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Fusion! The French break loose
PARIS -- It’s the modern Parisian restaurant :
a clean, contemporary look, cozy chairs, and a menu
that might be called many things: fusion, unstructured,
Franco/Japanese/Italian. Gone is the French insistence
on a traditional first course, main course, cheese and/or
dessert. What freedom! Go ahead, break the rules, order
two first course, and nothing else! Or just go for two
pastas, or, gosh why not just cheese and dessert?
Anything can happen at these places. And while Americans
have pretty much been ordering this way for a very long
time, this is true innovation for the French. And after
a few visits to some of these modern eateries, it is
clear that while the French are ready for it, they do
sit at the table, often totally bewildered.
Fortunately, at two of the best of the lot --- both
Left Bank newly solid spots, Ze Kitchen Gallerie and
Caffé – the waiters are patient and informed,
and ready to help out any baffled diners.
At one of my favorite new spots, Ze Kitchen Gallerie,
chef William Ledeuil has done it again. He has his finger
(and palate) on the pulse of the modern diner. Despite
the kitschy name, Ze Kitchen Galerie is a delight. The
menu is divided between soups, pastas, raw and marinated
fish, and main courses, all cooked à la plancha,
or directly over a very hot, flat griddle. I have loved
just about everything I have tasted over a series of
visits. Ledeuil (also chef at Les Bookinistes right
next door) wisely hires young chefs from various nationalites
so the food has an authentic flavor.
His combinations and creations are always inventive,
never wacky. Mussels are teamed up with coconut milk
and mushrooms in a creamy, warming soup. Lentils and
mushrooms are turned into a wintry soup enlivened with
gingerbread, or pain d’epices. I love most, though,
the pastas, such as the roborative macaroni with pesto,
pine nuts and grilled chorizo. Best of the selection
of raw fish and shellfish is his yummy preparation of
oysters and scallops in a spicy horseradish cream.
Desserts are simply fun. Try the roasted pineapple
served with a tiny vanilla milk shake and a scoop of
rich vanilla ice cream; or the cinnamon caramel ice
cream with a chestnut milk milkshake.
There is a small but always inviting wine list: Try
the always dependable Faugères from the Languedoc,
here the intense, well-structured red Château
Anglade from Marie Rigaud-Anglade, a fine blend of Syrah,
Grenache and Mourvèdre grapes. The décor
here is modern and a touch cold, but that’s the
style today.
Caffé, open since the first week of January,
is a delight. I adore the décor: Solid brick
walls and arches make for a warming setting, and bare
wooden tables make for a nice, open room. The menu offers
simple, solid, contemporary fare. And rather than the
traditional menu separated into first course, main course,
cheese and dessert the selections include à la
vapeur (steamed); marinés et cru (marinated and
raw); plancha (grilled on a flat hotplate); pates et
riz (pastas and rice); les canailles (and those favorites
of childhood).
Do try the unusual steamed oysters – the tiny
boudeuses from the Brittany village of Prat ar Coum
-- served in elegant white bowls with a series of sauces.
The oysters are also available oh so simply, on the
half shell, served with the traditional bread and salted
butter.
On one visit, I feasted on a daily special --- the
freshest of rouget, or red mullet fillets, delicately
wrapped in feuilles de brick, the light Moroccan pastry,
and deep fried. Palates in search of heartier fare will
adore the steaming, homey casserole filled with joue
de cochon, or pig’s cheeks, served with a bounty
of winter carrots.
Other specialties include a simple carpaccio of beef;
steamed cod with cabbage and smoked milk; orrechiette
pasta with broccoli; and traditional risotto Milanese,
laced with bone marrow and saffron.
The wine list is brief: Do try the dense and tannic
red Corbières, Castel Maure, well- priced at
28.50 euros.
Ze Kitchen Galerie
4, rue des Grands Augustins
Paris 75006.
Telephone :01 44 32 00 32.
Fax: 01 44 32 00 33.
Closed Saturday lunch and Sunday. Credit card: Visa.
30 to 40 euros, including service but not wine.
Caffé
74, boulevard de Latour Maubourg
Paris 75007.
Telephone : 01 47 53 80 86.
Closed Sunday and Monday. Credit card: Visa. 30 to
50 euros, including service but not wine.
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