Well, it's been a bit of a while since we last blogged, due to various adventures and a few mishaps. Up first we must tell all about Paris.
One ice-cold February morning we jumped onto the Eurostar for a gastronomically exciting and chilly Parisian city beak. Straight out of the tunnel we headed over to Au Passage in the 11th, which had won the prix d'amour in Le Fooding for 2011. Au Passage is a relaxed cafe-bistro open weekdays for well-priced lunch and dinners. We opted for the 4 courses for 19euros, and our starter was ceviche of squid, perfectly cured but still fresh enough to have a bite; it was a lovely light start to our lunch. We mustn't forget a tasty sourdough that provided an excellent sponge for the juices, and a very reasonably priced bottle of wine. For the main we were delivered a beautiful beef tartare, unpretentious in its presentation and brilliant in its simplicity. It differed from the usual London tartares that are mixed up dependent on the chef's taste, it was layered so as to allow the customer to decide how to devour it. George admitted he'd never eaten better. Then came the cheeseboard, as good as should be expected from any restaurant in France, although we would admit that they were slightly stingy on the chutney (we only say this because the chutney was great and we wanted more). Our dessert was a chocolate mousse with a salt caramel ganache, one of Katherine's favourites. Overall this was an incredibly priced, lovely find. We walked out 60euros, 4 courses apiece and 1 bottle of wine down and will definitely be returning on our next Paris trip.
After a bit of a wander and a lot of freshening up, we were ready for out next feast. Restaurant of choice was Gregory Marchand's Frenchie. Again, very reasonably priced with 3 courses for 42euros, we decided to treat ourselves to the pre-starter of foie gras torchon, apple and black truffle. After hearing many tales of George's foie gras expeditions through French kitchens, it seemed fitting that this one ticked every desirable box. We proceeded in sharing both options for each course (photo and menu to follow). Our favourite starter was the quail, salsify, pear and chervil, which was beautifully balanced. The flavours combined whilst allowing space for each individual taste, it was epic. This was followed by our favourite dish of the day, the veal rump with artichoke and kumquat. The kumquat puree was presented as if a hen egg yolk, which when cut poured the puree over the tender veal, a delicious combination. For the finale came the dish which out of the whole trip blew George's mind. Chocolate bread and butter pudding, salted butter caramel, smoked bacon. It sounds unusual but tastes outstanding. The bacon reminded us of the perfect Sunday roast crackling, served as a crust, elevating the rich detail of the chocolate. This was a perfect end to an exceptional dinner. If you're in Paris, it's a must!
To be continued...(featuring photos and Le Chateaubriand)
Goodbye for now,
GB x
