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La Table du Lancaster:
Best of Modern French
PARIS – Walking into the newly remodeled dining room of the Lancaster
Hotel on Paris’s right bank is like approaching a gorgeous woman,
a natural beauty who knows just how to emphasize all of her finest qualities.
Consulting chef Michel Troisgros – son of the legendary three-star
chef Pierre Troisgros of Roanne, and now master of the kitchen there – can
cook for me anytime. Just when you think you can’t be blown away
by one more meal, you are. And thank goodness.
If I was asked today to describe in detail Modern French Food I would
have to do no more than open the menu at La Table du Lancaster and point
my fingers all across the page. Tender, juicy, pigeon paired with almonds.
A veritable “paysage” of vegetables served with a tangy,
iced red tomato purée. A classic Sole meuniere revisited, teamed
up with wild cèpe mushrooms and salty capers. Pig’s ears
escorted by anchovies and a basil sauce. And then “burnt” rack
of lamb paired with yogurt.
All this in a dining room you want to wrap your arms around and stay
forever. Small, discreet, warm, luxurious. The tables are black onyx,
with table runners of the palest of grays. Everywhere there are touches
of bright orange, while elegant Chinese prints cover the walls. A bright
gold or orange Gerber daisy floats in a clear glass bowl, and your day
is instantly brightened. Service is swift and discreet.
Crayfish were aloft in a sea on fresh lemon verbena broth, soft as
pillows, soothing as a cool breeze on a hot day. A dish that’s
light, vibrant, fun, easy to understand, and yet thoroughly original.
The rosy pigeon was stuffed with almonds and deep fried, offering a
welcome contrast of textures. Alongside, a “carpaccio” of
paper-thin slices of zucchini were showered with almonds.
The only disappointment of the meal came in the form
of a bowl of aubergine laquée, small
squares of lacquered eggplant set in a pool of a shimmery
lime jelly. As my table mate noted, you almost have
to beat up eggplant to make it taste good, and she was right. The flavors
here were pale and undefined.
But I totally flipped over chef Troisgros’s cannelloni of warm
goat cheese and artichokes. A trio of the most perfect rolls of paper-thin
pasta encased a light and airy filling of tangy goat cheese. The thinnest
slivers of raw, violet-tipped artichokes were scattered over all, a play
of white on white with flavors that were, in contrast, bold, sharp and
satisfying.
As I sampled the cannelloni I had two thoughts: Run to the front desk,
reserve a room, take a nap, come back for dinner, and order the pasta
again. Or, recreate the cannelloni at home, for dinner, the next evening.
I opted for the second. My version was a bit more rustic, but I swooned
nonetheless.
The wine choice – a Montlouis, a pure Chenin Blanc from the house
of Domaine Chidaine – was a perfect match for Troisgros’s
modern fare. Dry, yet tasting almost like a fresh bon bon, it handled
everything from crayfish to pasta to pigeon with flair.
Dessert had a fine appeal, as well. Warm orange-blushed apricots arrived
on a pure white plate, filled with a touch of apricot jelly and topped
with sweet, gorgeous, candied leaves of fresh lemon verbena. The accompanying
cake of souffled crepes, however, held little interest.
Thank you, Michel Troisgros, for introducing us to food
that is a pleasure for the eyes as well as the palate, food with elegance
and sophistication that makes sense. No airs, nothing faked, unaffected.
La Table du Lancaster
7, rue de Berri
75008 Paris
Telephone: 01 40 76 40 18
Fax: 01 40 96 40 40
email: restarant@hotel-lancaster.fr
Web: www.hotel-lancaster.fr
Open daily. All major credit cards. From 60 to
85 euros per person, including service but not wine.
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