Kunitoraya

My all time favorite Japanese restaurant in Paris: it is very simple but the food is spectacular.

Japanese people living in Paris don't go to Kunitoraya because they feel that compared to the prices for udon in Japan, this restaurant is very expensive. However, the calibre of the food is so good that I think it is worth the extra few euros. The decor leaves a lot to be desired but it is a typical Japanese udon place like those you would find in Japan: simple. The udon is made on the premises and is wonderful. I go there once a week and mostly get tenzaru udon which comes as a wooden screen covered with a swirl of udon that is topped with nori strips; on the side are wonderful just-made tempura, and a terrific dipping sauce for the udon and the tempura. You add ginger, sesame seeds and scallions to the dipping sauce and enjoy. It is a gourmet's delight and I can't get enough of it. Once you have eated everything, you can drink the dipping sauce. I give this dish an A+. The staff is wonderful and since I go very often, they know me and always welcome me with a konnichiha and smiles. At lunch time, there is a long line but it goes pretty quickly as people just go there to eat and leave. I have seen lines there in the freezing cold, so good is the udon and so worth the price of 16 euros for tenzaru udon and about 10 or 12 euros for the other soups. I also get a wonderful miso soup that is full of udon, leeks and pork and the next time I go, I want to get the curry udon.

After 7, the restaurant becomes an izakaya and they serve small tapas-type dishes such as maki with plum paste and agedashi dofu. Of course, you can always get the udon.This place is an authentic breath of Japan in central Paris.

Dinner at Yam'Tcha

A tiny jewel of a restaurant in the heart of Paris where a tea master creates pairings with the different foods that are served

I was very lucky to get a reservation at this very hot restaurant. In about a year, it went from newly opened to newly starred by Michelin. And it is a star! There are only 22 seats and one seating per night. The day reservations open for the next month, they close. Well, I made it at the cutoff!
The chef at Yam' Tcha studied in Asia, especially in Hong Kong and parts of China, where I assume, she met her husband. The restaurant is a collaboration between the two: she an expert in the kitchen, and he a master in the art of tea serving.

Eric and I went and were very impressed with the cooking, the service and rhythm of the meal. Yam 'Tcha means foods that are accompanied with tea.The menu dégustation changes daily and with each course comes a tea or, if you like, glass of wine. You can choose to have all tea, three teas and three wines or all wine with your meal.

Although a copious meal, the dishes are so light that one never feels stuffed. We started with a lovely cold coco bean salad garnished with Japanese greens, sesame and soy. The next light salad (this is almost summer, after all) was of mussels, red and green tomatoes, smokey tofu and a lovely sauce. What followed was sautéed foie gras garnished with red currants and onion flowers. The fish dish was superb--a firm carrelet on black rice, and the lamb that followed was sensational. One can only get this type of young lamb in France and it is delicious. Everyone is not served the same thing so we got to see other dishes coming from the kitchen. There is a cheese course. We had a goat cheese that was garnished with honey and soy sauce and a touch of olive oil. Dessert was lovely and refreshing: fresh strawberries and raspberries topped with a sweet fromage blanc and a crispy tuile made of brown sugar.

Wines were excellent: A Bourgogne Aligoté for the mussel salad, a Vouvray sec with the foie gras, and a Crozes Hermitage for the lamb. We had an interesting oolong, a green tea from China. and a wonderful thé au jasmin with dessert.

As the evening progressed, we watched the activity in the kitchen: the chef and her assistants. And in the diningroom, the tea expert tended his teapots and cups. We were surprised when we looked at our watches and saw that three hours had passed! The calm and friendly atmosphere and wonderful food contributed to a relaxing and fun dinner conversation. The space is lovely as is and I think that the staff handles the size of the room perfectly. It would be a shame to expand. This is definitely a place to watch.

Diner a Quatre Mains at Senderens

French chef Jerome of Senderens and Japanese chef Nakahigashi of Kyoto share talents and knowledge to create a meal showcasing the talents of each.

One of the importers of Japanese products proposed to a reknowned Japanese chef from Kyoto and to Alain Senderens that the Kyoto chef come to Paris and share the stove and culinary genius with the executive chef here. As a result, Nakahigashi-san from the restaurant Miyamasou outside of Kyoto and Jerome Banktel of Restaurant Senderens created a "dinner with four hands" for three consecutive evenings at the end of May. Along with six delicious dishes were wines and sakes that married well with what was served.

There was marinated mackerel sashimi and sake, a wonderful warm lobster salad served with a lovely Saumur, a terrific Rouget Barbet in a Sakura (cherry blossom) broth served with a delicious Vin de Pays des Alpilles, a spectacular canard de Challans roast in old sake and served with a dashi redolent of wild mushroom flavors. With this dish came an aged Madeira. Two light desserts followed along with an excellent Riesling. In one of the desserts were cherry blossoms and the other was a play on the baba au rhum, this time with yuzu.

The chef speaks very good French and I also had the honor of conversing with his elegant wife in Japanese. She was surprised at how well I spoke, and I was quite proud.

Inviting guest chefs is a wonderful idea. The cuisine of the main restaurant is taken to a new direction and the guest chef lets us know yet another wonderful place to try. I promised that the next time I go to Kyoto, I will go to Miyamasou--known for the fresh herbs that are picked daily and used in the dishes.

Il Vino d'Enrico Bernardo

A new one-star restaurant in Paris where the menu has no mention of food! Wine reigns supreme.

What a wonderful concept!! Linda visited me from Nashville and I reserved a table at the new one-star restaurant, Il Vino for us. Enrico Bernardo is the Meilleur Sommelier du Monde of 2008 and has opened his own restaurant in Paris.

We were eager to see the menu and when it was presented to us, we were confused. No mention of food on the entire menu!! Just a list of wonderful wines by the glass. When the maître d'hotel comes to take your order, you tell him which wine tempts you and then you learn what dish will be prepared to go with that.

Linda and I both chose the Nuits St George which was served chilled. It married with a lovely dish of fresh cheese-stuffed ravioli. For the main courses, I had duck with a wonderful Barbera D'Asti, and Linda had a dish of St. Pierre and fresh green asparagus, married with a glass of the best Condrieu I have ever tasted: so flowery, complex and full.

If you do not want any wine, that is ok too and they will tell you about the dishes. There are two dégustations: one à l'aveugle (blind tasting), and the other featuring wines from all over the world in four courses with their appropriate foods.

Linda rarely drinks but joined the party and had two glasses of wine. By the time we got to dessert, we were sufficiently high as to opt out of a wine with (my) chocolate-caramel gateau and Linda's orange crèpe dessert.

Trip to Japan

Fantastic dining experiences in a variety of cities in Japan, including those on Fukuoka and Honshu

I just returned from almost a month in Japan. The dining experiences were fantastic, thanks to my friend Kyoko. In several cities, she made reservations for me and I tried one of the best sushi restaurants in the world in Kanazawa, a two-star restaurant in Osaka (nouvel kaiseki style) and a three-star restaurant in Tokyo.

In all three, the ordering was done over the phone before I stepped foot into any restaurant. In the sushi place (in Kanazawa, a real capital for fresh fish), I was reminded of a zen temple--so quiet were the people at the counter. After a fantastic omakase (chef's choice), the customers could choose the types of sushi they were interested in. I was lucky to sit next to an afficionado who knew what the chef's specialties are and so I had a luscious sushi with tuna and leeks. The chef even created a tsukemono (pickle) sushi. His name and the name of the restaurant is Komatsu Yasuke and I will definitely go back there.

Also in Kanazawa, is the animated fantastic market that is open every day except for Wednesday. I enjoy wandering around the stalls and viewing the stunning array of fish and shellfish. There are many delicious sushi places there and I had one of the best chirashi plates of my experience--and I have had a lot of them. On this one, there were fresh oysters which is a rarity on chirashi.

In Osaka, I want to Honkogetsu. It is a little hideaway in the center of a very animated night area. I had to literally ask 10 people to help me find it, and by the time I got to the last person, I was standing in front of the restaurant entrance! There too, I sat at the counter so as to watch the chefs preparing our small dishes. This was kaiseki nouveau. We had grilled bamboo (takenoko) which is in season in April and just delicious; sashimi to dip in natto (not bad!!),vinegar or shoyu; skewers with a variety of fish; grilled tofu steaks with a delicious sauce; a nabe of yuba and vegetables (yuba is tofu skin and I love it); etc. The counter is also conducive to socializing and I met a lovely couple who were celebrating their anniversary. True to kaiseki tradition, the dishes that the food in beautiful porcelain bowls and everyone got a different shape, size, and design. I even took pictures of those.

The top of the top was a three star restaurant in Tokyo: Koju. It is a tiny restaurant. We had a tatami room and were served by our lovely attendant. We chose the least expensive menu of the three proposed (prior to arriving at the restaurant), and were regaled with both fish and vegetable dishes. One of the most memorable was a salad of spring vegetables. Each one had been prepared separately so that the cooking of each was perfect. The sashimi dish was magnificent as was the main fish dish. In the fancy restaurants, it seems that they also beautify and "deliciousify" the rice. This was done in Honkogetsu and here, at Koju, we had rice with succulent seaweed and vegetables mixed in. For dessert were strawberries prepared in four ways all in one bowl. I have a lovely memory of this meal and would not hesitate to return. Kyoko invited another friend to experience this wonderful meal with us: Tomoko. She has a blog about food in English: www.aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp

Stranded by the volcano, I was stuck in Tokyo for five extra days. That was no hardship gastronomically. One night, Tomoko invited me to go with her friends to a "sumo" bistrot where they serve the heavy nabe (stew) that Sumo Wrestlers live on. It is full of heavy meats, shrimps, and vegetables and of course, is very filling. We took a train to the suburbs and met her friends. In addition to the nabe, we had some dishes that I had never had: a cream-filled chicken croquette that was deep-fried, various sashimi dishes, a wonderful summer salad, etc. With this we had many bottles of cold sake. It was a memorable experience not only for all the different foods but also to spend an evening with such friendly people.

Sous les Cerisiers

A new Parisian fusion restaurant recommended by my Tokyo friend

My friend Kyoko (actually, she is my counterpart in Tokyo) told me that a friend of hers opened a fusion restaurant in Paris. So before my trip to Japan (I leave next week), I thought I would try out the restaurant, meet Sakura (Kyoko's friend) and then report to Kyoko when I see her.

Sakura Franck is a lovely Japanese chef who is very proud of her Japanese tradition and interested in giving its products a French twist. The restaurant is beautifully designed--a long, light grey room with pink geometrical creations peeking out from the ceiling. The look is pristine and the atmosphere quite calm. The back room has two beautiful tables and every chair is dressed in a costume out of the Opera. It is quite surprising to see the chairs so elegantly dressed. The dishes in that room are also very elegant.

Sakura means cherry tree in Japanese and the French name of the restaurant means "Under the Cherry Trees". My first visit was at lunch where you may choose from three appetizers, three main courses and three desserts for a total of less than 20 euros. I started with a lovely and creamy mousse de tofu, sauce au wasabi. This was spectacular! The mousse was smooth and flavorful and the wasabi added the right amount of oomph. My main course was Supions Grillées--the fat bodies of squid simply grilled and served with a light provençale-type sauce. That was served with rice. To accompany my meal, I chose a glass of white Burgundy which was quite rich and contrasted with my food very well.

Sakura does serve tuna but she has written in her menu that the tuna she serves is not the endangered type. It is actually quite small and is very different from the red tuna that is such a controversial food item at this time.

At dinner, there are a number of menus ranging from 40 euros to about 70 euros. And there is an à la carte menu as well. A specialty is foie gras sushi. (I can't wait to go back and try that.) She also serves a variety of fish dishes creatively conceived and reflecting the two cultures. There is meat on the menu as well.

The restaurant has already had a lot of press in French and in Japanese journals, and in 5 short months, it is doing very well. I look forward to going back again soon.

Restaurant Senderens

Alain Senderens makes history by giving up his stars so as to make his art more affordable, only to be awarded with lots of new stars! See my latest review of his restaurant.

The last time I wrote about this restaurant was January 15, 2008. He is my all time favorite French chef, and I have been going to Alain Senderens' restaurants for over 30 years. I first met the great chef at his restaurant, L'Archestrate in the '70s. From there, he moved to the Place de la Madeleine, and opened the regal Lucas Carton. There I met the maître de fromage, Loic Morvan. Loic is now a good friend and also the restaurant's director. I am also friends with the chef and his wife, and know many of the wait staff and of course, the head sommelier and the maîtres d'hotel. It is funny to think of this restaurant as a little piece of home, as it is so chic and has such a long gastronomic history.

Senderens gave up his three stars several years ago. They say he wanted to work in sardines and not in truffles or foie gras. That is not entirely true as there are still luxury items on the menu, but the prices reflect a movement towards an affordable cuisine. As a result, more people can know what this chef is made of. No more 400 euro dinners, thank you. As a result, I come here for festive occasions and sometimes, just for a delicious lunch.

A couple of weeks ago, I went for a delicious lunch, and delicious it was. With my champagne, the amuse-bouche was a lovely consommé de langoustine topped with a watercress cream. After that, Loic treated me too one of the crunchy langoustines (crunchy with toasted almonds) that one dips in a special sauce. This was fabulous and next time I will order it as my appetizer.

I regret that I left my camera at home because my first dish was so beautifully presented (and so very delicious): Gnocchi d'Agria aux Truffes. And truffes there were!! 13 or more lamelles (paper-thin rounds) and truffle pieces sprinkled throughout the dish. On top was a beautiful lattice-work of crispy potato. So delicate. The sauce was lightly creamy and there were also i as a garnish. In a word, the essence of truffle for a very reasonable price. Senderens prides himself in his wine-pairings and with this dish I had a glass of Saint-Aubin "Sur Gamay" 1996 of the Domaine Louise Jadot. Not as buttery as a chardonnay and therefore contrasting well with the rich dish.

(The photos you see are actually from a dinner I had at this restaurant a year ago.)

I have had so many of Alain Senderens' main courses and today Loic suggested that I try the Cochon de Lait. The filet of pork rested atop a bed of leeks, sweet red peppers and savory peppercorns. There was a ravioli filled with the same mixture (rougail), and the dish was garnished with mango and leek. It was served with an Alsatian wine which was rather sweet and married beautifully with the dish.

For the predessert, I was served a lovely pannacotta of mango and vanilla. And for dessert, I couldn't resist the classic Mille Feuille à la Vanille. I am not a fan of creme patissière, but at this restaurant. the crème in the mille feuille is silky and delectable.

With coffee comes small chocolate tarts and cannelés bordelais. I do miss the crunchy tuiles that had big chunks of chocolate and almond in the dough, but hopefully those will come back in the future. With champagne, the meal came to about 125 euros which, for a beautiful meal from a three-star chef, is very reasonable indeed.