As lucky as one can be I happened to have a friend working in Disney Land, just located outside the wonderful city Paris!
I saw the chance to take of a couple of days in June and join her in the city of lights and homemade croissants!
Of course I cannot visit a city without checking their top gourmet restaurants! It actually took me just a little while to find Alain Senderens because apparently Michelin will not tell about this restaurant.
The reason as I have been told is that this restaurant was once named Lucas Carton and was an unhappy owner of 3 Michelin stars. Mr. Senderens changed the name in 2005 and gave back the stars to michelin claiming that he could not stand charging an unaffordable price for the menus. So today - the same food as before the loss of the stars, affordable prices and a very great experience!
I had booked a table online for 19:30, and we were lead into the amazing rooms of Alain Senderens.
The menu we choosed was as follows.
We both had the Foie gras, Lea had the peas soup and I the open lobster ravioli.
For a main course I had the cold tatare veal with langoustine and she the pig. Because my hunger is large I had a goat cheese plate and finally be both had the delicious chocolate dessert.
Menu
Foie gras pur (origine France), jus de betterave au wasabi
Aléatico Passito 2008 Feudi San Marzano, Pouilles, Italie
Velouté tiède de petits pois, œuf de caille mollet, caviar des champs et marjolaine
Raviole ouverte de homard à la vanille, quelques pousses d’épinard
Saumur « Clos de Guichaux » 2009- Domaine R.
Tartare de veau français « de tradition » et langoustine, vermicelle de riz, parmigiano reggiano
Pouilly-Fuissé « Les Crays » 2008 – A.C. Forest
Cochon de lait de Burgos rôti, carottes fanes aux baies roses et avocat
Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes «Marsanne » 2010 – Yves Cuilleron
Chèvre de Mr Fabre, citron confit, gingembre rose et poivre de Séchouan
Vouvray « Le Haut Lieu », Demi-sec 2007 – Domaine Huet
Coulant de "SAMANA" millésimé 2010,
pur cacao de Saint-Dominque, noix de pécan caramélisées
Don P.X. Toro Albala 1982, Montilla Morilles, Espagne
We were offered champagen for a start, but another young and handsome waiter interrupted and asked if we would consider his new Japanese inspired cocktail. With no doubt we accepted his recommendation and waited with joy. It was the most exiting apperitif I have to date tried. It was fresh juice with delicious gin and vodka decorated so very fine with kumquat. Due to the wine for the foie gras, the waiter recommened us to take the soup and ravioli first. The Open ravioli of lobster with vanilla and some baby spinach was absolutely delicate. It was warm and the combination of lobster and vanilla was very pure and fine indeed. Spinach gave the course some "acid" so the fats in the sauce and the lobster was balanced. The wine paring - saumur 2009 was great. The 100% chenin blanc from Loire Valley had a fresh taste and note of pear and apple tart.  Next we had the Foie Gras with wasabi and never before have I tasted such an interesting combination.
Many chefs have used different fruits, berries etc with foie gras and all of them have been good as well,
but this was indeed rewarding. And sorry as I am - I did not take a picture of it and have not been able to
find one. The deep garnet color, a beautiful velvety structure,
a very mediterranean sensuality dominated by dark berries and sweet spices.
Almost a hair rising experience!
The handsome young waiter always tried his very best to describe the food in his very poor English, but luckily for him my friend Lea speak fluently french.
(I cannot emphasize enough how much I hate that I do not speak french)
We were almost the first to dine in the restaurant but around this time the place was almost full. And it was a wide combination of french people. As far as I remember we were the only foreigners. My main course was cold, and my company Lea had the pig - which she very much enjoyed.
I had the veal tartare with langoustine , rice-vermicelli and parmigiano - and there was a lot of it.
The waiter gave us a long story of why they had choosen a Pouilly-Fuissé for the course.
At that time I did not understand, but when I look back it is clear why.
The dish was fine tasting and the veal was rough chopped. I had a hard time identifying the langoustine, because the veal was maybe a little bit too strong for it.
But I guess it is maybe because the norway lobster (langoustine)
is one of the best in the world and thereby one of the most tasteful ones -
and that is what I have been used to as a child.But an overall raiting of the main course is good.
I was still very hungry and eager to try their goat cheese.
It was very simple - tree identical goat cheeses came on a platter with lemon, ginger and Szechuan pepper. 
The fantastic wine paring was a Le Haut Lieu 2007 from Vouvray in Loire.
For the powerful chocolate dessert we had an almost port-like wine, but from Spain a 1982 Don P.X It litterally extracted and increased the powerfull SAMANA chocolate. The dessert was tasteful, but very thick and heavy with only chocolate and caramelized pecans. My taste in desserts might linger more to desserts which have some few fresh notes of fruit or sherbet. We had a cup of coffee and some petit fours a great talk with the waiters and some guys from another table. And all this for around 400 Euros, it is surely still expensive but very much worth trying! There were not mistakes in the serving, not delays in meals,
great tasteful wine with a small international perspective.
Classic french food with touch of Asia and Scandinavia. Inspiring surroundings and a passion for
the interior in general a great evening!
A shame the personnel did not speak more English but I think my I just have to accept that.
For a great night I mark Alain Senderens with 4 out of 6 Bloc De Foie Gras.
 |
Ingen kommentarer:
Send en kommentar