Hi, it has been a while since my last post so I wanted to provide an update and ratings of the restaurants I have visited over the past couple of weeks.
Le Pantruche 6/10 somewhat of a mixed bag, I opted for three courses, the entree of Lettuce Soup was accompanied by a zucchini flower stuffed with goats cheese was very refreshing. The main, Veal Quasi was sadly slightly overcooked and I looked on in envy at the two other diners whose veal was cooked to perfection. The signature dessert, Grand Marnier Souffle with a Salted Caramel Sauce was ok, the fumes from the alcohol overwhelmed the flavour of the souffle which was disappointing as this was a dessert that I was very much looking forward to.
Akabeko 8/10 I was not feeling 100% so I probably would have enjoyed it more if I was feeling better. I opted for the 7 course menu and did not take any notes but overall the dishes were light and fresh with the exception of the main of veal which was crumbed and seemed an odd choice and out of step with the rest of the menu.
Palais Royal Restaurant 7 1/2/10 being a 2 Michelin Star restaurant I had high hopes but it did fall short of expectations vs the cost. I opted for the From Paris to Athens menu, the composition of the dishes is available on their website. It was enjoyable without being outstanding though the lobster course was a standout.
La Petite Chaise 8/10 rustic style fare served in a cozy bistrot, the staff were friendly and very helpful (a number of online reviews were highly critical of the staff). Entree consisted of goat’s cheese in puff pastry with a side salad (this was big enough to be a main on its own), it was thoroughly enjoyable. I opted for beef tenderloin (medium rare) with fries and a siphoned bernaise sauce, the beef was cooked to perfection. Dessert was a let down, chocolate icecream and a raspberry sorbet (both were icy). If I had only ordered the first two courses the score would have been higher.
Alliance 10/10 pure perfection, I opted for the 5 course menu, and as per my previous post, I had 2 serves of the Gazpacho. I completely forgot to take notes on each course but rather than read about it I would encourage everyone who reads this post to experience it, it is well worth it!!
Anne 7/10, after 5 days in Bruges, I returned to Paris and stayed at Le Pavillon de la Reine, where I had a booking at their one Michelin Star restaurant, Anne. I decided on three courses from their al a carte menu. The entree was a sea bass tartare in a light coconut milk which was lovely and refreshing. The main, sole meuniere was a major letdown as it was not the “traditional” dish I was expecting. Instead it was two pieces of sole with 3 sauces made from green, red and yellow bell peppers, the dish lacked flavour and imagination. The dessert I ordered was a chocolate souffle with vanilla icecream, it was the standout of the 3 courses, the souffle was light and rich and the vanilla bean icecream was the perfect accompliment.
Bistrot Instinct 3/10, oh dear, this was a disaster from start to finish. Flavour and ingredient combinations that made no sense whatsoever and it was not pleasant. The restaurant was busy and the reviews are consistently good so maybe I am missing something. If anyone has eaten there and have had a different experience to mine please let me know.
Grand Coeur 7/10 as with Akabeko, I was not feeling 100% so I opted for a main and dessert only. The main, pasta with lobster and vegetables in a lobster bisque was a little too salty for my taste (I do not season my food with salt so I think that for the majority of diners the salt level would have been fine). The pasta was home made and al dente and the use of lobster in the dish was generous. For dessert I had a peach melba which was very nice though I did not finish it as I was full from the pasta dish.
From here, things started to look up.
Gemellus 9/10 I decided on the 5 course menu and it was wonderful, the only slight falter was the main meat dish, veal with mushrooms and a sardine fumee. The sardines for me were too salty for the delicate veal flavour but as I mentioned previously, I have an aversion to salt so for other diners they may have found the combination enjoyable.
Aldehyde 9 1/2/10 I opted for the 7 course menu and was not disappointed. The flavour combinations were amazing and though it is not middle eastern cuisine which is one of my favourites, the north african cuisine shares enough similarities that I knew it would be great as each dish was delivered to my table and explained in great detail. The strawberry shortcake with black olive and strawberry mousse and strawberry sauce, another sauce composed of green olives and a green olive icecream sounded like an insane combination of flavours but it worked, remarkable!! If I had not eaten at Alliance previous to Aldehyde it would have gotten a 10/10.
Ze Kitchen Galerie another 9 1/2 out of 10. I had lunch there today, superb!! For entree I opted for the lobster, tomato - tumeric condiment and coral in a light spicy broth, it was well balanced and delicious. For the main I had the duck, cherry and umeboshi condiment, the duck was cooked three ways - breast, leg and a ravioli, the cherry sauce included beets, it was divine. Dessert consisted of a light almond cake, peach foam, blackcurrant and an apricot sorbet, IMO one of the best desserts I have ever had, it was so good I asked for a second!!!
I cancelled my lunch at Kitchen Ter(re) which I am now regretting given the great meal I had at Ze Kitchen Galerie, unfortunately I am running out of days on my holiday so I won’t be able to rebook. Nhome tomorrow night and then LouLou so hopefully the meals will be as outstanding as the last three.
Until then, happy eating!!
