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Ducasse IV: A Mixed Bag Questioning
the Classics
PARIS - Alain Ducasse, with a total of six Michelin
stars to his name, cannot afford to lose. With the recent
unveiling of Spoon Food & Wine - his fourth restaurant
in France - it is clear that he is on a roll. The man
who has attempted to redefine how a grand French chef
behaves (he defies the old rule that a chef's place
is behind the stove) and to prove how long his arms
can stretch (regular flights between his three-star
restaurants in Monaco and Paris, with weekend appearances
in his retreat at Moustiers, in Provence) is now redefining
the modern concept of world food.
When would one ever pronounce in the same breath the
words ''luxurious, refined and audacious'' with ''iceberg
lettuce, BLT and pastrami on rye''? But they all apply
to his newest effort, a small and smart spot right off
the increasingly upmarket Champs-Elysées.
Spoon is perhaps France's first truly international
restaurant, dipping into French, British, American,
Italian, Chinese and Indian cuisine, with a décor
that turns heads and, again, attempts to question classic
traditions.
Rather than with tablecloths, tables are dressed with
cloths that slip into slots, like elegant table runners.
Some 70 magazines from around the world are there for
guests to read, and notepads and pencils are set at
each table to jot down one's thoughts. Along with knives,
forks and of course spoons, each diner receives an elegant
pair of Christofle bamboo chopsticks, which I never
saw anyone use. Although the restaurant advertises a
''free'' second cup of coffee and warm steamed towels
at the end of each meal, we were offered neither.
The menu is not organized in a normal first course,
main course, cheese and dessert progression. Each section
is divided into three columns, allowing diners to mix
and match according to the main dish, the sauce, and
rice or vegetable accompaniment. And in this era of
something for everyone, the menu is bilingual French-English,
with Asian and vegetarian dishes, and everything from
pastrami sandwiches to South American cebiche to Chinese
steamed ravioli.
Half the wines on the list come from America, with
a fine showing from Australia and New Zealand, a true
''happening'' in France. And the cheese course (rather
than the classic Brie, Camembert and Roquefort) consists
of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Cheddar and Stilton.
But the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and
on that front Ducasse has a way to go. Some of it is
not his fault. Truth be told, the public is not all
that ready for such a reshuffling of the status quo.
On a recent evening the well-heeled international crowd
appeared downright confused as to how to order and how
to eat. After studying the menu, the youthful Spanish
couple at my left asked the waiter to order for them.
They then asked that their white wine be put into ''a
real ice bucket'' instead of the plastic ice-cube-less
version. The iceberg lettuce served to them in a tall,
elegant glass bowl was instantly transferred to a common
plate for more practical eating.
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Up-to-Date Methods
Ducasse and his chefs use every method of cooking available
- grills to roasts, rotisserie to woks, cooking over
a hot stone, modern induction and even vacuum-packing
- but the results at the moment are less than brilliant.
On our recent visit, everything that came from the
kitchen looked and tasted very dry, and was by and large
lukewarm. Even the wok-seared vegetables had that soggy,
stewed airline quality about them. And though I am all
for choosing what I eat and when, we are not always
the best judge of what garnish goes well with each dish.
The best finds on that visit included a full-flavored
youm koumg soup, full of spice and laced with squid
and shellfish, as well as designer macaroni gratin,
rich and plump, with plenty of veal cooking juice to
pour over it.
Less successful were the very dry, tasteless grilled
squid served with a perky sauce of crushed preserved
lemon, and a dry roasted veal steak cooked on the rotisserie.
With seating for no more than 70 and tabs that inch
toward 500 francs (about $90) with a decent bottle of
wine, this is not the sort of cuisine that is going
to keep Ducasse at the top. The concept reminds me of
a model for a worldwide chain. But I am sure Ducasse
has already thought of that.
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Spoon Food & Wine, 14 Rue de Marignan, Paris 8.
Tel: 01-40-76-34-44; fax: 01-40-76-34-37. Closed Saturday
and Sunday. All major credit cards. A la carte, 200
to 300 francs.
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