Dining at L'Astrance was definitely a pleasurable and memorable experience. Apparently obtaining a reservation at L'Astrance is not an easy task, and it can take up to months in advance. Perhaps tables were less demanding during lunchtime, so we managed to grab a table just a few weeks ahead of our trip to Paris.
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The amuse bouche came before we were presented with the menu. There wasn't much taste to the almond and apple tart other than a little nutty flavour and some freshness of green apples. The brioche was slightly toasted making it very crumbly, and it definitely went well with the subtle earthiness of the truffle. When we cleared the plate of amuse bouche, it was time to order. Food is not listed on the menu, so it's about the number of courses. You can either pick a 3-courses lunch menu, 5-courses Winter menu or the 7-courses tasting menu. Considering the price and our ability to fit the food into our tummies, we opted for the Winter menu.
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| La soupe srprise |
First came 'you need to guess what it is'. It smelt a bit like coffee, but it was actually a toasted bread soup mixed with bacon. Trรจs special, but I won't say it's super delicious as I am not a big fan of bread soup.
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| Galette of Paris champignons, foie gras marinated in verjuice and hazelnut oil, citron confit |
Next was Barbot's signature dish. Everything served on this dish was raw, and to be honest it was my first time eating raw foie gras. I felt that the hazelnut was a bit overpowering and the liver flavour was a little weak. But the acidic zing was great, and the fresh raw mushrooms went well with the foie gras.
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| Oyster, scallops, algae butter and cabbage |
course). The oyster leaf was indeed interesting, as really, its name says it all.
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| Le turbot, ginger compote, yuzu |
Fresh fish, great flavour, perfectly cooked with other tasty ingredients - how could this go wrong?
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| Le porc confit, jus de truffe |
In my opinion the pork was slightly overcooked and as pork is my least favourite meat it was also my least favourite dish.
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| Duck breast, cherry compote |
It seriously made me go 'WOW'. The breast was cooked rare, with crispy skin, super tender and juicy meat. As always, the duck went well with the cherry compote oh la la, nom!
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| Mashed potato, fromage blanc with vanilla ice cream |
It came as another surprise but this was much easier to guess than the bread soup. I forgot what it smelled like, but I could taste the mash upon first bite. It was warm and light, and as you eat it with the cold glace it was simply fantastique! The vanilla stood out against the potato, yet the cheese in the mash helped remind its existence.
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| Chili and lemongrass sorbet |
Palete refresher.I have always been reluctant to have chili ice cream or anything along that line, but I thought I might just give it a try. The sorbet did not taste of chili as such, just a very refreshing lemongrass flavour with some spicy after-taste. Not a bad idea after all, spicy iciness.
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| Prune compote |
Then it was time for dessert. All three of the dessert dishes were placed on the table at once. I don't think I liked this dish as I cannot recall much of it except some crunchy bites and having some prunes inside.
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| Chocolate ice cream with yuzu |
I liked the glace au chocolat, as it wasn't overly creamy but very chocolatey. The yuzu was good with the ice cream too, making it a lighter tasting dish. But I if could pick, I would have it without the yuzu.
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| Chocolate cake |
It was one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever had. High dose of chocolate but no bitter taste, and not too heavy with a light texture. YUM.
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| Chestnut madelaines |
Then came the petit fours. These madelaines were crunchy and fluffy with a sweet taste to it. I loved it!
There was also a fruit platter, which I was not very fond of as they weren't comparable to the fresh fruits in Asia.
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| Jasmine eggnog |
I expected it to be something very creamy, but somehow it turned out to be very light in texture with a strong taste of jasmine, but it wasn't too strong to override the eggnog.
Un cafe s'il vous plait, which marked the end of a spectacular food journey.
To conclude, I was completely blown off by le dejeuner at L'Astrance. The young chef definitely took my heart with his Asian inspired cuisine. The five-courses meal costed 120 Euro per head, a price that was surely worth it.
L'Astrance
4 Rue Beethoven a Paris, 75016
01 40 50 84 40
Closed on Sat-Mon, and August
Reservations to be made from 10am - 3pm
Metro: Passy
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