Nah-nashi

I've always loved the Rose Bakery (forgetting the nice but inept Anglo service, overpriced organic fare) for its comfort food, edgy industrial décor, cool-crowd-fallen-out-of-bed-for-brunch vibe, so when Kaori Endo and André opened the first Nanashi in the 10th, my ears perked up. The local food press/blogger brigade did their usually circle jerk putting the the hot new table up their somewhere with the second coming of Jesus, but, as it was okay food at reasonable prices in a funky place, and the staff was really friendly , it got my seal of approval.

The new corner spot in the Marais tries with the same formula (Japonesy food, bentos, expensive RB inspired desserts) but somehow it just left me cold. Service, although friendly, was interminable , the food ugh (salmon onigiri with inedible, mealy rice, papery spring rolls, yuzu fondant au chocolat sans yuzu..) and there were far too many backpacking food blog reading expats and local pregnant bobos with oversized hipster glasses (but what did I expect?).  I won't be back, but finally there is a perfect place for the backlog of ravin' hipstas who can't get into the Rose Bakery ;)

Qui Plume la Lune

 

Hidden away on a sub level street off of the boulevard Beaumarchais is the latest gastronomic OVNI that has the Parisian food world's panties all in a bunch. Formerly Christian Constant's C'Amelot, perhaps the city's first bistronomique (long before the term became a bobo catchphrase) , the tiny table has been taken over by an interesting chef who dropped off of the face of the culinary scene years back. Jacky Ribault, one of the first to bring the japanesy/French fusion cooking to the French Capital at Shozan (his foie gras sushi and salmon tataki are still on the menu, partly for sentimental reasons), creates a menu with all French produce, hand selected by himself (Annie Bertin veggies, organic meat from the Pas de Calais' Monsieur Boucher) and cooked with a Nippon eye, with a few unusual tastes thrown in from the Land of the Rising Sun. That Ribault worked with Gagnaire, Legendre, Passard and Ladurée-epoque Hermé is pretty evident in the technique, but it's his own poetic generosity that shines through, and the chef promised some interesting things (think market suprise menu) as soon as they are able to maintain cruising speed. The fact that this is the first time he is his own master seemed to please him. His maitre d' (something of a French/Asian fusion himself) worked variously at Rostang, Closerie des Lilas and the Pavillon Montsouris before teaming up with Jacky. The beefsteak with St. Jean de Luz sardine tartar facon béarnaise and the scallops with vanilla'd artichoke (although the apple sorbet seemed out of place) were two standouts.  For the moment, thanks to the local foodie blogosphere and press, expect a two to three week wait for dinner and two or three days for lunch. I want to go back and try the rest of the menu.

**Plates tasted (see above):
Shrimp with pea purée
Scallops with vanilla flavored artichoke, green apple sorbet
Turbot with mashed vitélotte (a blue/violet heirloom spud), Thai spring onions and mango
Lamb with matcha tea, quince, ginger and legumes anciens
Just sautéed organic beef with sardine tartar façon béarnaise and potatoes
Rhubarb sable tart with cotton candy**

Menus at 43€ with two dishes or one dish and cheese or dessert, 53€ with two dishes and cheese or dessert and 63€ with two dishes cheese and dessert. The 29€ three course lunch menu (Mon-Fri) looks like a bargain.

Condé Nast Traveler Hot List 2011

There's a fine line between liking and eating in new restaurants and then writing about them, getting them massive exposure and ruining the possibility of other people getting in because of the increased demand. Sorry peoples..

So, without further adieu, here is my latest sinful work in choosing the Paris and Copenhagen sections of the Condé Nast Traveler Hot Tables List 2011. If you can't get in, it's partly my fault. Consider me your gastronomic Jesus up on the cross to pay for your hot insider tables.

Le Dauphin

Rino

Relae

BTW You should all buy this

GoGo App

Posting soon about my flash visits of Florence (JK Place, Michelin one stars, trattorias and general wine-fueled mayhem), London (Wolseley, Mandarin cocktail bar, Bar Boulud...etc) and elsewhere .. stay tuned !