This meal was a stark contrast to the dinner I had the night before, in terms of service, quality, and overall enjoyability, and ended up being a really fitting send-off for this leg of my trip.
This place came highly recommended by a chef friend back in Los Angeles who has never steered me wrong, so expectations were high going in.
Walking in, the space immediately feels intimate and cozy. Before heading upstairs to the dining room, they had us sit briefly in the entry area, where the scent of wood-burning was already in the air: super inviting and a great preview of what was to come.
Upstairs at the chef’s counter, you’re looking directly at a large wood-fired oven and grill. That connection to fire becomes a clear through-line of the meal: almost every dish has some element touched by flame, and it’s executed in a really thoughtful, consistent way.
The meal opened with three amuse-bouches:
• The first, an oyster with very raw, vegetal fava beans, gave me a bit of pause as the opening bite. It felt like it lacked the brine of the oyster, overshadowed by the grassy flavor of the beans.
• The second, marinated sardine under nasturtium, was excellent and really woke up my palate.
• The third, a koji risotto with peas and cuttlefish, was well-balanced and pulled me fully back in.
From there, the meal just built nicely:
A raw scallop with a raw cream and horseradish sauce over a fine brunoise of white asparagus: a great contrast between sweetness and piquancy.
A slice of celeriac folded over sea urchin: this one didn’t totally land for me, though the uni itself (which tasted quite different from the Hokkaido/Santa Barbara/Baja profiles I’m used to) was interesting enough that I still enjoyed it overall.
A warm salad with a variety of greens and grains, Albufera sauce, and shaved black truffle: deeply satisfying and one of the more comforting dishes of the night.
Lobster, lightly grilled with green asparagus, plus a small side preparation with lobster broth and a ricotta-filled ravioli: really elegant and enjoyable.
Perfectly cooked turbot, paired with a millefeuille of crepe and mushroom that honestly might have been the best bite on the plate: pure umami.
Then the main: pigeon, presented across multiple preparations—breast, leg, wing, heart, even a bit of sausage. The cook was absolutely spot on. I’m always reminded how much I love pigeon whenever I have it in Europe and wish it were more common elsewhere.
I opted for cheese when offered, and they brought out a thoughtful selection of French and Italian cheeses with a small accompaniment.
Desserts were a standout:
A strawberry soup with pistachio meringue that tasted like peak-season fruit at its absolute best—almost reminiscent of the simplicity you get in Japan, where fruit is the dessert.
Then a chocolate tart with marjoram ice cream. The herb flavor was unusual at first, but the more I sat with it, the more it worked.
Finished with mignardises: a buckwheat financier and a carrot pâte de fruit.
Service throughout was excellent, pacing was dialed in, and the kitchen ran with a kind of quiet precision that was really enjoyable to watch from the counter. The meal flowed effortlessly: time just flew by.
If I had to nitpick, some of the sauces occasionally obscured the visual presentation of the dishes. That said, they never detracted from the flavor—if anything, they consistently enhanced it.
Overall, this was a fantastic meal and exactly the kind of experience I was hoping for to end this leg of my trip.
One thing I kept coming back to throughout this trip: two of my best meals in Paris didn’t have Michelin stars, while the most disappointing one did. Made me question how much weight I should really be giving the guide at this point.
As a bit of a bonus, I’ll also include a couple photos from lunch earlier that day at Mokonuts, which was also recommended by the same chef friend. Tiny space, very limited menu, but just perfect execution.
Started with green asparagus with ramps and a fava bean purée: textbook cooking and seasoning.
Followed by an incredibly well-cooked chicken with potatoes and morel mushrooms in a deeply flavorful sauce. The bird was juicy, the skin beautifully rendered: just a really simple dish done exceptionally well.
Such a perfect lunch. I really wish we had a place just like this back home.
by djquinnc