If you like to food from Asia to Middle East to the French Polynesian Islands, if you like to travel in 1 meal, if you like the cooking of the chefs from Miles, Bordeaux (see the other reportage on hungryonion), this is the place for you, the new restaurant Mampuku opened just a 2-3 weeks ago. Our reservation at 8 pm was made 2 hours before the meal by phone.
Our yesterday’s evening began with cocktails: an Espelette and a Hisbucus. We chose the option Freestyle, carte blanche by the chefs, actually an 8 course meal: 4 small dishes, 3 bigger plates and a dessert.
Our voyage started in Japan with the Okonomiyaki pancake with the cabbages, ginger, carrot, egg, seaweed topped with a BBQ sauce and a generous handful of bonito flakes. I have tried this dish several times in Tokyo and Paris, I must admit this interpretation Mampuku was the best.
Then came the fried chicken with ginger with a lime, spring onion, soy and sake sauce. Followed another Asian Bao dish with stewed beef. Both dishes were quite good, dinner partner liked the tenderness of the slow cooked beef.
Then came the Tahitian octopus salad and another Tahitian highlight the ‘pocket’ fish, with a cumin seed crust with lemon confit. Dinner partner thought the yellow pollack was over cooked, me think it’s their way of cooking fish.
After this, we travelled back to Middle East with Kefta meatballs with house made pita bread. At this point I was quite full already, we should took the 6 plates option… The next dish was my favourite: the grilled ox tongue with sesame and soy sauce, I like the slightly acid sauce that came with it.
For dessert, I took the peanut ice cream with with the choice of pecan nuts mix, cookie, dark chocolat sauce or caramel. My eating partner took the pineapple ‘tempura’ with a lime zest chantilly. Both were good.
I particularly like the sharing and the informal atmosphere, we divided among ourselves all the dishes including the 3 pitas among 2 of us. Mampuku is a new fun concept, they have a selection of dishes sampled from all over the world. It has a different concept than Miles which is focus on creative fine dining. Mampuku is more a reinterpretation of signature dishes of the cuisine chosen.
