Ta Vie Hideaki Sato

Ta Vie, from its inception in mid 2015, has become the talk of the town. It should be no surprised because Ta Vie's head chef and part owner was the former chef de cuisine of Tenku Ryugin (2-star) named Hideaki Sato. Ta Vie's name was translated as "Your Life" in French and "Journey" in Japanese. It's Chef Sato's intention from the beginning that his restaurant will be the place for the people to interact while enjoying the journey and exploration of his creations, mainly using Asian high quality products. Ta Vie is probably different than many other fine dining restaurants owing to Sato-san's strong background in both Western (French & Italian) and Japanese cuisine. In addition, he was also skillful in baking bread, making pastry as well as a qualified sommelier. Thus, Hideaki Sato is the main 'brain and muscle' of Ta Vie. The attention to details was applicable in all aspects. For instance, there was a bottle of Azumino mineral water (soft, mild and natural) from Japan with ta vie's label. Furthermore, the homemade sourdough bread (soft inside with good crust outside) and churned butter (pleasant) were made daily in the kitchen. With regards to the main attraction, there was only one degustation menu but, of course, guests were encouraged to share their dietary restrictions upon making the reservation (if any).

Tasting menu featuring Asian produce

Caesar salad topped with Hotaru squid served with Hotaru squid caesar dressing - Hotaru Ika is one way to say that "It's Spring". The Firefly squid was tender and bursting inside with an oceanic & acquired taste. This concentrated umami flavor (also from the dressing) was a good combination for the crisp romaine lettuce, fresh mountain vegetables, parmesan cheese and some croutons. An interesting and tasty dish; quite a strong beginning I would say

"Clam chowder" served with whelk "Matsubu" twist clam and peas with chef's twist - Another unique interpretation of a famous dish by Hideaki Sato. The hot clam soup was light (not too intense); this way, the ingredients inside could shine such as the crunchy and sweet Tsubugai, earthy green peas, and fresh Spring vegetables. You will not feel heavy at all ...

Homemade pasta with "Aonori" sauce and Hokkaido Uni - It was an extra dish from the kitchen and one of Chef Sato's specialties. My main issue here was the texture of the pasta and it seemed deliberate that it's made to be uncharacteristically soft instead of al dente. However, the green seaweed sauce and creamy (Bafun) sea urchin was well-absorbed by the pasta, thus make this dish flavorful. Overall, I still enjoyed this delicate creation

White strawberry and Chioggia beetroot served with fruits tomato tossed with Thai basil and Burrata cheese - This 'intermezzo' was surprisingly tasty - juicy & aromatic pineberries, rather sweet and earthy Italian beetroot, fresh and savory tomato - were good combinations, The soft & milky burrata with aromatic basil + balsamic vinegar acted as the "sauce" for these fruits. Awesome!

"Civet" braised abalone covered with "Abalone shell" - The abalone 'shell' was edible and tasted like crackers. The awabi and shiitake were nicely intertwined in their meaty texture and a contrast of earthy & sea flavors. The caramelized onions and brown sauce (prepared with cognac & madeira) provided more depth to the dish's overall flavor - a winning creation

Japanese langoustine with pork tail, Yunnan ham and langoustine broth - I think it's the first time I consumed Tenaga-ebi; the size was large with elegant flavor and firm texture. The perfectly cooked langoustine was enhanced by the broth to make its flavor more complex yet still balanced. On the side, this langoustine was accompanied by a cabbage dumpling filled with pork tail as well as Yunnan ham to enrich the taste; the 'chicken consomme' also contained some flavor from the long-armed prawn. One of my favorite dishes for the dinner

Beef tongue stew served with onion nouveau and fresh Yunnan morel - The beef tongue was actually thick and carefully cooked with Chinese yellow wine. The back part was tender & fatty (hence more delicious) while the front part was meaty / crisp. The Yunnan morel, having sponge-like texture, was decent though the taste was not as intense as its French counterpart. The best part here was the sauce - a perfect old school French saucing resulting in rich and delightful flavor

Almond ice cream with meringue Served with fresh strawberries & scent of Sakura blossom; covered with fragile candy glass - A beautiful dessert for Spring. It was the feast for the senses: cool plating, pleasant & refreshing scent, soft vs hard texture contrast, a few flavors worked altogether - sour, sweet, nutty. Enjoyable ..

Caramelized French toast served with black truffle toffee, golden Oolong tea ice cream with salted egg yolk - I found these dessert had different degree of flavor intensity. The french toast, topped with shaved cashew nuts, was probably the best one - soft & tasty. The black truffle toffee was very strong with predominantly truffle flavor; on the contrary, the oolong ice cream was delicate with a hint of grated yolk (to reduce any cloying taste). It was quite good

After the dessert, I opted for a tea (pandan, mint and lemongrass) as my digestive, accompanied by light mulberry jelly. For the drinks, I had a combination of cold Hakurakusei sake (subtle & delicate with nice aroma) in carafe and 3 glasses of tea tasting, served chilled, consisted of Yunnan Pu'er, Yame Gyokuro and Jinxuan Ginseng. They were interesting and satisfying in general. Ta Vie is located in the 2nd level of a boutique hotel Pottinger at Central. The atmosphere was intimate, charming and quiet. The dining room tended to be dark combining Asian and European styles. It may not be as luxurious as the like of Caprice or Amber nevertheless well-designed with spacious tables and comfortable sofa / chairs. Ms. Hiromi Takano, Hideaki Sato's wife, is the restaurant manager - the same role she had at Tenku Ryugin. Under her leadership, the service was well-paced and efficient. She and another female staff were friendly, passionate and knowledgeable. Overall, it was a very good diningg experience - innovative and delicious food, solid drink selection, discrete and amiable service, elegant dining room. A return here is probable; preferably in different season so that I can try Chef Sato's different creations. The pictures of the dishes can be found at Ta Vie Mar '18

Food (and Wine): 94 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 94 pts

Overall: 94/100

L'Ambroisie Bernard Pacaud - 4th visit

Time flies. Summer of 2007 marked my inaugural visit to the temple of haute cuisine named L'Ambroisie, situated in the middle of appealing Marais district. This classic restaurant was a splendid 17th century townhouse and it's currently the longest running dining place in Paris with a 3-star Michelin (Chef-patron Bernard Pacaud attained the red guide's highest rating in 1988 and has kept it since). While some think the old-fashioned food at L'Ambroisie is boring, I thought whatever dishes serve here represent one of the highest level of cooking in the world. Bernard Pacaud has perfected his culinary skills of French traditional gastronomy. There was no non-sense; the dishes have consistently been flawlessly executed using seasonal and fresh produce. The result was delicious and intense classical dishes that were neither heavy nor cloying. Forget about deconstructed or molecular stuffs, also do not expect any dish to be split into 3-4 bowls; the masterpiece on the plate was deceptively simple and people should have no issue recognizing the 3 to 5 ingredients used. Yet, in this "minimalist" approach, it's nearly impossible to improve further upon any dishes served to guests. I heard that similar to the case of Michel Bras, Bernard Pacaud is probably semi-retired these days as his son Mathieu Pacaud has become more active in the kitchen and public. Mathieu's name also appears at the bottom of the menu. 

It's widely known that L'Ambroisie is probably the only 3-star restaurant offering no degustation menu option. The a-la carte was nicely divided to about 5 items each in appetizers, fish/seafood, meat/poultry and desserts. It's always good to follow the guidance of Monsieur Pascal, the loyal and professional maitre d'hotel of L'Ambroisie. Unfortunately, I 'rebelled' this time - I did not follow his idea of ordering the famous scallop dish with broccoli and Italian truffle. The reason was simple: I was on a mission to savor all of Pacaud's seasonal lobster dishes. Unlike my previous visit, I was not eating alone this time (finally). Moreover, this fabulous meal was for dinner instead of the usual lunch. Here are the dishes we savored in the middle of November 2014.

Manière de rouget (Prized rock-fish) – The red mullet and its inherently sweet flesh & crispy skin was served with light veal juice and velvety puree of celery, apple and squash; a generous amuse

Blanc-manger d'œuf mollet à la truffe blanche d'Alba, émulsion de cèpes (Half-cooked / simmered egg served with Alba truffle and emulsified of cep) – The perfectly soft-boiled egg had soft but firm white and orange runny yolk; delicious. It's enhanced by the nutty flavor from the mushroom's emulsion. The fragrant cep (both cooked and raw ones) and intoxicating white truffle added some complexity and beautifully complemented the overall flavor. Possibly, I have found an egg dish that's actually better than "L'Arpege egg"

Fricassée de homard au potimarron et châtaignes, sauce à la diable (Mixture of stewed Brittany lobster served with pumpkin puree, chestnuts and 'peppery' sauce) – Finally, Pacaud got the right texture of the tasty blue lobster (quite tender for the tail and rather firm for the claw). The dish in "glowing" color was rich, intense (but not heavy) and complex but balanced. I could taste the variation of sweet, nutty, & slightly spicy flavors altogether. Excellent .. along with lobster + star anise sauce, this was my favorite homard dish at L'Ambroisie

Tourte de canard au foie gras (Pie of wild duck and its liver served with salad and veal juice) – An ethereal game-season pie; the duck (breast, thigh & buttery liver) and veal 'stuffing' were perfectly executed; as expected, they're succulent and flavorful. The salad was essential to reduce the meat's intensity. Last but not least, the airy pie with its crust were flawless and very pleasant. It will be a tall order for someone to improve upon this remarkable "pithivier" 

Reine des reinettes en boule nacrée, sabayon au calvados du Domfrontais (Spherical of 'pearl' sugar served with apple variations, pistachio and apple brandy sabayon) – The latest dessert creation of the restaurant. The sphere was light in both texture and taste; the sweet flowery sorbet was not too heavy and good nutty pistachio taste. Not too bad, but unlikely to be considered among L'Ambroisie's classic in the future

Soufflé chaud au pralin, coulis de mangue au kirsch de Fougerolles (Hot praline souffle served with mango coulis and wild "cherries brandy") – A traditional French dessert with some harmonious sweet flavor variations. This fluffy souffle was light and airy with partly gooey in the center; the taste was just right. The only drawback was probably the lack of ice cream on the side, otherwise this old-fashion dessert was really good 

Tarte fine sablée au cacao amer, crème glacée au moka (Chocolate cake served with mocha ice cream) – A simple yet profound dessert made with only chocolate and sabayon. Bernard Pacaud was truly a genius. His thin crust/ganache and creamy chocolate in the middle were meticulously prepared; as a result, it's wonderful. The mocha ice cream would intensify and add an extra layer of bitter or dark flavor. Personally, I prefer to combine this timeless tart with the rich vanilla ice cream 

I had a half-bottle of red wine - 2010 Domaine Alain Michelot nuits St. Georges 1er cru (pure and full-bodied in the palate with deep nose) and my spouse drank a glass of Billecart-Salmon brut rose. Different from the quiet lunch, L'Ambroise during dinner was very busy, in fact it was surprisingly a bit noisy. It was a full-house, even the third/private room was occupied by a big group. In spite of this situation, the hospitality shown to us was somehow the best one I've ever experienced. Mr. Pascal was, as always, professional, elegant and focused. However, unlike my previous visits, he's more relaxed and much warmer this time. He smiled more often and chat with us in a few occasions; at the end of our meal, he even encouraged us to re-visit during Winter to savor the legendary roasted Bresse chicken with black truffles butter. There was also a younger staff who still recognized me, even though my last visit was more than 4 years ago, and his English has improved tremendously. Perhaps, it's true after all that, L'Ambroisie is the kind of restaurant where diners eat better and feel more comfortable after several visits. The chocolate dessert was actually the complimentary of the house and each of us received a portion. I'm very satisfied with this meal in terms of both food and service; it was without doubt my best experience at L'Ambroisie. This unique French institution, in my not-so humble opinion, is among the greatest restaurant in the world and deserved more than just the 'normal' Michelin 3-star. I will definitely would love to return here in my next visit to Paris as long as the humble and genius Bernard Pacaud is still in the kitchen. For the dishes' pictures, please visit this link: L'Ambroisie in Autumn '14   

Food (and Wine): 98 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 96 pts

Overall: 97.5/100