L'Arpege

Had the full tasting menu on the New Years Day 2010, and still cannot stop thinking about it. Memorable, inspirational, creative, cannot wait to come back and visit at a different time of the season and be surprised by the master magician.

The nice simple, elegant, unpretentious space of the restaurant puts one at ease, it is warm, both because of the use of wood and the lovely bright pumpkins and the like used as decorations on the table, as well as beautiful tableware. If you are after one of those grand Versailles inspired spaces, for whatever reason, l'Arpege is none of that. It is elegant and sophisticated, but it is not "grand" in the traditional sense. I think it is important that you see the pics on some of the fabulous food blogs that are out there and make up your own mind.

Now to the service. Having eaten in many superb French and international restaurants, the service was just superb. It was not stuffy, as, with all due respect, the French service in famous establishments often tends to be. Helene, the maitre'd was friendly but efficient, all stuff were immensely attentive and well informed, you got as much detail and origin information on ingredients, from all that looked after you on meals etc as you wished to get. Sommelier was rather "confident" in his choices (I was the only one drinking and matching my wine by the glass to the degustation menu), but was humble enough to allow me to disagree on one ocassion. I still stand by my choice, being of the view that Jura in the sauce of the most fabulous lobster dish is one thing, but to have a glass of highly alcoholic nose and pallate with such a delicate dish was quite another. I could continue on to sing the praises of fabulous service for quite some time, but the most impressive thing in that regard was the timing and spacing between the dishes was just perfect. The enthusiasm displayed by the staff for the creations they were serving particularly impressive. So refreshing for the often encountered indifference these days. To top it all off, they all spoke excellent English and could articulate the finer points of this haute couture cuisine.

As to the food, with the exception of one of the "chef's surprises", which was a brittany scallop attached to the shell grilled and served with green tea, which although good, was somewhat too repetitive of one of the dishes on the tasting menu, being the superb carpaccio of scallop with greenish radishes and same (or very similar) green tea extraction (I would have been more than happy to have more of the sublime vegetables with couscous called "Robe de Champs Multicolore “Arlequin” instead, it was superb. From amuse bouche to the petit fours, it was exciting, thrilling, and most of all joyous, just inspirational, taste explosions in one's mouth.

Famous l'Arpege egg aside, which is humorous take on very soft boiled egg, and a nice little suprise of sherry vinegar and maple syrup to kick off a fantastic degustation, the little light as the feather ravioli with different vegetable fillings (beetroot, leek and truffle, jerusalem artichoke etc) were party in your mouth served in most fabulous leek broth, a definitely highlight. The intensity of flavour of those, for me, beats even lobster and the the best Comte with truffles dishes. It is little surpises that were just such a lovely experience here. tiny smoked potato with truffle on top accompanying the lobster, or ocassional smoked vegetable in the famous vegetable plate of "Robe de Champs Multicolore “Arlequin”. Another highlight was the superb grilled foie gras with sublime candied lemon. The rottiseried duck also should be noted, for the jus that was as intense as the best pomegranate molasses one can get, and the orange and olive oil concoction (Alain has promissed me the recepie next time I visit, i shall hold him to it!) was just superb with the duck dish.

Comte served with black truffles, simplicity and extravagance ellegantly presented on one's plate, very good indeed, melted in one's mouth. For very much a "non dessert" person, I loved the "bouquet of roses" dessert of Alain's take on tarte tatin, except it was a basket of beautiful apple heart peel shaped into roses and baked, served with the lightest caramelly sauce, I wouldnt share it at all (just as well we got two menus!) Chocolate dessert was too rich for me, and I could have done without it. If you can enjoy a meal without the need to have red meat, and your view of vegetables extends beyond bad lentil blandness of most vegeterian restaurants of the past, you must try this restaurant at least once. This is the haute couture of and the temple of the humble vegetable and salad leaf, and as my companion has put it, if this is vegeterian, I would eat it every day. Fabulous experience, improved even further by the Magician himself coming out the kitchen and spending time with each single guest for quite some time late into our collective lunches.
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foodietraveller
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Friday, January 08, 2010