Trip to Europe (Paris-France-Fall 2011)...Dinner at SPRING

(Day 6)
After the big lunch at La Tour d’Argent, Lynne and I walked around Paris sothat we could built good appetites for dinner.


I picked up some cheeses at La Ferme Saint Aubin. The cheese selection is great at this place. They vacuum-pack the cheese for long travel there.


Tonight’s dinner was just two of us at SPRING (6 rue Bailleul 75001, Paris). We could luckily get a table after 4 weeks on the waiting list. The restaurant has the ground floor (with the open kitchen) and basement. Our table was on the basement, which was a cave with short bar counter and few tables. It’s got the beautiful look and ambience.


At SPRING, they serve only one kind of tasting course every night, which is created by the owner Chef Daniel Rose. He is from Chicago and studied French cooking after moving to France 13 years ago, and opened SPRING 5 years ago. He cooks creative modern French dishes with market-fresh ingredients. We toasted with Jacques Lassaigne, Champagne Extra Brut, Blanc de Blancs, “Les Vignes de Mongueux”. Amuse-bouche…pumpkin empanada, pickled chanterelle mushrooms, radish crudite, and salami.


John dory, mushrooms, with spicy chicken broth. The broth was flavored with turmeric, smoked bacon, etc. The fish had the perfect tender texture and fresh flavor. The broth was so aromatic with hint of smoke. It was really delicious. Scallops, topped with kurobuta pork lard, served in emulsion of apple cidar and cabbage…there was a paper-thin piece of clear kurobuta pork lard on top of each scallop. The flavor combination of all the ingredients was so unique and worked extremely well. So impressive.


Fillet of smoked & roasted lamb with almond puree, pomegranates, and watercress. This was one of the best lamb dish I’d had. The meat was so succulent and the flavor was excellent. Wine was very nice, too. We opened 2008 Domaine Digioia-Royer, Chambolle-Musigny. It was quite rich, and almost like Vosne-Romanee kind of juicy berry flavor. Still very young, but after about 30 minutes, the wine developed more complex flavor.


Cheese course…Mimolet, Saint-Amour de Touraine, Monte (from Loir), Pont l’Evec, Munster, Fourme d’Anbert, and REblochon. Heavenly.


Dessert was also wonderful…Poached pair, dusted with hazelnuts, served with crème fraiche.


Just like the previous night, I loved EVERYTHING I ate this evening. The dinner was so brilliant and I finished everything. Chef Rose came to our table and we had a nice chat for a while. He is a super talented young chef! I want to see and taste what kind of dish he would make if he cook with my Iga-yaki donabe…I wish it would happen someday!

Trip to Europe (Paris-France-Fall 2011)...Wine-tasting lunch at La Tour d’Argent

(Day 6)
On the 2nd day in Paris, one of our friends invited us to an elegant lunch at La Tour d’Argent (15 Quai Tournelle 75005 Paris).


It was my first time to dine at the original location of this historic restaurant. Everything is so classic French here. While we were waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, we hung out in their first floor salon and appreciated the interior with original dining set from 1903, ornaments, and decorations, which are priceless. There were also many pictures and autographs of celebrities, dignitaries, and royals from all over the world.


We were escorted to the main dining room on the top floor. We got the table by the window. The panoramic view of central Paris was gorgeous. The service here is very formal, and all the employees are extremely well-trained and spotless.


Amuse-bouche…cheese & mustard filled pie, smoked salmon, and madelaine, filled with tomato jam. They were followed by butternut squash velute with chestnut puree.


La Tour d’Argent is known for its great wine list. Its French wine collection is considered to be the best in the world with vintages dating back from 19th century. The wine list is bigger than a telephone book! Our first bottle was 1988 Domaine Raveneau, Chablis Grand Cru, “Les Clos”. The color was beautiful golden. Hazelnut and earthy character on the nose, with minerality, acid, and sweetness from ripe citrus on the palate. The mouthfeel was round and luscious with long finish. This was one of the best Chablis I’d had.


My first course…Quenelles de Brochet “Andre Terrail” (Pike dumplings “Andre Terrail”). There were two large fish quenelles on the cream & egg based sauce, and the bottom was mushroom duxelle.


Main course…Canette de Vendee a la Courge Violon et Chataignes au Jus (Roasted duckling with marrow & chestnut). Their famous roasted duck. Other dishes...red-wine braised beef, and scallop dishes.


For the main course, we did the decadent vertical of 1985 and 1937 vintages of Michel Gaunoux, Pommard Rugiens. 1985 was rich with dry fruit and spice character with a hint of grip from tannins. Still young and showing beautiful. 1937 simply blew my mind! The color was garnet, and the aroma had the beautiful red fruit, dry flower, spice, and earthiness. The palate was so elegant and smooth with orange, distinctive acidity, spice, and dry fruit. If I had it on a blind tasting, I would’ve never guessed it was 1937 vintage. It was so balanced and complex.


Dessert…Allumette Citron Noisette, Glace “Chocolat lait” (Lemon & hazelnut matchstick, milk chocolate ice cream). My friend had a warm chocolate tart.


The last wine was 1953 Le Mont, Vouvray, Moelloux. Deep golden/ amber color. Light honey, orange peel, and high acidity. No botrytis in this vintage. Sugar was becoming a little drier.


It was such a great wine lunch with friends and I savored every thing. Thank you, Lloyd!

Trip to Europe (Paris-France-Fall 2011)...Dinner at Toyo

(Day 5)
We left Beaune around noon and drove to Paris. It took just about 3 hours to get to this busy city. The weather in Paris was so warm that I didn’t even need a coat.


We did some afternoon shopping. The store we found last year, CREMERIE, was open. We had a nice chat with the owner of this cute wine bar/ wine shop/ gourmet store. I bought a couple of nice Champagnes (not yet distributed in the US)!


The, we went to a dinner at Toyo (17, Rue Jules Chaplain 75006 Paris), which is a very popular restaurant, run by designer Kenzo’s former private chef, Toyomitsu Nakayama. I had to make reservations 1 month in advance. The chef creates haute-Franco-Japonaise cuisine.


It’s a beautiful restaurant with paintings of Kenzo as well as art prints, which were from his private collection. The restaurant has a long counter seating from where you can see all the actions in the open kitchen. We were a group of 6 tonight (including friends of Lloyd) and had a table in the private dining room.


Amuses bouches: Boudin maison et feuille de riz. Flan de soja et huitre (House made sausage and rice chip. Tofu flan with oyster).


1ere Entrée: Aile de Raje pochee(Poached skate fish and potato salad). My friend had Eperlan fish fry with tartar sauce.


2eme Entrée: Maquereau marines (Marinated mackerel). My friend had Seabream carpaccio with bottarga.


1er Plat: Encornet, crevette, champignons et legumes in bouillon (Squid, shrimp, and mushrooms, and vegetables in bouillon). My friend had Pan-fried scallop and daikon cake.


2eme Plat: Paella japonaise aux fruits de mer (Japanese-style paella for 2)…I shared the dish with CT. It was first presented in a pot and served into plate. The rice was cooked in Japanese dashi stock. Steve had Toyo-style curry with vegetables. Lynne had Limousin beef filet steak.


Dessert: Tiramisu au the vert (matcha green tea tiramisu). Other desserts were…Cream cheese soufflé and mandarine liqueur, and Tarte-like strawberry with salt caramel.


Wines were beautiful tonight, also. 2008 Simon-Beze et Fils, Savigny-les-Beaune blanc…from Serpantier vineyard. 2000 Bonneau du Martray, Corton-Charlemagne…rich and round, beautiful. 2009 Fougeray de Beauclair, Vosne-Romanee, “Damodes”…from right west of La Tache vineyard. “Old school” style Vosne-Romanee, so it wasn’t flashy but with luscious frits and spice. Excellent.

What a wonderful dinner it was! I loved EVERYTHING I ate tonight. Every dish was prepared with sensitivity with full of flavor. They were not only so artistic, but also very fresh and not heavy at all. I was so happy to be back in Paris tonight.