Pierre Gagnaire Paris - 6th visit

As a foodie, ideally, I should go and visit as many new restaurants as possible. Probably either I often choose the easy way out or I simply love Paris. As it has always been, at least half of my top 10 favorite restaurants in the world are located in the city of lights. The yellow vest acts did not deter me to return to Paris in January this year - in fact, I was blessed as somehow my short stay there excluded the weekend. I have never been to Pierre Gagnaire au hotel Balzac in Winter, so it was a no-brainer that I would re-visit this place especially after a spectacular meal I ate in the early Autumn of 2017 (Gagnaire Paris 5th meal). Unlike my previous visit, the Picasso of cuisine was not present during my dinner. Instead, his most trusted man - chef Michel Nave, who has been working with him for more than 30 years, was leading the kitchen. I knew I was in good hands.

Having a meal at Pierre Gagnaire restaurants could be overwhelmed for some people. Not long was I seated at my favorite spot, I was already 'bombarded' with welcome canapes consisting of more than half-dozen of different nibbles. For instance,  Tomatillo pulp with tarragon; Large crab nolpi; Sardine rilettes with oyster leaf; Smoked haddock bouchee etc. They were good, fun and rather unique. Except for my maiden visit in 2007, I never ordered any tasting menu anymore at this place. The a la carte dishes were too good to resist. However, this time I decided to sample numerous Gagnaire seasonal creations focusing on the prized ingredients of French black truffle from Perigord. There were lots of food and they were remarkable. My 2019 best meal would actually occur in the first month of the year? Very likely ... 

Degustation Menu - LA TRUFFE NOIRE / TUBER MELANOSPORUM

1st appetizer
Damier de Saint-Jacques d’Erquy, bouillon de boeuf au tapioca (Damier of scallop from Erquy, beef bouillon with tapioca) - Erquy is known as French scallop capital. The kitchen arranged the pristine scallop carpaccio and thick slices of black truffles in alternating colors like a checkerboard. The scallops were delightfully fresh with soft texture and mildly sweet flavors, in contrast to the firmer and more intense Tuber melanosporum. The beef broth & tapioca were lightly umami, gave additional delicate taste in the background. This scallop dish was served with 2 different side dishes ...
Corolle de haddock : encornets, morue, artichaut poivrades (Smoked haddock corolla : squids, cod, small artichokes) - On the contrary to the clean scallop, the broth here was creamy, more flavorful yet not overly rich. The haddock was slightly sweet and smoky, in harmony with the black truffle aroma. The addition of squid, cod and artichokes delivered texture and flavor contrasts; these ingredients beautifully absorbed the yellow sauce as well. This bowl and the earlier damier scallop were both excellent
Mousseline de choucroute, radicchio (Sauerkraut mousseline, radicchio salad) - The last part of the first course was slightly acidic mousse of sauerkraut mixed with rather bitter radicchio and pungent truffle. It gave an interesting accent for the other 2 items

2nd appetizer
FiFine – crosnes, mange-tout, pamplemousse thaï (FiFine – chinese artichokes, butter beans, thaï grapefruit) - (Fried) Crosnes was a bit juicy, having pleasant & earthy flavor + crunchy texture. The 'artichokes' were accompanied by grainy butter bean, sour grapefruit and unique truffle flavor ... this dish was light, a bit sweet and really enjoyable + easy to eat
Crépinette Sarladaise, velouté d’épinard, ail noir Aomori (Crépinette Sarladaise, spinach velvety soup, black garlic from the Aomori region) - Quite the opposite to the crosnes ... here, some kind of pork internal organ was cooked with goose fat resulting in intense rich taste. It was served with tender aged garlic that somehow tasted like plum with subtle balsamic aromas and creamy spinach. A solid & classical French flavor to balance the more modern & Asian-influenced chinese artichoke item

Accompanied by wine: Lanson extra age brut (Full body & fresh, delicate color, red fruit notes, and smooth with good balance) 

3rd appetizer
Une tourtière de légumes (A vegetable pie) - The freshly cooked soup was boiling. It had some characters and flavors of the Japanese food - delicious and full of umami taste. Some of the vegetables were: cooked sweet yet savory & juicy turnips (appear golden) as well as sweet and nutty parsnips. Last but not least, the earthy black Winter truffles with its distinct aroma and flavors elevate this excellent vegetarian soup!
Gelée de coing, glace poire | gorgonzola (Quince jelly, ice cream pear | gorgonzola cheese) - To "support" the soup above, the kitchen prepared 2 dishes. Here, I had soft and tarte quince jelly that (surprisingly) went well with sharp and salty gorgonzola. The pear ice cream with small amount of pecorino provided a good bridge for the jelly & cheese while the chopped Perigord truffle gave some crunchy texture to this dish
Rémoulade de céleri-rave (Shredded celeriac in a remoulade sauce) - The pie crust was not wasted as the kitchen used it along with the traditional preparation of Celeriac remoulade. The celeriac was fresh and crisp, combined with airy pie and black truffle-infused remoulade sauce. The umami soup was in harmony with soft quince jelly and crunchy (raw) celeric - overall, what an amazing 3rd course!

Main course - fish
Fine escalope de féra du lac Léman à la nage ; voile de Savagnin, Paris boutons, panais, feuilles de capucine (Thin escalope of whitefish from the Geneva Lake ; veil of Savagnin wine, Paris mushrooms, parsnips, nasturtium leaves) - The quality of prized "fera" was superb. The thinly sliced and perfectly cooked whitefish fillet was moist and delicate without any fishiness. To develop more flavors, Chef Nave put Winter-inspired sauce of Paris mushrooms and black truffle. The versatile parsnips would reduce any strong taste and fresh nasturtium gave light accent - very good
Gagnaire prefers to prepare the side dish on a separate plate. For the whitefish, the kitchen provided clean vegetable bouillon with soft Corsican cheese and some Perigord truffle - this chilled soup assisted the parsnips to balance the whitefish's rich sauce

Accompanied by wine: 2016 Blanc de Chasse-spleen (Medium body & acidity, smooth with citrus nose, long and rounded finish; a solid pairing for the vegetarian pie and lean fish)

Main course - 1st meat
Blanquette de veau fermier – grande feuille de romaine, endive et red meat (Blanquette of farm veal – large romaine salad leaf, chicory and red meat radish) - Despite known for his innovation and (often) complicated technique in cooking, Pierre Gagnaire respects tradition and possesses technical mastery of classical French cuisine. For my 1st meat main course, the chef interpreted an iconic and timeless mild stew of poached veal. At 3-star level kitchen, as I expected, the chunks of veal were tender and tasty, enriched by velvety and refined sauce having deep flavor. To make it even "better", the cooking team added slightly sweet radish, mildly bitter and spicy taste from romaine and chicory as well as aromatic fungi. It was wonderful and I never felt overwhelmed with any intense flavor here - a comforting and elegant veal stew
Galette de polenta blanche, oignons grelots (Galette of white polenta, small onions) - The flat pastry with creamy & oaky Winter truffle sauce and crisp & sweet small bulb onions became a pleasant and ideal supportive side dish for the veal blanquette

Main course - 2nd meat
Blanc de poularde de la ferme de Culoiseau en vessie (Fattened hen breast from the Culoiseau farm cooked in a bladder) - Inside the hot water, the (pig) bladder swelled up ... then it was punctured in front of me and following that, the fattened hen was carved by the table side. The idea of using a baldder was to retain and integrate the flavors of the poularde during cooking. It was a "half-portion", so the kitchen picked a smaller hen for me. A beautiful homage to Mere Brazier?
Blanc de poularde avec petit épeautre du pays de Sault, puntarella et Sauce Albufera (The poularde breast was served with spelt from the Sault region, puntarella salad and Sauce Albufera) - Voila .. the dish was presented with all of its glory. The en vessie cooking resulted the breast meat to be tender and moist with lovely and subtle tastes of lardons and black truffles (if consumed without the sauce)   
Foie gras poché, gnocchi de parmesan et pignons de pin (Poached foie gras, gnocchi of parmesan cheese and pine nuts) - The classic albufera sauce and duck liver enhanced the poularde's flavors; some spelt and light gnocchi beautifully absorbed the creamy sauce while the nuts gave solid accent and texture contrast. Ultimately, the Tuber melanosporum (slipped beneath the bird's skin when cooking as well as from generous slicing) elevated this traditional dish to even a higher level. C'est parfait!
Friselli d’agria, fondue d’oignons doux | lard de colonnata (Friselli of agria potatoes, slow-simmered sweet onions | colonnata lard) - The thin & crisp potatoes in deep yellow color + simmered onions + fragrant Perigord truffles delivered some moderate sweet flavors to perfectly complement the savory taste of the chicken from Culoiseau farm

Accompanied by wine: 2015 Vincent girardin Volnay (Nose of ripe cherries & plum, lovely but rather young, good tannin and acidic as well as medium body)

Grand desserts
Mont Ventoux - A mont-blanc with the addition of mushroom galette and Perigord truffles. It had different layers of texture and flavor variations. Unlike the classic version, the chestnut, meringue and cream filling at Mont Ventoux were less sweet ... the earthy and firm mushrooms added additional dimensions. I liked it a lot   
Royale Richerenches - It might not look too appetizing but it was some kind of cream cheese with good balance of sweet and a little sour taste plus musky & tasty truffle - better than expected
Cassate citron de Menton, oranges sanguines liées d’un sirop de clémentine (Cassate flavoured with lemon from Menton, blood oranges thickened with a clementine syrup) - A creative take from the traditional Cassata. The firm and cold cake was moistened with lemon & blood oranges and layered by some cheese (ricotta?). The use of blood orange generated more sour / acidic taste which was very useful in the grand scheme of the other desserts altogether. This one would reduce any sweetness but the truffle did not make any big impact here  
Un trait d’huile d’olive de votre choix (A hint of olive oil of your choice) - The extra virgin olive oil with passion fruit cream and Winter truffles contributed some bitter taste in a gentle way 
Sablé de mâche (Lamb’s lettuce salad shortbread) - A smart combo of rich & sweet sable pie with raw & tangy lamb's lettuce successfully highlighted the unique aroma and flavor of chopped Tuber melanosporum on top - awesome!
To fully appreciate the dessert creations of Gagnaire was by eat a little bit of everything continuously in random orders or according to your palate preferences - I truly enjoy this many desserts showcasing the use of black truffle; well done!

The dinner food was exceptional, but what made the overall meal extraordinary was that the front of the house team also performed at (very) high level in particular from the "middle level" staffs. Herve Parmentier, the restaurant director, did not work on that Monday night. I was mostly taken care of by the assistant manager, who helped the opening of Gagnaire Bordeaux and a junior maitre d' lady, who used to work in Ireland. Whoever served you, the younger staffs at this place mainly were patient, spoke fluent English, had good knowledge about Gagnaire's (complex) dishes, and amiable. In the last 2 visits, I noticed things that I only encountered at Pierre Gagnaire Balzac. Any meal here usually would last 3+ hours, so before I actually completed my lunch / dinner ... if my maitre d'hotels had to leave first, they would come to my table and politely excuse themselves - apologizing that they're unable to stay until my meal finish, thanking me to have come and the opportunity to serve, and lastly introduce another staff who would attend my table until the end. I thought it was a very kind and professional gesture. Strangely, the memorable hospitality I received at Gagnaire Balzac was generally rendered by staffs whom I would never see them again when returning here a couple of years later whereas the service from long-service staffs at the manager / director level was somehow just ordinary.

Having visited and dined at Pierre Gagnaire's flagship restaurant for more than a decade, what more needs to be said? I was still blown away by his innovative, artistic and 'experimental' cooking. The master's ability to cleverly juxtapose flavors, textures and produce to bring dishes to the next level never ceased. Each dish preparation, execution and presentation was, as always, excellent. With the open mind and adventurous spirit, it's hard not to like this place. The menu kept evolving; there's no specific signature dishes. Even the Parfum de terre's content usually changed every season & annually. Guest could have a fantastic langoustine a la carte, come again 1-2 years later for the "same" dish ... to his / her surprise, the smaller and large plates combinations of the langoustine would be different. The mineral water at Gagnaire was often free; the restaurant had pretty good selections of wines at reasonable prices and the sommelier could adjust to the diners' need accordingly.

The only "downside" was perhaps the dining room begged for upgrading given the great status of this institution. Lastly, a few words about the passionate and accomplished Executive Chef Michel Nave. Michel Nave to Pierre Gagnaire is Eric Bouchenoire to Joel Robuchon; they were simply inseparable. As a MOF recipient, Michel's ability in classical French cuisine was unquestionable. Similar to his boss, Michel loved challenge and progress. How Gagnaire's attitude to never stay on his laurels happened to be suitable to Chef Nave's personality and ambition. Michel Nave was crucial when Gagnaire managed to recover his 3rd Michelin star after having moved to Paris. Then, Chef Nave has safeguarded the main restaurant's quality and operation as Pierre expanded his empire. Now, with nearly 20 restaurants to oversee under Gagnaire's brands ... well, the humble and talented Michel Nave has to get used to travelling overseas as well. Sometimes, Gagnaire and Nave even got to travel separately to ensure their restaurants perform at their desire levels. The pictures of this meal can be found: Pierre Gagnaire Jan '19. This is one of the "4-star" (the better ones among Michelin's best) restaurants in my notes and I can come here again and again without being bored.   

Food (and Wine) : 98 pts

Service (and Ambiance) : 96 pts

Overall : 97.5 / 100

Pierre Gagnaire Paris - 5th visit

Pierre Gagnaire, nowadays, is a celebrated French chef whose empire has included more than a dozen restaurants across three continents. His success story started in Saint-Étienne, a city in the east-central France, when in 1993 Gagnaire's restaurant received 3-star Michelin. Since economically challenging to run a gastronomy restaurant in a small town, Pierre Gagnaire decided to move his eponymous dining place to the capital and once again awarded 3-star in 1998; he has held it until now. Although he is currently a 'celebrity' chef, Pierre Gagnaire loves being in the kitchen and gets his hands dirty preparing dishes for the guests. Many people truly respect this attitude, even his peers voted Gagnaire as the World's best chef in 2015 via a poll of Le Chef magazine. Pierre Gagnaire's creations are unique in that they're intellectual, experimental and poetic at the same time. While more and more chefs tried to simplify their dishes using a few ingredients, on the contrary, Gagnaire loves combining several products to generate maximum flavors and creative textures in a single dish. Those who are open-minded and love novelty usually will enjoy and appreciate Chef Gagnaire's work. Often, his food has been perceived to operate at "higher levels" as many of the dishes are deeply personal and guided by his intuition and passion. My meals at Pierre Gagnaire's flagship restaurants have always been fun and adventurous.

Pierre Gagnaire Paris is located on the ground floor of hotel Balzac but it has its own entrance. The only thing that they shared was the restrooms. As you enters the main door, you would walk past the bar area before reaching the main dining room at the lower level. The decor has been very similar ever since I visited this place in 2007 - the dining room was dominated by wood color with plenty of torn pages attached to the walls and the floor was covered by carpet. The lighting was soft but during lunch time, it was fine due to some natural lights from the windows near the street. Tables, covered by superior white linens, are large and the distance between them were generous except the ones at the back / mezzanine level. Pierre Gagnaire was one of the few restaurants in which I preferred having the full a la carte dishes to the tasting menu (for those who like degustation menu, please do so - it's also very good). This time, I actually ordered 2 main courses from the seafood section with no entree since I really want to try the langoustine. The meal would start with an array of nibbles and bread (classic baguette, milk roll and seaweed). Then, the rests were as follow:

Cocktail de poche

Moules de bouchot et oignons grelots au vinaigre sanbaizu, cristes marines - Farm mussels and small onions flavored with Sanbaizu vinegar and sea fennel.
Infusion Tiké: sardine laquée, maquereau au sel, pointe de rhubarbe et énoki - Infusion Tike with lacquered sardine, salted mackerel, a hint of rhubarb and enoki mushrooms.
Toutes petites perches du lac Léman meunière, cresson et oreilles de judas - Small perches from the Geneva lake, watercress and oreille de judas mushrooms.
Mousseline de foie blond, sablé d’aubergine; mousse de carotte - Liver mousseline with eggplant shortbread and carrot mousse.
Perle Noire: pâte de pois chiches, jus de poivron vert au poivre vert - Perle noire of chickpea paste, green sweet pepper juice spiced with green pepper.

To comprehend and explain Gagnaire's food was challenging, even for the restaurant's staffs. There were so many elements and a reflection of the latest seasonal ingredients. The items were stimulating and imaginative, and at the same time tasty thankfully. The amuse bouche showcased plenty of flavor and texture contrasts. Some were intense and aromatic; satisfying opening but the better items were coming from the a la carte dishes.

La Pêche (Fishing)

LANGOUSTINE

Part 1
Grosse langoustine croustillante 1982 – condiment Dundee-Peeky (Crunchy large Langoustine, from the 1982 recipe, with seasoning of Dundee Peeky) - It was arguably the most perfect big prawn 'tempura' I've ever had. The crisp "batter" was so light / thin that it barely interfered with the delicate texture + delicious & sweet flavor of the very large langoustine. It was a stunning piece of giant prawn.

Side dishes:
Pommes soufflées au sumac (Souffled potatoes with sumac powder) - The airy & light potato souffles were very good; they're mixed with versatile sumac powder (tangy & slightly tart). An awesome condiment for the langoustine.
Crème prise, baies de miltomate (Creme prise, miltomate berries) - A thick and tasty cream was paired with the fresh, acidic and fruity berries to accompany the large Dublin bay prawn.

Part 2
De toutes petites saisies au beurre pimenté, flambées au vieux rhum; gelée de cidre fermier sur une galette de blé noir (Small langoustine seared in a spicy butter and flamed with aged rum; served with farm cider jelly on a buckwheat crepe) - The tender and flavorful langoustine was cooked a la minute; the 'green' sauce was rich and sophisticated - a bit spicy, deliciously complex yet all of the elements were in harmony. A dazzling Dublin bay prawn!

Crues | givrées légèrement fumées, navet Buren; miel du maquis corse au citron d’Iran (Raw, frosted and lightly smoked, turnip Buren; served with honey from the Corsican maquis and Iranian black lemon) - The smaller raw prawn was fresh, smooth and very tasty (with pleasant honey smell and flavor) while the turnip & black lemon balanced the dish.

Raviole imprimée d’herbes, salpicon au curry vert (Ravioli with herbs, diced langoustine spiced with green curry) - An unusual preparation for the prawn; light, interesting and aromatic. The "spices" would reduce any intense taste coming from the other langoustine plates. It might not be my favorite langoustine dish nevertheless it's necessary in light of the overall flavors and textures for this a la carte dish.    

TURBOT

Pavé de turbot sauvage poêlé à l’arête – les filets sont levés, assaisonnés de copeaux de Comté et de tomatillo, olives verte de Lucques; bouillon de cepes à l’amontillado (Pan-fried Turbot steak cooked on the bone: the fillets are cut and served with thin slices of Comte cheese, tomatillo and green olives from Lucques; there were also cepe mushrooms bouillon flavored with Amontillado) - Gagnaire is an expert in cooking fish and (again) I ordered a Turbot dish; it was luxurious, generous and incredible. It was less complicated than the langoustine as the main item was a huge and perfectly cooked wild turbot cooked on the bone - meaty and flaky; great flavors and textures. The sauce was earthy as a reflection of the Autumn taste. It was dominated by the flavors of Turbot's delicious jus, tart green olives, woody cepes & dry-sweet amontillado. The chef-patron loves to be innovative and pushing the boundaries, luckily they generally worked well and matched my palate such as what happened to this fish.

Side dishes:
Toast de bardes | gel de citron au cerfeuil (Turbot bards served with gel of lemon and chervil) - The bards were refreshing and naturally sweet; nicely integrated with sour-sweet lemon gel as well as delicate yet fine chervil herbs. A good side dish for the Turbot.
Cocotte de murex et cocos de Paimpol au jus de viandes blanches (Cocotte of murex mollusc and white beans from Paimpol in a white meats juice) - The murex casserole was kinda chewy, in contrast to the starchy and nutty beans. It was decent though hardly influenced / enhanced the main Turbot's flavor.

Accompanied by wine: 2009 Roc d’Anglade Blanc Vin de Pays du Gard (Smooth with fresh and round palate. It had delicate minerals, scents of apple and quince with citrus finish. 2017 was a good time to drink it)

Dessert

SOUFFLE PISTACHE-VANILLES

Soufflé à la pistache de Sicile, crème glacée à la vanille de Tahiti (Souffléed biscuit flavored with pistachio from Sicile and served with Tahiti vanilla ice cream) - The souffle was terrific; it was delectable and fragrant. The top outer part had some crunch while the inside was smooth (yet not eggy) with deep flavor of vanilla and sweet pistachio. This could only mean the egg yolk and milk used were superb. The ice cream was rich and round; the temperature and texture contrasts were lovely. The souffle of 3-star quality was indeed special.

Side dishes:
Loukoum à la vanille de Madagascar, lait de coco et noix (Madagaskar vanilla loukoum with coconut milk and walnuts) - The coconut milk was viscous & nutty while the loukoum was sweet with jelly-like texture.
Galette de sucre à la vanille Tahaa, mousseux of passion fruits (Tahaa vanilla sugar galette with passion fruits mousseux) - The pure vanilla was aromatic & rich but balanced by the sour passion fruit frothy.
Pistachio Baklava, crème au fromage (Pistachio Pavlova and cheesecake cream) - The baklava was not overly sweet with a little acidic cream.

Pierre Gagnaire Paris, once again, has been able to prepare a stunning meal consistently. This was arguably one of the best meals I've ever had here. I think it could be the case because after more than a decade ago, eventually I met Pierre Gagnaire himself again. He's leading by example to his team: busy in the kitchen as well as taking time to approach and greet guests. I was invited to visit the kitchen too - smaller than I had anticipated. The service was impeccable; the best one I've experienced here. Most of the time, I was taken care of by Alexandre who was patient, polite and knowledgeable. The food was well-paced given that I only had 2.5 hours.

Pierre Gagnaire may not be young anymore but he was still energetic with young spirit. He kept producing new and vibrant dishes that usually only came from younger chefs. With the expansion of his vast portfolio, nowadays Thierry Mechinaud (chef de cuisine) regularly leads the flagship restaurant's kitchen. Even Gagnaire's right hand man who's also a MOF recipient, Michel Nave was busy traveling. On the day I had lunch here, Nave was in Shanghai preparing for the opening of Le Comptoir. The 'funny' part, I hardly visited Pierre Gagnaire's other restaurants in Asia or outside Europe despite loving his cooking very much. Since I often come to the city of lights, at least once every 1-2 years, I thought - what's the point of visiting anywhere else but Gagnaire Balzac? For the photos of the above dishes, please check: Pierre Gagnaire Oct '17  

If any of you ever wondered why you could not find the review of my meal at Pierre Gagnaire Paris - 4th visit, don't be surprised because I never wrote any. However, you still could see the pictures of that dinner here: gagnaire paris 2014

Food (and Wine): 97 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 95 pts

Overall: 96.5/100

  

Pierre Gagnaire Paris - 3rd visit

Haute cuisine has become a big trend in the developed society all around the globe in the past several years. Pioneered by Alain Ducasse and Joel Robuchon, many more celebrity chefs have followed their foot steps to open several restaurants bearing the chef's name. Pierre Gagnaire, a talented and adventurous chef, without exception has also expanded his wings as far as Seoul and Moscow. When he opened Sketch London in 2002 or even Pierre Tokyo and HK in '05/06, I thought this was it. With the recent aggressive expansion, I am curious whether Chef Gagnaire's eponymous restaurant in Paris is still up to its high standard; whether the ranking drops in the restaurant magazine was associated with him not being in the Paris kitchen often enough. However, with 2 wonderful experiences before, I decided to still go ahead and hoped to have another great meal in mid-December 2010. This was indeed a meal to remember.

It was the beginning of winter, but the weather was colder than usual (as a matter of fact, it's about one week before the Europe's blizzard and winter storm). Our hotel was not too far from rue Balzac, hence we chose to walk. We arrived at the restaurant nearly 830 PM and the restaurant was nearly full, diners were split between francophone and english-speaking guests. Actually, this was a good period to enjoy "La Chasse" aka game season. I quite like game stuffs such as partridge, venison or hare but I knew I could not eat them too much (tasting portion should be sufficient). My fiancee never tried any hunting stuffs, I was afraid that she would not like it. Since we prefer to order a la carte dishes, we opted to skip game dishes (it will probably be too heavy for us) as well as white truffle stuffs, the later one was due to our limited budget. Pierre Gagnaire was a master in preparing dishes based on the sea and land elements. Thus, it's a must that we order one fish as well as one meat dish. To start our meal, we split something that was (hopefully) light and refreshing. Prior to these, we had several amuse-bouche. The ones I remembered enjoying were artichoke jelly with spinach and lentil soup with green beans and mushrooms. The ones I expected to be good such as clam & eel with tomato and cucumber turned out to be so-so. These were what we ate,

Les Entrees
LE JARDIN MARIN (MARINE GARDEN)

Corolle de bar de ligne au sel de Maldon, chair de pamplemousse thaï, aloé-vera et mangue verte; huile d’olive ardente Santa Tea émulsionnée citron confit, fruits de la passion, miel d’arbousier (Corolla of line-fished sea bass with maldon salt, flesh of thai pomelos, aloe vera and green mango; Santa Tea ardente olive oil emulsified with crystallized lemon, passion fruits, Arutus tree honey) - The dish looked simple on picture, but the preparation was complex. It's more like a fresh fish prepared in sashimi-style

Royale d’oursin au vieux malt; coques, amandes et bigorneaux (Royal-style urchin with aged malt; cockles, dog cockles, periwinkles with pearl barley) - The sea whelk tasted mild, the whole dish showed some textures contrast among different ingredients
Galette soufflée de mascarpone, langues et fleurs de capucine (Souffleed mascarpone pancake, urshin tongues and capucine flowers) - Only Pierre Gagnaire can make this kind of 'strange but interesting' dish ... the pancake was soft served with nice urchin

Barquette végétale: kokotchas, tripe de morue et espardeigne (Cod Kokotchas, salt cod tripe and sea cucumber served in a green “barquette” made of vegetables with agar-agar) - A fragrant and excellent dish, probably my favorite in the Marine Garden appetizers. The veggies were fresh, the cod and sea cucumber were very tasty

Coeur de laitue braisé farci d’une brandade sèche, dentelle de châtaigne; velouté vert (Braised heart of lettuce stuffed with a dry “brandade”, chesnut lace; green velvety sauce) - This lettuce salad was alright, not particularly delicious
Infusion de crevette grise, poudre à tabac (Infusion of grey shrimps, cepe mushrooms’ powder) - The soup was rather clear, but rich in taste. The shrimps were nice and sweet

La Mer
TURBOT, ANEMONE DE MER, CHAMPIGNONS DE PARIS (TURBOT, SEA “ANEMONE”)

Darne de gros turbot rôtie à la casserole ; les filets sont levés et terminés dans un velouté de champignon de Paris cerfeuil, roquette, cébette (Steak of large Turbot roasted in a casserole; the fillets are cooked in a smooth broth of Paris mushrooms chervil, melissa, rocket) - A firm and wonderful piece of turbot's white flesh. The fish by itself is already great, but the sweet and fresh 'green sauce' below made this dish even more flavorful. About as good as roast turbot with butter sauce I ate at l'Arpege

Anémone de mer traitée meunière, champignons boutons à la maniguette (Sauteed sea “Anemone” meuniere, button mushrooms with maniguette spice) - To balance the rather sweet green broth from the turbot, here comes the mushrooms side dish with garlic. It's earthy, but the spice was a bit too salty
Pâte d’agrumes aux câpres la Nicchia (Paste of citrus fruits flavored with Nicchia capers) - The acidic part of the side dish, not bad

Tarte Rouge: une duxelle; oignon, piquillos et poivron; gelée de piment d’Espelette (Red tart: sweet red peppers, onion, pepper, Espelette chilli pepper gelee) - Peppers combination that is able to extract some sweet, fresh and a little sour tastes. A good distraction from the turbot's rich flavor, even this was good enough as a dish on its own at any tasting menu

Accompanied by wine: 2007 Domaine Cauhape Jurancon Sec La Canopee (the white wine from the Aquitaine region)

La Terre
AGNEAU DE LOZERE – CARABINEROS D’ALGARVE (LOZERE LAMB – ALGARVE CARABINEROS SHRIMPS)

Selle d’agneau de Lozère frottée d’origan, cuisinée à plat; crêpe de pois chiche, humus et ris caramelizes. Beurre de cuisson lié de tamarin (Saddle of Lozere lamb rubbed with oregano; chickpeas pancake, caramelized humus and sweetbread. Butter sauce thickened with tamarind) - Is this what someone would call culinary perfection? When I ate the tender and pink lamb loin, it seemed so ethereal. If you like your juicy lamb richer, the thick brown sauce could help you. With this, I could simply 'ignored' other 'side' dishes. As good if not better than Passard's T-bone lamb (my fav. lamb thus far). It's official that I like Lozere lamb better than its Aubrac counterpart

Bourse d’ail noir au chou pommé (Green cabbage leave stuffed with black garlic on a cabbage compote) - A kind of salad, sorry that I could hardly remember anything about it
Blette paquet au Roquefort, caillé de brebis au céleri doré (Small parcels of white beets with Roquefort cheese, curdled ewe’s milk with celery) - It was decent with strong cheese flavor

Grosse carabinieros saisie à la plaque, harissa Maison (Big carabinieros shrimps cooked a la plancha, home-made Harissa) - This prawn seemed to be out of nowhere, nevertheless it's a fat and tasty prawn (fresh and sweet). However, the lamb was so good that the shrimp was out shined
Shiso, riz noir vénéré aux baies de sureau (Shiso, black rice with elderberries) - The rice with versatile perilla could elevate the already delicious and rich Lozere lamb dish

Accompanied by wine: 2008 Andre Perret Saint-Joseph (the red wine from the Syrah variety)

After eating the appetizers, my fiancee happened to be really sleepy (due to jet lag). We're supposed to share our dishes, but what happened was that I ended up consuming 80% of the main courses. I was more than happy to do so since both the turbot steak and the saddle of lamb were really scrumptious. But, consequently I did not have any space left for sweets as I was very full, though I longed to savor Chef Gagnaire's Le Grand Dessert. Gagnaire Paris remains one of the must-go dining places in the French capital and truly worth its 3-star accolade. As one of the world's most dynamic chef, Gagnaire's food is revolutionary yet rooted in French cuisine strong tradition - this was faithful to his cooking philosophy = 'facing tomorrow but respectful of yesterday' aka "tourné vers demain mais soucieux d'hier".

Some foodies said that no one prepared fish better than Pierre Gagnaire. This was probably true based on my tasty Bar de ligne (from 1st meal) and Turbot. After 3 visits, however, I was more impressed with the Chef's ability to cook wonderful meat items. The beef's shoulder and lamb loin were prepared with high precision as well as perfect execution resulting in unforgettable dishes. In his early 60s, Gagnaire's roasting skills seems to get better and better - perhaps on the next visit, I should try the duck or sweetbread. His imagination and spirit do not grow weary. Additionally, one will hardly eat the same dish here. For example, I ate "Parfum de Terre" a la carte a couple of years ago. I saw it again this time, yet none of the dishes was repeating what I previously had. Another positive aspect of Gagnaire Paris was: consistency. I've been dining here when Gagnaire was leading the kitchen, this time was under Michel Nave, who has been working with Gagnaire for more than 20 years, and when neither was available (led by Chef Thierry - the no 3 guy). In all those visits, the food was consistently good and of high quality (the 2nd meal was maybe slightly inferior compared the other 2 visits). I don't feel the need to discuss the service and ambiance further since they're good as always :) Please visit this link for the pictures,
https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/PierreGagnaireParisFrance3rdVisit

Food (and Wine): 97 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 94 pts

Overall: 96/100

Pierre Gagnaire Paris - 2nd visit

Like many foodies have said, there is hardly (if any) many fine dining restaurant that could surprise, amaze and at the same time frustrate its clients other than the one and only - Pierre Gagnaire Paris. In the extreme case, some would claim that having a meal here is like a culinary gambling ... it may not be completely wrong since you will spend a few hundred Euros and there is a likelihood that you will be disappointed at the end. But hey ... millions of people still go gambling despite knowing for sure that the odd to win is really small. So, near the end of October 2008, about 2 weeks after Lehman Brothers went bust, I returned to this legendary place, but this time for dinner and no more renovation work happening at Hotel Balzac. It was a chill Sunday and there were plenty of people enjoying themselves around L'avenue des Champs Elysees. I reached the restaurant at 1930 and it was relatively quiet, this time I was seated at the mezzanine level.

As described in my previous meal here, Pierre Gagnaire's cuisine is perhaps like a roller coaster, but it is not completely random. His cooking truly reflects his personality and passion. He's really an extraordinary artist in the kitchen who execute his dishes with high precision though the result is not always perfect, but when it does ... it's simply amazing! I have always been curious about trying the a la carte menu at Gagnaire Paris, but so far have no guts to do so. However, after the 1st visit, I had the courage to do so this time. The a la carte here is unique -there is usually one main ingredient/theme and it's prepared in 4-5 different ways - no other 3-star establishments doing such things, not even Pierre's Tokyo or Hong Kong. The risk for my feast this time was even higher after learning that both Chef Proprietaire as well as Chef de Cuisine were not present in the kitchen, but if not now I was not sure when I would have another chance. In addition, Gagnaire would not simply leave his beloved restaurant in the hand of some incapable staffs. Being an adventurous person, I did not order any conventional dishes to increase the excitement and the risk. Anyway, here what I had (nothing too memorable from my Amuse-bouche).

Les Entrees

PARFUMS DE TERRE (FLAVORS OF THE EARTH)

Raviole de roquette à l’estragon, soupe de poireau grille aux baies de sureau (Arugula ravioli with tarragon served in grilled leek soup and elderberries) - A unique one and it's the best among "Parfums de Terre" dishes. There's a little taste of foie gras, the soup is also good. Overall, a very earthy dish indeed!

Quenelle Ranavalo; minestrone insoliete; bisque forestière (Thick cream soup of wild mushrooms served with puree of vegetables) - The mushroom cream is very strong and dominant; I hardly taste the vegetables

Coeurs de celtuce, sorbet d’endive au vinaigre de coquelicot (The thick part of stem lettuce served with chicory salad green sorbet and poppy vinegar) - This sorbet with sake is OK

Le veau de lait: poitrine longuement braisée, enrobée d’un caramel de framboise à l’oseille (Braised of milk-fed veal breast meat coated with caramel of raspberry and sorrel) - A small piece of tasty veal balanced with raspberries, so that it will not be cloying
Feuilles sauvages du jardin d’Annie Bertin, bouillon d’artichaut brûlant (Wild leaves from Annie Bertin’s garden served with hot broth of artichoke) - I like this herbs soup. It may taste like Chinese medicine at first, but the more you drink, the better. It's a bit hot and spicy, suitable for cold weather

La Terre

LE BŒUF D’ORIGINE FRANÇAISE (FRENCH BEEF)

Paleron de boeuf poêlé au laurier; tranché devant vous, la viande est posée sur une crème de rave au saké (Pan-fried shoulder of beef in bay leaf, sliced in front of me and placed on sake cream) - This is the best piece of beef/steak I've ever eaten - forget Morton or Ruth Christ, even slightly better than Akagegyu beef. The French beef (surprisingly is not at all inferior to Japanese Wagyu), with some layers of fat, is truly delicious and it's enhanced with cream of sake. A genius work on the palate, even though the master himself was absent

Moelle au caviar osciètre, pointe de persil fume (Beef bone marrow served with osetra caviar and tip of smoked parsley) - The bone marrow is somewhat dull, the caviar's saltiness brings out the flavor. The herbs below gave some distinct aroma ...
Carotte d’epaule en pot-au-feu; sauce daube et chantilly Hermès (Simmered beef shoulder stew served in sweetened carrot whipped cream sauce) - The beef stew is not bad at all except the mousse is a bit too sweet for my taste

Poire traitée comme un carpaccio, vinaigre liqueur (Thinly sliced raw beef served with liquor vinaigrette and pear puree) - The beef is of high quality, but the flavor is slightly overtaken by the puree
Friselli, cantal frais et oignons crus piquants (Thin potato chips prepared with fresh Auvergne cheese and spicy raw onions) - Nice and decent chips
Jus froids, museau au sesame noir (Vinegared beef muzzle served with cold aspic and black sesame) - My least favorite in the "Boeuf a la Francaise" dishes. It's normal, the gelee below is just fine

Les Desserts

LE SOUFFLÉ GINGEMBRE AUX CHOCOLATS D’ORIGINE (GINGER SOUFFLE IN CHOCOLATE)

Biscuit soufflé gingembre fraise et pur Vénézuela (Sponge cake soufflé served with fresh ginger and undiluted Venezuelan chocolate) - The intense chocolate souffle served untraditionally on the plate. The top part is a bit crispy, below it's smooth intensified with pure chocolate
Ganache onctueuse au Trinité; tranche de cassate à la pistache de Sicile et chocolat lacté (Rich mixture of chocolate and smooth cream sliced in 3 ways, Sicilian pistachio in left & right and milk chocolate in the middle) - The ganache is very smooth, while the pistachio one is particularly good. But, overall it's just too small

Eau de fraise au kirsch, glace blanche au gingembre noir du Vietnam (Water of strawberry and eau-de-vie of wild black cherries served with white ice of black ginger from Vietnam) - This "cherry water" is hardly sweet and served cold. To me, this side dish of the dessert acts more as palate cleanser to tone down the strong chocolate souffle
Mikado de chocolat au lait saupoudré de thé vert (Powder of Mikado chocolate milk sprinkled with green tea) - The powder beautifully add the presentation of the souffle, but it's swallowed by the strong chocolate taste of the souffle

The wine in Pierre Gagnaire is pretty solid, but often overshadowed by the food. I had a glass of wine for each course. Firstly, I drank 2006 Chateau Revelette Le Grand Blanc and it was alright. To accompany the beef, I had 2004 Domaine Gauby Cotes du Roussillon. The wine is simple, but good; the fruit is clean and pure. It's quite acidic with rapid finishing. Lastly, included in the dessert, I enjoyed a glass of Bodegas Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez Triana. With some raisins aroma, I find it was opulently sweet yet matched well with any chocolate dessert generally. The hospitality here is professional as usual; staffs are attentive and friendly without being obstrusive. I had a little chat with one Spanish waiter regarding the first F-1 night race where his hero, Fernando Alonso won the first race this year. Unlike my first visit, I did not have to submit my Credit Card number to guarantee for my reservation. Nothing has changed in terms of the restaurant decor. The atmosphere is a bit more formal in the evening. Almost half of the diners were foreigners, so it should not be a surprise that there are already 3 Gagnaire's restaurants in Asia. Nowadays, a top restaurant should be able to consistently perform regardless when the head chef is around or not. My dinner here is a little bit short compared to my lunch a year ago, nevertheless I still had a wonderful meal. Perhaps, it would be equally as good had I chosen a more conservative approach by ordering the famous Les Langoustines or Le Turbot. For the pictures of what I ate, please click the following link http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/PierreGagnaireParisFrance2ndVisit#

Food (and Wine): 96 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 94 pts

Overall: 95.5/100

Pierre Gagnaire Paris - 1st visit

The 2006 Easter holiday was the time when I eventually visited and savored the 3* restaurants at its original country - France, the home of the legendary Michelin Red Guide. As the guide suggests 3-star restaurant is a place that serves exceptional cuisine and worth a special journey. Here it comes: at the end of May this year (2007), I, all by myself, flew to Europe specifically to indulge more than half dozen of three stars restaurants, one of the most memorable experiences is a lunch at Pierre Gagnaire (Π) Paris. After having a decent experience at Pierre Hong Kong, this would be the right time to enjoy the Haute Cuisine extravaganza in the Hotel Balzac where the master himself was the man behind the stove. This establishment is a must-try for any real adventurous foodies; it is one of the most fashionable haute-cuisine dining spots - don’t come here and expect to have traditional French dishes. Every meal is complex and inventive, making each dish a new experience and discovery, his cuisine is indeed intellectual and poetic, no wonder some people call the chef-owner Pierre Gagnaire – the “Picasso of the palate”. Gagnaire always pursues new ideas; nevertheless he never forgets the main objective of giving his patrons pleasure through the art of cuisine. Here it is the story of my exploration.

About 1230 PM, I entered the main door of the restaurant – I’d better came early since they would charge me €100 had I not shown up that day. From the outside, few people would think this would be a place that is worthy of a special trip to Paris since it looked quite rundown (Hotel Balzac underwent a big renovation, left many dusts, dirty stones and some uneven stairs near the restaurant’s entrance). Thankfully, the hotel and the restaurant are two separate entities, inside everything looks as good as the other 3-star places I’ve visited, even better as Gagnaire himself greeted his guests. Just before I sit at my table, the waiter offered me a ‘potato croquette’, what special about it was that the crisp potato along with a little cheese inside was actually melting; finally I ate an amuse-bouche that is as delicious as ADNY’s gougères. There were 3 menus here – Le menu Degustation (lunch and dinner) and A la Carte. The maitre d’ kept insisting that I should have the a la carte; to be honest it looks very tempting. At Π, the a la carte menu would usually be one main ingredient served in several different preparations, however there’s always a classic problem – money. Two orders of the a la carte (without cheese or desserts) would easily be more expensive than the tasting menu. Because of this, I opted for the degustation menu – the full course (I would not fly more than 12-hour just to get the small tasting menu). Without further delay, these are what I had.

Menu Printemps nº03 (The 3rd degustation menu for the Spring season)

Gelée d’olive noire Taggiasche, mousseline de celery rave. Coeur de cabillaud (grille-poché) dans une huile d’olive au miel du desert des Agriates (Jelly black olive Taggiasche, chiffon of celery turnip. Grill-poached Codfish/Morue heart in olive oil with honey of Agriates desert) - The fish is tasteless and slightly too soft accompanied by bitter black olives, the overall taste is rather funny. I don’t like it. This could be an example where Gagnaire’s experiment failed. Not a very good start …

Asperge du Perthuis, émincés d’oignons nouveaux au paprika, carottes multicolores, lichettes de gruyere assaisonnées. Crème d’amande au citron vert. Jus d’étrille lié d’avoine (Perthuis asparagus, thin slices of new onions with paprika, different kinds of carrots, seasoned gruyere – Swiss cheese – nibbles. Almond cream with green lemon, crab’s juice of oats) - A great vegetable dish - not inferior to Passard’s, you should mix the veggies along with the crab meat sauce, there is a harmony of taste created with different intensity level of flavors. The carrot is also good when you eat it by itself

Aubergine et rouget, tomate et betterave rouge. Gousses d’ail sablées. Jus de bouillabaisse au poivron rouge. Toast à bécasse et sardine fraîche, givré de concombre à l’amontillado (Eggplant and red mullet served with tomato and red beet. Cloves of garlic shortbread, fish soup juice with red pepper. Toast with woodcock and fresh sardine, sorbet of cucumber with a pale dry sherry) - It’s always amazing to see the complexity of Gagnaire’s cook. The combination above gave a sweet taste with slight bitterness. The cucumber is OK while the sardine is good. The egg plant is the most dominant element of the dish, to appreciate the dish, you need to combine 2-4 ingredients altogether

Bar de ligne rôti à la peau; tranche de navet kabu, jus de cresson. Beurre doux au fenouil (Seabass roasted with its skin served with slice of turnips kabu, watercress juice and soft butter with fennel) - My favorite dish and the most outstanding Seabass I’ve ever tasted. It’s really delicious and not cloying at all, the skin along with the fish’s fat is very crisp. The sauce enrich the fish’ flavor while the veggies tried to balance it out. When someone said that one great dish at Gagnaire is sufficient for the whole meal, I guess this could be one of those dishes. A masterpiece by an artist …

Gras de seiche déclinés; gnocchi de tomate. Cubes (thon rouge – foie gras de canard). Quelques coquillages d’été (Reduced-fat cuttlefishes and tomato gnocchi. Blue fin tuna and duck foie gras served with some summer shellfishes) - The squids served in 3 ways (plain, seaweed and with its ink) are average. The tuna belly is as good if not better than Japanese top sashimi, very tasty and melting in my mouth before even I had a chance to bite it. The piece of foie gras is intensely good. The rests - integrate the tomatoes’ sweet & sour taste with the cockles flavor to create a savory palate. Another excellent dish

Glace de petits pois à la menthe poivrée; marinière de legumes verts et infusion d’herbes fraîches au lait de coco. Nèfle pochée (Cold peas with peppermint, mariner’s style of green vegetables and fresh herbs infusion with coconut milk as well as poached medlar/Japanese loquat) - A very refreshing spring vegetables. It clears and takes out any after taste left from the previous dishes, a short break before the main course

Biscuit chaud de langoustine à l’épine vinette, émincé de quasi de veau de lait au persil simple. Crème de morilles fraîches au vin jaune du Jura (Warm biscuit of langoustine with highbush cranberry, and slices of milk-fed veal with parsley served in cream of fresh morels and yellow wine from Jura) - The veal is tender and juicy, combined with tasty morels. But, the essential taste of the langoustine is not really there (hidden) since its preparation rather unusual for me

Cabri ariégeois, poire au vinaigre de coquelicot. Fouchtra, croustade de pain au vieux levain; celeries dorés. Velouté de brebis à la coriandre fraîche, pressé de Valençay (Young goat cheese served with pear and poppy’s vinegar; cow’s milk cheese from Auvergne with croustade of the old leaven’s bread and browned celeries; cream of sheep’s-milk cheese served with fresh coriander) - I like the goat cheese best, while cow’s milk is sour. The bottom cheese taste and smell like mon’t d’or - quite bitter actually. A unique set of cheeses

Les desserts Pierre Gagnaire (The desserts a la Pierre Gagnaire) – The dessert is a mixture of 6 different kinds of small ones. They are lemon mousse with cucumber, light and refreshing; cream of orange and carrot with white cheese below, mild fruit sweetness. There are also coffee plus 2 kinds of cherries, bitter and a bit awkward; pistachio ice cream with summer raspberries - fresh with sweet and sour balanced. In addition, apple jelly and crispy apple "chips" - fragrant apple aroma, but the taste is more on the sour side, maybe to take out the chocolate’s sweetness. Lastly, a glass of dark chocolate cream, if you really love dark chocolate, Pierre’s is the place to go, I ate the bitterest dark chocolate at Gagnaire’s place (Paris as well as Hong Kong)

The wine list at Π is competent. I had a half-bottle of 2004 Saint-Peray, Domaine Bernard Gripa. This is probably the least expensive wine I’ve ever had in the 3* establishment (€28 – this could easily be the cost of a glass of champagne at ADPA). However, it went quite well with Gagnaire’s food. Its freshness and acidity balanced out the strong taste from some of the dishes. Additionally, I also drank a glass of sweet wine to accompany many different dessert combinations a la Pierre Gagnaire - 2001 Jurançon Moëlleux domaine Cauhape. It is fresh and rich with a blend of exotic fruits and citrus, moreover it has an aromatic finish. The dining room is elegant in modern décor accompanied by honey-colored wood and artistic blue wall paper. While the tables are well-spaced, it gives no sense of history or grandeur. The restaurant was surprisingly quiet; only about 10 people including myself ate there during lunch time. The service is refined, relaxed and professional without any sign of the French arrogance, here every guest is valued and respected whether you’re a regular customer or not. Only about half of the waiters are unfortunately capable of speaking decent English. Near the end of my meal, Monsieur Gagnaire smilingly stopped at the table and asked how things were going; all I could say was c’est magnifique!

Pierre Gagnaire is one of the most original and artistic chefs working anywhere today. His styles are contrasts in color, texture, temperature, vibrant flavors and mixture of surprising ingredients. Eating here is an adventure and the patrons should be eager to be part of his exploration though his inventions may not always work (like the first dish I had, luckily the rests of them were fine). Even Pierre admits that he takes risks with his cooking and his over-enthusiasm occasionally goes overboard. For me, it’s well worth my time. I think it’s always interesting to eat here since one would hardly eat the same dish twice, even for each season Π could serve 2-3 different savory menu. Hence, if any of you get chance to eat here, all I can say is just sit back, relax and enjoy. Let the wizard charm you with his show! If any of you would like to see pictures of what I ate, please click the following link below, http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/PierreGagnaireParisFrance1stVisit#

Food (and Wine): 97 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 94 pts

Overall: 96/100