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Who is Influencing the Great Chefs of France?
PARIS – Who is influencing the great chefs of
France? Asia, Asia and Asia. It’s impossible
to dine in restaurants large or small, expensive or
bargain-based, without coming upon fare that is wrapped
Asian-style, seasoned with herbs and spices with an
Asian accent, or filled with such non-traditional French
ingredients as papaya, mango, fresh ginger or Japanese
seaweed.
In some small way this is not all that new, for French
chefs have been using flavors such as vadouvan and
green papaya, cumin and mango, and sushi-ized bites
for a long time. What is new is that the trend has
become almost ubiquitous and chefs such as William
Ledeuil at the trendy Le Kitchen Galerie on the Left
Bank are no longer just flirting with Asian thoughts,
but taking a stand and taking action.
Ledeuil has been moving slowly in the Asian direction,
but a recent trip to Thailand only reinforced his own
feelings that what diners want more of today is lemon
confit and black radish, Thai-curry and ginger-marinated
guinea hen, even peanut ice cream with a pistachio
sauce. And in the hands of a classically trained French
chef, the fusion works, especially when someone like
Ledeuil begins with a classic base, and applies the
Asian accent to achieve more clear and specific flavors,
as well as to lighten up contemporary fare.
In fact, he is so into his new Asian larder of food
that he is now offering demonstration cooking classes
in his open kitchen one afternoon each week. (For specifics
call the restaurant.)
Two recent meals there suggest that Ledeuil is on
the right track, but needs just a bit more fusion of
flavors in some dishes. I applaud his careful and studied
use of everything from fresh lemon grass to fresh lime
leaves, and lively Thai curries. His most successful
dish to date is a lightened and well-examined version
of the famed Thai curry soup, here a beautifully seasoned
and totally cohesive dish generous with chunks of young
chicken, redolent of fresh citronnelle, just a touch
(not an overdose) of rich coconut milk, and full of
vegetables such as baby asparagus, fresh spring peas,
highlights of tarragon and offset by fresh Thai coriander
leaves. His creative touch – he thickens the
soup with an Italian artichoke purée and marinates
the chicken in, among other ingredients, Japanese rice
vinegar – is everywhere and I am eager to see
just where all this experimentation will take him,
and us.
Unfortunately, some of the dishes – such as
the fine marinated fresh tuna with a citron and mango
condiment and the grilled pigeon with a condiment of
asparagus, basil and polenta were very good on their
own, but there was no true liaison, no true link, no
handshake between the finely crafted French style and
the new Asian touch.
The chef now eschews cream and butter, preferring
that sauces be bound with juices and emulsions, vegetable
purees, bouillons or marinades. A trend worth applauding
as long as we don’t get caught short on flavor
and satisfaction.
When brothers Philippe and Marc Delacourcelle opened
their Clos Morillons in the 15th arrondissement of
Paris in 1984, they foresaw the fusion trend. Even
back then, their menu was filled with Asian spices
and a favorite guinea hen bathed in a sauce with a
faint touch of vanilla. Philippe ran French restaurants
all over Asia for years and returned with a changed
palate.
The brothers were absent from the Paris scene for
a bit, and are now back with a new and lively wine
bar
in the 5th, a jam-packed month-old spot filled with
fare that is sometimes on the spot, sometimes tentative.
Bistro-style, the Pré Verre menu appears on
chalkboard and ranges from a stunning potato and foie
gras terrine from their Clos Morillons days; a welcome
lacquered mackerel set on a flavorful almond purée;
and an excellent and unusual dish of seared baby squid
with a terrine of lentils and sesame seeds. I loved,
as well, the braised suckling pig with its deliciously
creamy cabbage, and the meaty beef cheeks. Less interesting
was the veal served over a strange potato and root
vegetable purée. And in the dessert category,
I confess that the strawberries in curly parsley sauce
did not deliver me to a joyful state of bliss.
The wine list offers some pleasant discoveries, including
a fruity and dense vin de pays de d’Herault,
from the Domaine de L’Escalette. The 2001 is
made from Carignan vines more than 80 years old, giving
character and personality to a wine that is still in
its infancy.
Ze Kitchen Galerie
4 rue des Grands Augustins
Paris 6
Telephone: 01 44 32 00 32
Fax: 01 44 32 00 33
Closed Sunday. All major credit cards. A la carte, 40 to 45 €,
including service but not wine.
Le Pré Verre
8, rue Thénard
Paris 5
Telephone: 01 43 54 59 47
Credit card : Visa
12 € lunch menu, including a glass of wine.
Dinner, a la carte, about 24 € including service but not wine.
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