Les Cocottes sits on a prestigious piece of land in a chic quartier of Paris in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower. An area not known for good-value restaurants, Les Cocottes is one of it's kind in the neighborhood fully staffed of cooks running around the kitchen. The restaurant is headed by Christian Constant (who owns sister restaurants on the same street), who worked at the Ritz, and Hotel de Crillon's 2-Michelin star Les Ambassadeurs. In 1998, he left Le Crillon to open his own restaurant, Le Violon D'Ingres and subsequently Cafe Constant and Les Cocottes.
Les Cocottes refers to the Staub, the cast iron enamel oven-to-table casseroles famous for retaining heat and flavour and quite pricey as well, because they last very long.
Les Cocottes serves everything from breakfast tartines to after-work tapas, even salads and soups - some critics have compared it to the American-style diner but I wouldn't label it as such, perhaps more like giving a French twist to the idea of a diner. But what Christian Constant wanted was to give people what they want to eat with good fresh produce. Diners dine either on counter-toptables or high tables giving a communal feel to the restaurant.
Terrine de campagne, "Recette de mon apprentissage" - the terrine was my favorite
Jambon des 3 fermes de chez Ospital: a good selection of ham, very strong in flavor.
Pot-au-feu de Foie Gras: a very interesting take of the pot-au-feu but I felt more should have been given. The soup had a very clean taste to it.
Pommes de terre caramélisées farcies au pied de porc - Caramelized potatoes with pig's feet.
I fell in love with the idea of the dish but perhaps had too much expectation of what was going to be presented. I literally thought I would see gelatinous pig's feet. It was more like pig feet meatballs stuffed into the potato.
Boeuf Bourguignon, champignons et oignons
The beef was very tender - as it should be with Boeuf Bourguignon, but had to add a lot more salt. Moreover the pasta stuck to the bottom of the cocotte, making it hard to eat.
Pigeon farci au foie gras cuit sur son crouton - pigeon cooked with foie gras.
I thought the meat was very tender, the foie gras also melted in your mouth. Had the most taste out of the three cocottes.
I was not blown away by the food at Les Cocottes though it was enjoyable. It was a normal meal perhaps a little bit more pricey for what was given. A cool concept with the idea of cocottes.
Les Cocottes de Christian Constant
135 Rue St. Dominique, 75007
Tel: none but information available from Le Violin
Metro: Bir-Hakeim (Ligne 6), Ecole Militaire (Ligne 10), or Pont de l'Alma (RER C)
No comments:
Post a Comment