From East to West: A visit to Stella Maris and Chez Dumonet

My mom surprised me with wonderful news when she had booked Stella Maris, 1 Michelin star restaurant, resting on rue Arsène Houssaye, a small side street, steps away from the Arc de Triomphe. Buried by other major restaurants, and covered with dark exterior decor, this restaurant might be even easy to miss. Chef Taturo Yoshino heads this venture and one might assume this is a Japanese restaurant, but Chef follows classical French cuisine by the book. The reception is a bit cramped as you walk in but you are immediately escorted to the main dining room of 7 tables (and 3 upstairs) very well lit and decorated in cream colors (from the walls to the plating). 
It was a Thursday night and a very quiet one indeed, with only 3 tables being served by the time we had finished dinner (after 10 pm). The two waiters at hand were very attentive but the dishes were much more pricier than 1 star Ze Kitchen Galerie, and perhaps less exciting in terms of taste and creativity? We decided to take the menu de saison which included a choice of entree, fish or meat and a dessert.


Amuse Bouche 1: Parmesan gougères. A pâte à choux with a strong parmesan flavor. 

Amuse Bouche 2: Velouté de lait de chèvre, mousse au fruit de passion. Mousse of passion fruit topped a broth of goat's milk. It played well on the sweet/savory taste buds. 

Entrées:


1. Terrine tiède de ris de veau, langoustine poelée, salade composée (warm terrine of veal sweetbread with langoustine and a side vinaigrette salad). 

2. Tartare de thon, Parmesan "Reggiano". Tuna tartare with Parmesan cheese (I love the cone made out of tuna). 

Plats:

1. Daurade royale, marinière de coquillages. Roasted dorade with clams. Unfortunately, it was seasoned too much but it wasn't overcooked and was light. 

2. Supreme de Canette de Charente rotie aux figues, jus nature. Roasted duck with figs. The plate was hot but was dirty on the sides with the jus spreading throughout the dish very quickly and I know if Chef was in the kitchen, he would not be pleased!

Desserts:

1. Gratin de poivron rouge, tomate confit, sorbet basilic. It was almost like a creme brulee of red pepper with a basil ice-cream. An interesting take on savory/sweet but not to my liking. 

2. Montblanc 'Maison', glace vanilla et marrons. Sponge cake on pâte sucrée and in whipped cream wrapped with strands of chestnut vermicelli; it was crowned with a long meringue twig and teamed with vanilla ice cream. This was the best dish of the night. 

Petits fours: Macarons, Chocolats et Madeleines

My overall impressing is mixed one. The dishes were thoughtful (except for the first amuse-bouche) and cooked flawlessly (apart from the dorade) and even experimental (dessert). At the same time, it was a 'good' but not 'great' meal, nothing leaped at me as amazing or mind-blowing and the atmosphere was very quiet, not vibrant, perhaps even restrained. But perhaps one short visit is not enough?

Stella Maris

4, rue Arsène Houssaye, Paris 75008

tel: 01 42 89 16 72
Metro: Charles de Gaulle-Étoile

--------------

Last night Chez Dumonet was bustling, vibrant, loud with warm and hearty food, definitely my kind of scene. The restaurant hosts about 25 tables and is run by Jean-Christian Dumonet (3rd generation Dumonet) whom we met and talked with, he even sat at our table and chatted for a bit; a charming guy, very witty, very quick in humor but  stern to his staff, where everything has to be parfait! Entering and sitting in this restaurant made me imagine what Paris was in the old days with amber walls, classic lights and old posters. Portions are served half or whole and with the recommendations of Chef Jean-Christian himself, we had half of foie gras frais and 2 plats. Do not come to this restaurant if you're a vegetarian, the menu is covered with meaty dishes from boeuf bourguignon, agneau roti, steak tartare...

1. Amuse Bouche: Velouté de Potiron (Pumpkin soup)

2. Foie gras de canard fait maison (this was a half-portion!!! It was huge, very smooth, not too overpowering and accompanied by crunchy toasted baguette)

3. Cassoulet Maison (Saucisse, Confit de Canard, Poitrine de porc). Cassoulet came in a huge pot, simmered (for 1 day) with sausage, duck confit, pork belly and beans. This was the piece de resistance. A definite must-order at this restaurant. 

4. Foie de veau au vinaigre de framboise. Veal liver (not like we had enough already) with a reduction of raspberry vinegar. 

                              

The food was A+ on my list; the portions were huge and the price very reasonable, alas the service was a bit restrained. We saw the souffle that came out of the kitchen and it was of course ENORMOUS but just had no more room in our stomachs. I'll definitely come again and have drinks with Chef Dumonet!

Chez Dumonet

117 Rue du Cherche-Midi
75006 Paris, France
Tel: 01 45 48 52 40

Metro: Duroc

Ze Kitchen Galerie

I have long heard about the craze for William LeDeuil's 1 Michelin-star Ze Kitchen Galerie and his recently opened sister restaurant Kitchen Galerie Bis (or KGB), therefore I was looking forward to the moment when I was able to make a reservation for my mom and her friends and I on a Saturday night. 

The restaurant is tucked in Rue Des Grands Augustins, a small and narrow street filled with restaurants of haute cuisine. As we walked into the street from St. Michel, we were first met by Guy Savoy's Les Bouquinistes, culinary 'czar' as well as former mentor of William LeDeuil in his early days and who was right next door? His apprentice with Ze Kitchen Galerie. 
The decor of the restaurant resembles that of a loft in downtown Manhattan with an open (and tiny!) kitchen separated from the dining room through a large glass window. The decor is simple, colorful and modern, where the main and only dining room holds about 40-45 tables at most. Apparently, the paintings and the menu changes every 5 weeks, so it would be good to come again and compare changes on the dishes and decor. 

This contemporary bistro's staff was very attentive to our needs and questions and suggested a great and light Bordeaux red wine to accompany our meal. On the menu, the appetizers are divided into fish, pasta and broth and the main courses into fish and meat - and since we were 4, we decided to have a bit of everything. I had a lot of expectation for this restaurant, perhaps too high even, but the variety of flavors and colors and taste in the dish quickly took away my doubts. The presentation was fun, experimental even and the Chef deconstructs his ingredients to their core. 

The menu is representative of LeDeuil's passion from his travels throughout Asia, particularly Japan and Thailand and this is represented in every one of his dishes. 

Entrées:

We found the entrées to be strikingly Thai in presentation, ingredients and taste with a strong use of lemongrass, Thai herbs and coconut milk.

1. Marinated Seabass, Lemongrass and Kalamenji Condiment

2. Mushroom ravioli with shredded duck

3. Marinated squid, mussel salad

4. Calf sweetbread with green curry, coconut and ginger broth

Plats:

In contrast to the entrées, the main courses were very dependent on Japanese ingredients which was a great jump throughout the meal's 'journey' in Asia.

1. Grilled codfish with Japanese spinach

2. Grilled and marinated Wagyu Beef, accompanied by colorful vegetables

3. Fried soft-shell Crab and grilled Squid

4. Duck and foie gras with Plum and Mostarda Condiment

Desserts:

I'm not the biggest fan of desserts and sweets and I guess I was expecting something very Thai or Japanese for example Mango and Sticky Rice or something with Red Bean but we decided to try it out anyways and were met with a very Western take on desserts with a very subtle use of Asian ingredients, which could have been accentuated a bit more, in order to continue this trend of strongly using Eastern produce. 

1. Fig tart with ginger ice-cream

2. White Chocolate, Wasabi ice-cream, Pistacchio-Strawberry Condiment

3. Pear, Peach and Ginger, Apple Sorbet

 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the meal, the atmosphere, the decor - all and would definitely go back again!

Ze Kitchen Galerie

• 4 rue des Grands-Augustins 75006 
• Tel: 01-44-32-00-32
• Métro: St. Michel

A taste of home

As a change of lunch scenery, venturing outside school ended up as a good idea with a visit to a little shop called Bagels and Brownies. The small shop had a queue of students outside...No wonder, they served an array of bagels of your choice (plain, sesame, onion, cheese, blueberry among many others) and a multitude of toppings including smoked salmon, roast beef, ham, cheeses - cream, emmental, cheddar. The bagel is then wrapped in parchment paper and handed over to you so you could enjoy it on the run; unfortunately no seating is given inside.

Menu on the chalkboard

But they don't stop there, they also have lots of sweets from chocolate chip cookies, brownies, donuts both with chocolate or sugar coated and pecan pie! Made me miss New York so much!

 

This spot is must be visited especially from a break of shopping on the Rue de Rennes!

Bagels and Brownies
12 Rue Notre Dame des Champs
75006 
Métro: St. Placide (Ligne 4)
Tel: 01 42 22 44 15


In the afternoon, it was back to the kitchen to cook up Oeufs pochés Bourguignon which is poached eggs (2-3 minutes) in red wine which is then reduced and  then topped with caramelized onions, lardons (thinly sliced bacon), and mushrooms. The eggs came out purple due to the wine, but you really have to have good red wine so that it doesn't taste too bitter. It's actually a cool concept especially when the eggs yolks give a contrast of color to the red wine.

Then it was Oeufs Brouillés

 à la Portugaise - scrambled eggs (no milk, just cubes of butter) slowly cooked up but served creamy and not fully cooked, topped with slowly cooked tomatoes with shallots, garlic, and chopped parsley. I liked the eggs as they were creamy and nice and soft but I'm sure in the States or Hong Kong, if these eggs were served, they would probably be seen as undercooked. 

We also did a quick demo of

Oeufs toqués. Basically we used a spring to crack the bottom of the egg, reserved the inside in a cup, added some sort of garnish (diced tomatoes, parsley, etc...), poured back the egg 3/4 full and in boiling water, boil it until you see the white of the egg. But how does the egg not sink? It's Magic! It actually floats, and does not sink!

Season it with salt and pepper and it can then be served as an amuse-bouche or even an entrée. 

Le Comptoir and more...

This weekend was filled with tasting and trying new ingredients and dishes.

First off, on saturday late morning, I paid a visit to the market in Alma-Marceau. The market is covered with store tents and is about 500 m long, up Avenue du President Wilson. There you can find every sort of produce: fruits and vegetables (notably from one supplied who sells to all the Michelin-star restaurants), meat, cheese, seafood (also boasting one of the best fishmongers) and even cooked food.

yellow cauliflower

Then a small group of us culinary students ventured into the 6th arrondissement to try the highly praised Le Comptoir du Relais (without reservation!) located in Odeon. The food is inexpensive and delicious at the same time. Yves Camdeborde opened this restaurant of 20 seats in 2005 and now it's one of the hottest ticket meals in Paris. The menu is different during the weekday where customers eat a set-prix fixe menu while the weekend is more laid back and a la carte. From outside, it looks like any other small brasserie but the uniqueness of menu sets it apart from others. Camdeborde calls his food traditional but I found it innovative and very forward, updating French classical dishes.

I thought the prices were fair, the service attentive and a great atmosphere in general. No wonder people line up outside the restaurant - even at 3 pm!

L'avant comptoir - le comptoir's bar next door where you can grab a glass of wine and some Spanish tapas before seating

Writings on the bar's wall

It was rather a meaty lunch on our part but who could resist? 

APPETIZERS

I had the carpaccio of head of veal (cooked) and it was THE BEST carpaccio I have ever had. Seasoning and tastes were perfect.

Carpaccio de tete de veau

Eggs Mayonnaise

Salade de poulpe (octopus) et fenouil (fennel)

MAIN COURSES

Stew of beef cheeks with vitelote chip

Slice of suckling pig on a bed of lentils and vitelote chip

Tranche de lard - pork belly

Souris d'agneau (lamb) with dried fruits - AMAZING

And finally, a little room for dessert - which was an interesting mix: Chocolate ice-cream with piment d'Espelette (type of chili pepper) and Caramel au beurre salé (salted butter cream).

Le Comptoir du Relais

5, Carrefour de l'Odéon, 75006

Tel: 01 44 27 07 97

Metro: Odeon (Ligne 10, 4)