of exuberant kids and young families.  The pizzas are made by very impressively tall skinny guy, a sort of white Barack Obama – and they roll right out.

Tonight I had a simple green salad and pizza with a melted cheese (like raclette), tasty black olives, shaved parmesan and cherry tomato quarters.  (Next time back to the sausage.)

The bill with wine was 21.50 E.

da Bepi in Venice and Moro in Mestre: A less impressive eating day.

da Bepi in Venice is another place in Venice recommended by my friend the Italian-American who knows Cannaregio, better I might say than Google, which located it a quarter of a mile away from its real site. It's a place I ordinarily would pass by, having wait-staff out front talking up the place which has "tourist menus" in four languages.  I had two dishes off it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First I had spaghetti with mussels, quite nice but not outstanding; then moved on to a fresh whole sea bass, grilled with polenta and potatoes, again nice, but no fireworks - even with lemon and salt and pepper it lack something; a white sauce, a red pepper sauce, something.

With 50 cl of house red, no bottled water and a corrected espresso, my bill was 49.30 E and I'm not sure I'll return in two years.

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After another afternoon amidst the Tiepolos and Massari's at the Scola S. Giovanni Evangelista I headed back to Mestre and dinner at an old favorite - Moro.  It was raining, pouring.....  I entered, it was 87% full, I gave my name; no, no reservation "you're sure you are not the Contessa Evangeline? "  "Ah sorry, I'm not in drag tonite."  "Or Madame Toiset?"  "Nope, my hotel called because you never answer your phone” (said politely with much bowing and scraping).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had fresh sardines (semiwarm) with onions (ditto) and then suckling pig slices (with no crispy skin, rather boring).

With a half-bottle of house red and no coffee or dessert, my bill was 22 E.  I don't think I'll return in two years; too much hassle.

 

Il Ridotto in Venice and Da Tura in Mestre: We're not in Kansas or even Paris anymore Dorothy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Il Ridotto (in back, that is East, of St Mark's Square) is a place an Italian-American correspondent who's lived/visited here a lot, touted me onto two years ago.  It's chef'd by Gianni Bonaccorsi - a guy who you either hate (some Dudes on the Internet) or love (me among them.)  Last time I came he and I chatted for hours about Paris restaurants and like stuff.

So, I was really looking forward to this lunch at 2 PM (rez made so I had plently of time between Marco Polo airport and him.  But of course, Air France was an hour+ late, there was a transportation strike in Italy and I had acquired two more years of aged aging, blown out knees and cardio-pulmonary deterioration.  So I took a cab from Marco Polo to my hotel in Mestre (sorry Colette for blowing the family fortune), stood in a long line to buy a train ticket and schlepped over the bridges and canals to M. Bonaccorsi's second resto, described by my friend as "where he kicks up."

Enter - Sweating, panting, gimping - "Hi, I'm Mr Talbott - I''m 15 minutes late, I'm sorry."  Plongeur sticks head out door, sous-chefs scatter and wait-guy says "Well then, your reservation, ahhh, Mr..... We don't seem to have one and besides that we're closed, Another time then."  At this point I go into full 'old guy trying to make the best of it' mode.  "Jeez, I'm alone, lonely guys finish fast, I won't eat much,..."  The guy takes pity.  "Ok but one person, one dish" looking in back of me to see if the swarm of gypsees in the Campo SS. Filippo E Giacomo was following me in.

Menu - lunch - "what are the specials?"  "A no, Monsieur, one dish off the evening carte."  "OK, the rabbit with teeny artichokes and diced potatoes."  Sublime.

We negotiated a bit of Chianti, bottled water, a corrected coffee and with superb bread and a sort of white pizza flat bread - the bill was 41 E.  I walked home a happy man.  Never say the Italians won't bend the rules.

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Da Tura in the Bologna Hotel in Mestre is another repeater and I scored with a wonderful sea bass salad amuse bouche with spicy greens and olive oil, but this year my main - the gnocchi (supposedly with zucchini flowers) did not turn me on although it did have very nice not-frozen then thawed shrimp.

 

 

With bottled water, interesting bread and 1/2 a bottle of Citto Tuscan wine and a lot of mignardises, my bill was 24 E.