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Hélène Darroze
Paris -- She is just a little wisp of a girl, a quiet
blonde powerhouse from the Basque country of France.
A year ago, Hélène Darroze set off a spark
of excitement when she moved her southwestern French
restaurant to the capital, making us all swoon over
the white corn meal polenta from her native land, laced
with hefty portions of Basque sheep's milk cheese and
layered with raw as well as sautéed cèpes
. We loved, as well, her creamy foie gras flan topped
with grilled cepes, the cold white bean soup, and the
crushed brandade spiced with Basque red peppers.
That was all upstairs, in the rather formal dining
room that has since netted her a worthy Michelin star.
But now, I am talking about downstairs, the main floor
dining room originally meant to serve as a table d'hôte,
a casual spot where cassoulet or hefty southwestern
plat du jours could be served at giant tables to be
shared by one and all.
For both dining rooms, a frustrated hue and a cry went
out over service, over slowness, over an overall question
of just what was going on here. Hélène
listened, and come this fall opened the new Salon d'Hélène
to replace the old table d'hôte.
My advice is to walk, run, skip on over with a handful
of hungry diners in tow. Let yourself go! Have a good
time! I did and can't remember when I laughed as much
or last had such an unusually casual good time at table
in Paris .
First of all, the décor is smashing. Modern.
Bright. Hip. Gorgeous black wood tables from the Left
Bank shop Mondenature, and chairs in brilliant hues
of rose, purple, orange. Music is modern and a bit too
loud for my ears, but, hey, better this than a stodgy
old joint.
And the food? Equally fun, modern, inventive, surprising.
Good. Tapas you say? Yes!
Hélène has shown how modern and clever
she can be at the ripe age of 33. Lots of lovely little
bites: Cold tapas, warm tapas, cheese tapas, sweet tapas.
Miam! Can't tell you which ones I loved the best. A
great ceviche or marinated raw tuna touched with the
spicy Basque red pepper from Espelette. Great creamy,
ultra-nutty white beans - haricots mais - teamed up
with equally nutty palourdes, or small and delicate
clams. A favorite for sure were the warm fried "nehms"
or Vietnamese-inspired spring rolls wrapped around a
mixture of ginger-infused shellfish served with a sweet
and sour dipping sauce. Or maybe it was the cannelloni,
gratineed with Basque sheep's milk cheese and teamed
up with the delicious southwestern ham from Pierre Oteiza.
Oh, and don't forget the langoustines tempura, served
with a red pepper chutney.
To my mind, each of these miniature creations, inspired
by the Spanish custom of taking little bites of savory
fare is brilliant and beautifully executed. I would
not want to eat this way each and every day, but for
a decadent lunch now and then, it's just the ticket.
The cheese tapas are equally delicious with the smooth,
almost runny goat's cheese Cabécou de Rocamadour
served with a hazelnut and raisin bread, as well as
the famed Basque sheep's milk cheese paired with the
traditional black cherry jam.
The lunch menu offers a quick and rapid fix, with a
choice of a tapas of the day, a plat du jour (which
may range from braised veal head cheese to roasted scallops
with chestnuts and onions and on to roasted duck breast
with an assortment of spices) and a glass of wine for
140 francs.
Tapas prices themselves range from 35 to 90 francs
each, and I advise you go with at least three other
people so you can sample a good range of Hélène's
fare.
Salon d'Hélène
4 rue d'Assas
Paris 75006
Tel: 01 42 22 00 11.
Fax: 01 42 22 25 40.
Closed Saturday lunch and all day Sunday. Open noon
to 2:30 P.M. and 7:30 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. Tapas priced
from 35 to 90 francs. Four-Tapas assortment, 85 francs.
Plat du jour, 98 francs. Lunch formulas from 145 to
185 francs. Credit cards: Visa, American Express.
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