New Addition to the Kunitoraya Family: Kunitoraya 2

Revisiting a favorite udon haunt and being introduced to the newest addition to its empire

I have already waxed eloquent about the wonderful udon restaurant, Kunitoraya (the first photo on this post) about a year ago. Recently, Kunitoraya opened another restaurant (the second photo on the post) that is quite fancy, serves wonderful food, and is about twice the price.

In both restaurants, you will get a wonderful meal and smiling service, but the first one is definitely a lot more casual and is in-and-out dining. The new Kunitoraya is, in general, a total dining experience with a lovely decor and the expectation that you will pass an agreeable moment at your table. And it is best to reserve.

For dinner, you can expect to see a variety of tapas as appetizers: Japanese salads, tofu in many different forms, raw fish with lovely sauces, etc. They even serve foie gras maison and also grilled Iberian sliced pork. In addition to the à la carte menu, there are a variety of prix-fixe menus that are served at both lunch and dinner--many of which are designed around the restaurants' own home-made udon. Here, you can choose among kakiage (sliced vegetables, meat, or fish that are lightly battered and deep fried); dishes served in hot or cold bouillon and dishes made to be dipped in a lovely cold broth. At the end of the meal comes the udon.

This Kunitoraya offers donburi at lunch. This is a bowl of rice topped with fish or meat in sauce. They also make their own very chic onigiri. These are usually triangular-shaped rice patties enveloped in seaweed and featuring fish, vegetables or preserved plums that are sold in 24-hour stores. The version here is quite beautiful: two large cubes of rice are served with the fillings in mounds on top. The seaweed comes as two leaves standing between the filled cubes. To add even more variety, two nabe are served (for a minimum of two people). These are Japanese stews and there is a choice of either pork and udon or duck and udon. The omakase (chef's choice menu) is quite elaborate and creative.

Don't forget to taste some of the delicious desserts: French desserts, I might add. I had a smooth crème brulée flavored with Ho Ji Cha (a grilled tea that I particularly like).

Kunitoraya 2 is a Japanese experience at Japanese prices. But if you go there, you can count on a delicious, memorable and very pleasant afternoon or evening.

Thoumieux and L'Ecailler--two classic restaurants

I recently dined in two old faithfuls. Thoumieux has been totally reconceived by a multi-starred chef, and L'Ecailler will never disappoint.

Thoumieux is a classic restaurant with a solid reputation but I have always found classic French cuisine heavy and boring. The big news is that a Michelin-starred chef Jean-François Piège left his prestigious post at the Crillon (where he had two stars) to revamp Thoumieux. Working with the famous Thierry Costes (a terrific architect), he had the restaurant entirely renovated and he also thoroughly reworked the menu. Now they feature wonderful salads, modern fish and meat dishes and thoroughly delicious desserts. I went there with my oldest high school friend, Judy and her son, Noah and we had a ball. I started with a very classic French salad, le frisée aux lardons, but this time the lardons were ground into a paste that covered the bottom of the dish so every bite of the salad had a hint of smokey bacon flavor. Judy ordered a wonderful souffléed pizza (a big round hollow ball of pizza dough garnished with creamy burrata, olive paste, arugala and just-cooked tuna. Noah had a wonderful entrecôte served with creamy mashed potatoes. I opted for the scallops (this is the height of the season) atop a mound of truffled macaroni lightly baked in a cream sauce. We each ordered our own excellent glass of wine. Judy and Noah chose a red Bordeaux and I had a flavorful white Burgundy. For dessert was a just-churned vanilla ice cream topped with caramelized hazelnuts. A great meal for not too much money. The room is beautiful (one expects perfection from Costes) with beautiful art-nouveau light fixtures and a lot of atmosphere.

A few days later, I joined another childhood friend and her family to go to L'Ecailler du Bistrot. If you remember my post on Le Bistrot du Paul Bert, you will know what bistrot they are talking about. L'Ecailler is under the same direction as Le Paul Bert but specializes in fish and oysters and shellfish. I have been there many times. We started with the enormous Belons 000 (the lower the number, the larger the oyster) and they were a combination of succulent, meaty and delicate oysters with a wonderful briny flavor. After that, I had the tasty Coquilles St. Jacques d'Erquy coming straight from Brittany and served in their shells. We also had beautiful plates of smoked salmon with dill cream and interesting crab nems (spring rolls). Janet chose the simply grilled calamari served on a bed of delicious tomato-flavored rice. With the meal, we had a Puligny Montrachet from the reknowned Leflaive Vineyard which was amazingly delicious and reasonably priced. I feel lucky to have this place so close to my house. It is always a wonderful restaurant choice.

Some Great Lunch spots

Some terrific lunch places, especially Laduree and Le Loir dans la Théière

I think that my favorite lunch place in the Marais is Le Loir dans la Théière (the Dormouse in the Teapot). The big specialty here is the enormous and light lemon meringue pie--served in a portion which can easily be shared by three. But there are also wonderful quiches (honey, gruyère and pine nuts; zucchini and goat cheese; cheddar and spinach). Excellent too are the omelettes (mint and fresh zucchini for example) and the club sandwiches. There are large and interesting salads and they also serve hot dishes which change daily. A favorite is the copious couscous which I have yet to try. This place is open everyday and always crowded so you can know that the quality of the food is superb as French people don't stand on line unless it is worth it.

A more elegant and expensive (well worth it) place is Ladurée which is truly a classic Parisian address. They have expanded to other countries and even have a stand at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Supposedly known for the macarons, I think that they have the best breakfast pastries in the world as well as superb cakes and chocolates. At Ladurée you can have beautiful, delicious salads, designer omelettes with truffles or morel mushrooms and elegant prepared dishes. Everything on the plate is superb and the prices are comparable to the quality: very high. I don't go there often, but every time I do, I am happy.

Go to Ladurée for breakfast and you will have your choice of freshly squeezed juices, viennoiseries (such as croissants, brioches and the flakey bretzels that are among the specialties) and a luscious café au lait, and like me, you will be transported to seventh heaven.

Two Delectable Restaurants with Good Friends

Two restaurant reviews: Le 122 and Amici Miei. Both are terrific places and worth checking out.

When my cousin, Sarah, and her companion, Chris, came to Paris, the three of us went to two excellent restaurants. I searched in my favorite book: Le Pudlo and found a "heart throb" (one of his favorite critic categories) in the 7th arrondissement: Le 122 on rue de Grenelle. This is a lovely French restaurant designed by Philip Starck. There are three intimate rooms so although the restaurant feels small, in fact, it is quite large. We had a table in a nook in the rear which enabled us to watch other diners and servers and participate in the rhythm of the restaurant. The food is fine, and the three of us tasted many of the selections from the interesting menu.

The puree of celeri-rave, radis noir amuse-bouche was excellent. Black radishes are long and thin with a black coating that is removed when eaten. I love celery root and the combination was delicious.

I started with a magnificent feuilleté d'escargot aux champignons et beurre d'ail. This is a puff pastry with mushrooms and chewy delectable snails in a garlic butter. Garlic butter with snails is a classic combination but the addition of mushrooms modernizes the dish. Sarah had a royale de foie gras et velouté de topinambour: a duck liver custard with jerusalem artichokes--sumptuous. Chris had six beautiful fresh oysters--a perfect seasonal dish.

For our main courses, there was sirloin steak with a potato-parsnip gratin garnish. The parsnip added sweetness to the luscious potato dish. We also had a wonderful pigeon with cabbage and lardons and a potato cake with foie gras on top of some filo pastry. Thirdly was the very seasonal dish of scallops (the season runs from October to May and at this time of year, the scallops are meaty and flavorful) garnished with a creamy celery root with black truffles. Such elegant and fancy dishes in a restaurant where one doesn't have to take out a second mortgage to dine well is truly a wonderful treat.

After such a rich and lovely dinner, there was really no room for dessert but we did share the Moelleux au Chocolat, sorbet chocolat-passion which is one of my favorites. We were lucky that there was a 15-minute wait during which the moelleux was prepared. In that way, we could digest a bit and feel like eating dessert.

It was a sweet ending to an excellent dinner in a lovely atmosphere.

A few days later, we had to continue to celebrate, so went to my favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant: Amici Miei. Such a terrific place! Sarah wanted me to order for everyone as I had been there many times before, but I had to consult with my friends. Here is our wonderful menu: Bresaola Pizza with arugala, slivers of parmiggiano, mozzarella (delectable); insalata (salad) of arugala and grana cheese; a wonderful spaghetti al pesto with mozzarella di bufala, fresh tomato and basil; Linguine alle vongole; Culurgiones al scampi, asparagi et granchio (handmade ravioli from Sardinia stuffed with spinach and ricotta and garnished with large shrimp, asparagus and crabmeat).

Everything was perfect (as usual). We ordered a wonderful mid-priced Perdera Argiolas Moria di Sardegna (rosso). We are definitely eating sports so we decided to share the ultimate chocolate dessert: il tartufo which is chocolate gelato topped with a dark chocolate sauce.

Anyone who comes to Paris would be thrilled and lucky to eat in this restaurant. Need I say more?

Nobu at the Ritz

About one of the first fusion chefs: Matsuhisa Nobu.

Matsuhisa Nobu is a famous, creative Japanese chef who has made a name for himself all over the world. Opening his first restaurant in L.A., he went on to open others in NY, London, China and Japan and other locations. He studied in Peru and is one of the first chefs to create what we know as "fusion"--a style of cooking that melds the cuisines of two extremely different regions in the world--such as Peruvian with Japanese. He may have even invented the spicy tuna handroll as he often uses hot spices in his Japanese dishes.

The Ritz was hosting Nobu as a guest chef for two months and I had to go to re-experience the master once more. I had dined at his restaurant in New York and loved it. In fact, a Nobu opened in Paris for about 2 years (which I went to several times) but due to problems with management, it was forced to close. Nobu is less successful in Japan as the Japanese prefer pristine classical preparations of their cuisine. Not so in other countries. Of the two London Nobus, one has a Michelin star.

At the Ritz, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that the extensive menu did have the requisite "omakase"--chef's choice of his specialties to create a menu, or that guests could order à la carte.

I went for the omakase and was pleased to taste among the specialties that I remember so well. To start was a salmon tartare with caviar, and a small yamamomo (small mountain peach) as a garnish. It was a lovely dish. Next came very thinly sliced bass that had been quickly seared and served with olive and sesame oils. Nobu calls this preparation sushi new style as the fish is not completely raw and the dish has been modernized.

There was a wonderful sashimi salad with tuna, scallops and shizo leaf--a leaf which is very aromatic and pleasant to the taste. No Nobu menu can go without the famous signature black cod in miso which has been marinated in miso for 24 hours, lightly grilled and napped with some soy sauce. The fish is extremely flavorful and moist.

The main course was Wagyu beef in a balsamic teriyaki--both sweet and tart. The beef was lightly seared and served with a variety of fresh vegetables: an excellent preparation.

After that came a wonderful sushi selection and miso soup. I also ordered off the omakase menu a spicy tuna handroll which, as I said, I believe Nobu invented.

To go with the meal, I chose a Chablis as the prices for the sakes were extremely steep. It was a Domaine de Vauroux 2008 and at a reasonable price, went beautifully with the entire meal.

Dessert was light and wonderful: a Whisky Cappuccino served in a small demi tasse cup. Starting at the bottom were layers of crunchy speculoos, coffee mousse, vanilla ice cream and a whisky cream. It was light and flavorful and very creative. I have a feeling that the Ritz pastry chef conceived of this course.

L'Epigramme

A wonderful bistrot hidden in the Odeon area

On a sidestreet right near the Place de L'Odéon is a lovely bistrot, L'Epigramme. A popular place with few tables, it is a good idea to reserve. The dishes are beautifully composed and have modern touches. I went there with my friend, Noriko, and she was pleased as well.

I started with a cappuccino of potiron aux crevettes--a thick pumpkin soup with a healthy portion of nicely grilled shrimps in the middle, garnished with a lovely purple pansy. We both ordered the same main course: selle d'agneau à la lavande--a pink slice of lamb infused with lavendar and served with a sweet turnip and caramelized new potatoes. It was as good as it sounds. With the meal, I ordered a their Merlot by the glass and this married well with the dish.

For dessert, I had a wonderful, creamy panna cotta with fresh mango--an excellent way to finish such a lovely meal.

While I was at the restaurant, I thought of other people I would like to take there. It is truly a wonderful place: an authentic bistrot that French people like where the meals are not expensive and the atmosphere warm and welcoming.

Passage 53: a Japanese-French star

A new one-star French restaurant entirely run by Japanese

A friend of mine told me of a new one-star restaurant run by Japanese people. It is called Passage 53 and is just two years old. Since the Japanese are very creative and interested in fine cooking, I couldn't wait to go.

This is another of the small places (22 seats) where there is no menu but a surprise tasting for everyone. There are both a French and a Japanese maitre d'hotel--both of whom are knowledgeable and helpful.

The meal consisted of a parade of small plates, each lovingly prepared and delicious. The first two seemed to be riffs on color. I started with an all-white dish: lightly grilled squid resting on a purée of cauliflower and topped with cauliflower shavings. The purée was made with a very flavorful olive oil and the dish (which sounds bland) was quite stunning. Next came the orange dish which was a sea urchin foam, a piece of sea urchin and a carrot flan: also wonderful.

After that, what came on the plates was more colorful and complex. There was a marlin with a variety of seasonal vegetables beautifully placed on the dish; an amazing sautéed foie gras with salty shellfish juice flavored with yuzu: such a strange combination that worked very well. After that came a baked Cévennes onion which had been taken apart and layered with spicy chorizo and then put back together. Superb! The meat dishes were a very tender roast veal and a wonderful poularde with lots of white truffles and a puree potatoes. This was spectacular!!

The dessert course should have been called "everything you dreamed of ordering but were too afraid to ask". There was a terrific lemon mousse with meringue and crunchy lemon caviar, a wonderful tiramisu, chestnut cake with banana ice cream, mont blanc, a clementine sorbet flavored with green tea and the best chocolate tart I have tasted in many years. I saved that to have with my coffee .

The wine list here is quite extensive but if you just want glasses of wine you can have a Meursault (an reknowned producer of Meursault) with the first courses and an excellet Vosne-Romanée from Arnoux-Lachaux.

Like Le Bigarrade and Sa Qua Na, this restaurant is not cheap but would be a wonderful place for a special occasion.