L'Astrance

Tonight we enjoyed a meal at Pascal Barbot's 3-Michelin star restaurant, L’Astrance, a small and 25-seat venue in the 16th arrondissement. Formerly from L'Arpège, Barbot's kitchen brigade contains many Asian influences, particularly Japanese, Thai and Chinese, which comes out in each and everyone of his dishes. Moreover, there is no menu, Barbot decides what they are but each dish is thought out carefully, creatively and is prepared and presented in the utmost precision. 

Simple and elegant table decor

First Amuse-Bouche: Toasted pain de siègle soup

Second Amuse-Bouche: Almond brioche with white disc of Green apple and Praline accompanied by White truffle chantilly with pistacchio and cracker

Entrée

Galette of Foie gras, Apple and Champignons de Paris with lemon confit and hazelnut oil

Poissons:

Sea scallops, shrimp and oyster with milk foam, dried and bitter congu with oyster leaf

Lobster and satay sauce with komlava accompanied by roll of chili, basil on a bed of raw peanuts

Caramelized codfish, condiment of pear and ginger with fish eggs

Wheat polenta, french toast in tempura form and truffle

Viande: Saddle of lamb with black curry, aubergine and chili from Brazil

Mystery hot-and-cold creation: Before the arrival of our desserts, we were given a mysterycreation and asked to guess its ingredients. We thought it was a sesame ice-cream and the faint acidity a kind of yoghurt concoction. 

It ended up being Vanilla ice-cream, mash potato and fromage blanc sorbet

To clean our palate: (hands-down the most interesting thing I've tasted) a Chili, Lemongrass and Ginger Sorbet. The chilli gently warmed the back of the throat and the sorbet was of snow-like quality.

Desserts

Vanilla and miso ice-cream, almond biscuit and genmai

Caramel in coffee cream (a play on tiramisu) and almond foam

Chestnut cake and orange chocolate

Fruit platter

Jasmine eggnog

Chestnut madeleine

What a 3-star experience! Barbot is a true culinary force. The staff were very attentive and not stuffy at all. It was a very adventurous and enjoyable meal, with lots of texture and flavor that jumped out of the dish and prepared with the utmost finesse.

Ps. right after I walked into the restaurant, who comes for dinner? None other than Adeline Grattard (former Ferrandi student, former cuisinière of L'Astrance and now 1-star Michelin chef of Yam t'cha (also on blog). She even recognized me from my visit and said hello!)

L’Astrance
4 Rue Beethoven, 75016

Tel: 01 40 50 84 40

Metro: Passy