Rino

Rino (pronounced Reeno by Parisians) has been getting rave reviews by food critics, bloggers and the like grading it 4/5 and calling the Chef an Italo-French genius. It's part of the new wave of bistronomies taking over Paris (alongside Inaki Aizpitarte's Chateaubriand, Gregory Marchand's Frenchie and Daniel Rose's Spring). 

But what is Bistronomy?
Gary Lee Kraut explains that bistronomy is a combination of bistro and gastronomy. After classic training at some of the city's most prestigious establishments, a number of young chefs have struck out on their own with modest daily market menus made from fresh, hand-chosen produce. Fed up with the Michelin star rat race, they have sparked what some have termed the most influential culinary trend in a decade. These are indeed bistros since the additional elements required of a truly gastronomic restaurant—elegant services, fine tableware, more expensive produce, a section-by-section kitchen staff, a decorator—may be absent.

A number of famous mid-career and older chefs who have made their name in gastronomy now have an adjacent business of bistronomy including Christian Constant and Yves Camdeborde. 

Perhaps that the whole bistronomy idea is a marketing ploy used by the chef/owner who claims that his restaurant is just above the ordinary bistro. In any case, these types of bistros are inviting, relaxed and produce well-thought out meals in an unpretentious setting at an affordable price. 

Rino encompasses this very idea. A pocket-size restaurant in the 11th district, the restaurant welcomes around 20 covers with a few high tables overlooking the kitchen at the front, and a more intimate setting with closely fitted wooden tables in the back with red banquettes. The decor is minimal: white painted walls, a few vases of tulips here and there and ordinary lighting. 

The staff is Italian, the waiters explain the menu in his Italo-French accent to you on a blackboard that changes every day. The prix-fixe menu is fairly straightforward: 4 courses for 38 euros or 6 courses for 55 euros. No consumer choice here, the menu is at the discretion of the Chef. The other waitress asks if you want to start off with an aperitif - Prosecco is what they serve...no Kir here. 

Italo-born Giovanni Passerini runs the kitchen. Self-taught and a late bloomer in the culinary world, he started his career in a Michelin-star French restaurant (in Germany!) before heading back to Paris for a stint at L'Arpège, Chateaubriand and La Gazzetta. 

The wine menu is presented upon sitting at the table and covers more Italian than French wines price affordably in the 20-30 euro range. Like Chauteabriand, it's printed on several A4 papers clipped together giving the restaurant a laxed vibe. 

On the menu last night:

Entrée: Head of pork tortellini, crayfish consommé and turnip

Pouring the consommé

I thought the presentation was simple and elegant but lacked color. The consommé was very fine, you could actually taste crayfish and nothing else. I enjoyed the softness and the moistness of the tortellini with head of pork (though the taste was not very strong) mixed with the crunchyness of the turnip. I would have liked a bit more consommé as it was hard to spoon out the remaining drops. But one main concern and coincidentally my Mother's pet-peeve: if you're going to serve a hot liquid whether coffee, tea or soup - make sure it's hot, warm is passable; but this was rather on the cold side. 

I personally didn't think the meal got off on a good start. 

Poisson: Monkfish, watercress, cabbages and olive tapenade

This dish was more enjoyable with stronger tastes: the saltyness of the tapenade, the sweetness of the cabbages and the quinoa and the freshness and moistness of the monkfish - which I welcome with open arms because the monkfish I usually eat is quite chewy and tough. Again, it could have been served hot. 

I don't know if it was the light Southern white wine that made the dinner pleasant, but I felt the more I went along the menu, the better it got.

Viande: Milk-fed lamb, chicory endive, monkfish liver and onions

I loved the colors of the different ingredients on the plate: Red, green, orange and pink. The lamb was cooked rosé, just as it should be. I was a bit wary about the monkfish liver but there was only four drops of it on the dish so as not to overpower the sweet lamb. The onions were could have perhaps been cooked but I enjoyed their crunchyness and surprisingly subtle pickled taste. I thought this was the best dish so far.

Dessert: Citrus salad, dried fruits, semifreddo of bergamot. 

The first time I saw an Italian word on the menu. Looking at the menu, I wasn't too excited about dessert - fruits and frozen mousse? But I immediately took that back once I tasted it. The semifreddo was sour and matched well with the sweetness of the oranges and dried dates, and the crunchyness of caramelized nuts. The waiter saw that I liked it so much, he gave me a second serving - how observant!

I felt the Mediterranean influence of the Chef come through the market-based menu. The flavors were clean, the dishes combined a variety of ingredients. My experience got better and was much better than I expected after I had my first dish. Would I go back again? Sure, it's a market-based menu, it changes daily...Would I rather go to Chateaubriand or Spring (also serving market-based menus) with a more upbeat environment? Yes.

Rino
46 Rue Trousseau, 75011
Metro: Ledru-Rollin (Ligne 8)
Website: www.rino-restaurant.com
- Closed Sundays and Mondays

Philou

Formerly of Le Square Trousseau (pre-Costes brothers) and Le Crillon Hotel, Chef Philippe Damas opened Philou, a restaurant in the 11th arrondissement between the Canal Saint-Martin and the Hopital Saint-Louis. 

Finding a good bistro in Paris is not hard, but Paris by Mouth named it the best value of Paris 2011 - must mean a lot . The service is friendly (there were about 2 attentive waiters and the chef popping in and out of the kitchen). The decor is very modern; the menu is written on the blackboard (it apparently changes daily), a little round bar at the entrance and a cool Ingo Maurer lighting fixture brightening the room. In the summer, I'm sure the large terrace outside will be very pleasant. 

Entrées:

Foie gras de Canard, pain d'épices et salade d'haricots verts
Duck foie gras, cinnamon bread and green bean salad


It was mi-cuit, silky and smooth. 

Poêlée de cuisses de grenouille et pleurotes à la truffe
Pan-fried frog leg with pleurotes mushrooms with truffle sauce


The pile of pleurotes with truffles didn't hurt as it soaked up the flavor of the frog leg and added a nice golden color to the plate 

Plats:


Rognon de veau et boulangère de céléri
Veal kidneys with celery


Perfectly cooked and rosé, it had a little gamey taste to it which was pleasant. The celery was tender, sweet and soft. 

Faux filet, grenailles et champignons
Faux-filet steak, baby potatoes and mushrooms


Nicely saignant, the roasted potatoes added crunch. 

Gelée de clémentines et riz au lait 

Clementines gelée and rice pudding

Here you'll find classic French cuisine renewed with fresh seasonal ingredients and serving natural wines for not much money. 15 - 30 euros for 1-3 courses. Thank god!


Philou
12 avenue Richerand, 75011
Tel: 01 42 38 00 12
Metro: Goncourt (Ligne 11)

Has it been one month already?

Ok, February only has 28 days this year, but let's just say it's going to be a month when next week starts again. I feel that it definitely went by fast!


True, that I missed one week's worth of work due to an injury but I'm happy to be back in the game, back at work, learning from the Chefs. When I came back to work, they all made fun of me about my vacances (holiday) but I kept on telling them how I really was bed-ridden and couldn't move. They still told me I had some repos (rest) and to them repos = vacances. To be honest, I still felt that perhaps they thought I had exaggerated the consequences of my fall when (I kid you not), 3 days ago, the Chef de Partie of the Fish station fell down the stairs and hit his head! The HR department immediately came the next day and inspected the stairs - at least they are taking this issue seriously!


Surprisingly going back to work and working until 11 pm after resting didn't hit me as hard as I thought it would. I felt that I tried harder and tried to work faster to prove to them that I was still capable of doing the work. We also got 2 new people in the kitchen, including 1 girl who graduated from Ferrandi 3 years ago. At least another female but in the garniture/poisson station. 


The other new chef is supposedly the demi-chef de partie, a very nice Japanese guy (yay another Asian in the kitchen) who worked in Japan, New York and now Paris. He's nice, quiet, patient and a very fast learner so I'm sure he's going to be my new boss soon.


Thursdays and Fridays are our lunch services so I go in at 9 am to prepare the ingredients and dishes for the lunch service at 12.30pm; let me tell you - it was hectic! It wasn't hectic because there was 60 covers, actually there was about 30 covers - the usual...but by 2.45 pm (the end of lunch service), a group of 16 people came in at once....and they all ordered the same thing - which we were not expecting so we had to our langoustine caviar dish a la minute which probably to the average person seems normal but this dish has langoustine cream molded onto the dish and the edges are cleaned off with vinegar and water (you CANNOT have any water marks or fingerprints on the white dish or else it's sent back) which is then cooled in the fridge - and this takes time...but no time for that - it was all go go go! Everything sent at the same time and looking the EXACT same...no room for error! I loved it though, everyone was moving around, sending dishes, the chef announcing and asking when the dish is going to be ready at 15? at 17? A real treat to see everyone in action.


The restaurant even had ordered 6 beef ribs chop that came in one gigantic piece. The supplier imitates the process of raising wagyu - beef predisposed to marbling and fattier than your average steak but the best taste ever! They cooked it in its own fat with thym and garlic cloves. The craziest thing was that the 16 people had ordered 16 steaks!? Luckily I got to try a tiny piece that was not served and it was to die for! I must say I am very impressed with the generosity of the dishes- it's not something the size of your thumb that comes onto your plate, it's actually portions!


Now it's the weekend, time to rest, eat (and blog about it) and gain strength for the next week ahead!

Aux Merveilleux de Fred

I don't know who Fred is...or how merveilleux (marvelous) he is...but his damn pastries are!

I don't think this is Fred unfortunately...

Originally from Lille, the shop expanded to the right bank in the heart of Passy (16th district).
The shop is tiny and its successful among the neighbors. The shop creates a range of specially and freshly made products (their specialty is meringue) right before your eyes (the pastry is made at window display). 

Meringues are made in four different sizes - from small, individual ones to meringue “cakes” that feed eight.

Meringues are not very easy to make - you need to beat white eggs with sugar and cooked the correct temperature - perhaps the tricky part as it cannot be rushed - for a long enough period of time to create the perfect meringue. 

A must-try is Le Merveilleux - air beaten meringue with a chantilly middle rolled in chocolat and chocolate chips and powdered with icing sugar

Or even L’Incroyable - aie beaten meringue with speculos with a chantilly middle and rolled in white chocolate chips 

In the Viennoiserie section, they offer Le Cramique - A sugary Flemish brioche sparkled with pearled sugar with either chocolate chips and sugar with raisons - sold like a buttered toast


Others include Sugary tart, brioche, flan, pain au chocolat and croissant, chocolate ganache and Flemish waffles. 


The Meringues are usually crispy on the outside with a soft with a light and soft middle - but these are something else. I saw long lines during the Christmas holiday time and I can vouch for them, that they are worth standing in line for. 

If you don't believe how good the pastries are, go check it out for yourself! 


Aux Merveilleux de Fred
29 rue de l'Annonciation, 75016
Tel: 01 45 20 13 82


They also have a sister shop in the 15th:

129 bis, rue Saint-Charles
Tél. : 01 45 79 72 47

The Hidden Kitchen

Getting a reservation at The Hidden Kitchen (HK) is not an easy task. Bookings are made at least 3 months in advance unless a client cancels last minute (which requires you to be on the HK website or follow them on Twitter and emailing them immediately about your interest in the cancelled reservation). Hotter than most Parisian restaurants, the Hidden Kitchen is a private supper club in Paris held in a couple's home. Dinner is held on the weekends only where 16 people from different backgrounds come together for a seasonal 10-course tasting menu paired with wine. Braden, our host and Chef, changes the menu every month, according to what's available in the market. The menu is chosen at the discretion of the chefs (who ask you beforehand if you have any allergies). The menu is not disclosed until you arrive and since it is a tasting menu, the courses are small but still very inventive and fresh. 


The couple (Braden and Laura) are two young cooks from Seattle, United States began hosting dinner parties in their home in 2007 as a way to meet locals. As time went by, the demand for the dinner parties grew and they subsequently took on the task of hosting dinner parties twice a week. The location is unknown to you until you are confirmed a reservation. HK is a great opportunity for them and the guests to meet other foodies. 


The setting of HK is luxe with a long dining table as you walk in the front door. The open kitchen is in the next room and surprisingly a normal 'home' kitchen - no professional equipment. 

Our menu for the evening

Before each course is served, Braden explains his inspiration behind his Franco-American fusion idea while Laura moves around the table to fill glasses of each accompanying wine. Though the couple tells you about the complexity of serving and sitting through a 5-hour meal, the atmosphere is relaxed and what is so exciting about this experience is that your table mates are absolute strangers in the beginning but by dessert, you're exchanging phone numbers, emails and even going to go on for further drinks with them. 


As we walked in the door, we were given a little cocktail: Pomegranate and carbonated vodka

Amuse-Bouche: Buckwheat (Sarrasin) gnocchi with salted prunes, parmesan sauce and Chives

The taste was very interesting - it kind of reminded me of a potato skin topped with cheese. The spoon was playful.

Roasted Celeriac Soup with Beets and Black Olive - served with Sherry, Sheep's milk, vegetable stock and black pepper

My favorite dish of the evening. I liked the texture of the over-dried olive with the softness of the soup. A good contrast. 

Caramelized Fennel (skillet roasted) with Clams, Grapefruit and Fermented miso with butter, smoked Almonds

A very simple dish, very artistic as it looked portrayed the bottom of the sea. The butter was exquisite but too little for me to get an overall idea behind the dish. 

Rockfish fritter with Rye flour and pickled celery, Sous-vide red cabbage cooked with Sherry vinegar and butter, Ricotta and Tobasco and Red Pepper Relish 

I thought first it was a falafel but it is deep-fried fish. It was crunchy on the outside and very moist on the inside - good contrast. I liked the spicy punch at the end.

Palate Cleanser: Braden and Laura's take on the Mint Julep - Bourbon Jello, Lemon sorbet and mint leaves. My second favorite of the evening.

It was light and refreshing - I wish I could have had a second-round. 

Braised pork shank with Orechiette (Vegan, ear-shaped pasta), Grilled cauliflower, Caper and Sage in white wine and horseradish

For me, a big disappointment of the evening. I thought the pork shank would be very tender but it was quite fibrous - perhaps it could have been cooked with more sauce so then it wouldn't be that dry. The pasta was different - never had it before and well-cooked. I thought the overall dish was a bit salty due to the strong flavor of the capers and horseradish.

Hanger steak with Winter squash (Butternut) and Nori sauce, cooked overnight in chili oil, Charred onions sauce with coco and mung beans 

Again, not the best meat I've had. It was very stringy. It was not tender and soft, could have been more overcooked to give a more moist texture to the meat. I wasn't a fan of the beans, they were a bit hard to eat. I liked the color of the sauce but couldn't really taste the Nori.

Smoked potatoes with Green Goddess and Frisée, Frigata dressing with cupee mayonnaise and Crème Fraiche

I was a bit surprised with this last dish (before dessert). It was potatoes with frisée salad and dressing. 

Almond Cake with Blood Orange Sorbet and Caramelized White Chocolate 

I enjoyed the blood orange sorbet and the almond tea cake paired quite well with it.

Mignardises

The marshmallow (on the right) was cinnamon flavored, the chocolate (on the left) inside was with salted peanut butter and the bar was caramel with nuts. Candy :)

It's Paris' best-kept secret and a great first experience for me though perhaps I expected more out of the meal. I am glad I waited quite a while to enjoy the meal, perhaps it deserves a second-chance (with a different menu) to wow me.


Many food bloggers/food critics have loved it - I am waiting and willing to go back to see why. 


Braden and Laura were extremely friendly and funny hosts and we met a great crowd there. Thanks to Teddy for the final evening entertainment.

A very memorable evening indeed.