First Eating Adventure

Monday 17/08/09

(Sound of trumpets)
The dawn breaks on what will be the day of my first *** experience – L’Arpege. This has been one of Paris’ premier restaurants for over 20years now, with famed chef Alain Passard at the helm. He shook up a storm about 6 years ago when he decided that he was mostly done with the cooking of meat, and would focus instead on all that could be gleaned from the soil. To this end he purchased 3 farms (poatgers) and grew a selection of herbs and vegetables at each. The kitchen receives vegetable deliveries THREE TIMES A DAY.

So today was to be a discovery of vegetables. We were to dine in the garden.

We skip breakfast and just head straight there. Upon arrival we are seated in the corner, with a commanding view of the small dining room. The décor is odd to say the least – strange paintings on the wall, colours from the early 90s, fucking vegetables on the table…hmmm

We are soon diverted with a selection (nay a procession) of amuses – small tartlets with vegetables and contrasting purees – highlights are radish and praline as well as beetroot and carrot.

The cutlery and the crockery are all very old school – classic French (read expensive and polished).

We begin with a glass of Duval-Leroy 1999 en magnum……served……wait for it……ELEVATEUR. What the fuck. Superstar, you are not as crazy as I thought. Obviously they do not take it to the extremes that Quay does, so it looks rather elegant and not showy and poncy….nontheless….

Moving on – there are 2 degos plus a la carte to choose from. Seeing as one of the degos is 320euros PER PERSON without wine, we obviously choose the other one. Much to my chagrin (as I observe the other tables over the course of the afternoon) so does nearly everyone else. Oh well.

To begin – a small concentration of tiny “blackcurrant tomatoes”, dressed with a vinegre de Xeres. Sweet and soft, finishing with a zing. Fine. Nice. Interesting.

Next – sashimi of vegetables. Tomato, Beetroot, Carrot. Each slice of vegetables has been done sous-vide (guessing here – confit perhaps – texture is soft and supple) and sits atop a miniature rice paper roll, dressed with sesame oil, soy and mirin. The flavour of the vegetables shines. Nothing else does.

At this stage I should mention we are drinking a 2007 Condrieu by Domaine de Pierre Blanche, cuvee Resurgence. It is opened roughly by our sommelier and plonked into a Dom Perignon ice bucket next to the table. Hmmm.
It rocks anyway – peach liqueuer, rose, orange blossom, violet, jasmine leap from the glass. The palate is buttery and weighty, yet very little heat.

Oh speaking of butter we are eating the raddest stuff ever – a salted creamy concoction from Normandy.

Next up is a tomato gazpacho made from 3 types of tomato, served with a dollop of mustard ice cream. The ice cream is quenelled at a portable station in the centre of the restaurant. The combo is awesome. One of the better dishes of the day. The textures of both are impeccable, the fresh flavours in perfect harmony

A trio of gnocci is next – potato and garlic, tomato and lemongrass, mixed herbs centred around marjoram. Plus a little confit tomato. The tomato is good. The herb gnocci is nice. The tomato one is balls.

Next is the shittest dish of the day, if not the entire trip so far. I cannot believe I am eating this in a 3 star restaurant. It is an onion gratin. With crispy basil. And some pepper. That is all. It has a sweetness that is not offensive. It also is boring and insulting. If I want grilled grated onion I’ll fucking well do it at home thank you.

Redemption arrives in the form of a vegetable risotto with fennel parsely marjoram and thyme. Thick, textured, almost crunchy, there is a riot of herby flavours going off, all bound by parmesan and the weight of the rice. Very good.

We recede into mediocrity with the next offering – cous cous with argon oil and selection of vegetables. Again we are treated to white and yellow and purple beetroot, eggplant, courgette, tomato. The herbs are great, the eggplant is interesting, but I’ve had the rest of the vegetables in other dishes already. Not without pure flavour, but really….

The next course is labelled simply on the menu as ecailles ou plumes (fines or feathers), and we are to choose from Magret du Canard with orange puree, hibiscus, radish and confit of beetroot, or turbot with cooked in green tea with smoked potato, spinach roll and parsley puree. I have the turbot on the grounds that I’ve never had it before and it is unavailable in Aus etc etc. It is fine – great texture, regal fishy flavour, nice accompaniments. It suffices.

Lea has
THE DUCK
Believe me it deserves the heading. This is the dish that makes the world right, that saves lives, that makes the day bearable. The flavour is otherworldy. The hibiscus (??? Amazing) is insane, the orange puree like biting into a real orange, the duck soft and pink and crusted to perfection. The radish adding texture. There is also confit of rhubarb. It is quite simply off the hook. And of course I’ve got the fucking fish.

Cheese is to be next, although it is beaten to the table by a plate of petit fours
3 macaroons – Beetroot, Lavender, Spinach
Herby noughat (weird but great)
Rhubarb cake (shit)

Cheese – 4yr old comte (!) salty and strong, salece, morbier, blues from Auvergne, all by affineur Marc Anthony, from Alsace, considered by many to be the best in the world.

The regular dessert is a tarte de pomme (sounds lame), so we do some changing and substitute the famous 12 spiced confit of tomato. An inspired move it turns out.

The texture of the tomato is delicious, soft and supple. It is stuffed with a mix of
apple pear lemongrass cinnamon star anise orange peel almond pistachio hazelnut and carrot!! Spicy, crunchy, sweet, sticky….

A final (though unnecessary) dessert - Strawberries with hibiscus and syrup. Sticky. Plain. Boring

Free glass of jurancon (hooray for sweet wine hook ups) from our rough and ready sommelier.
Service a tad clunky – one member of staff seemed to be new, didn’t really know what was going on, had to retreat and check details at times. The dego was also too rushed at times – one course would be cleared and 5 seconds later the next would be on the table. The girl in charge is excellent however, friendly, professional and graceful.
Things done in public – cutting of bread, cheese trolley, service of desserts, soups etc, all lift the ‘feel’ of the service.

So….the overall impression is odd…there have been mistakes, the food has been, well, boring at times, great at others, but hardly inventive or even dare I say it, outstanding. Yet I’m insanely happy…It has been a great lunch. The whole has been far better than the sum of parts.
That’s what its all about yeh?
X

Dinner at a little bistro called chez gladine in the south of paris – basque food. Very busy, bustling, noisy, cheerful. Red and white check tablecloths. Wines listed by region only, a dozen or so. A basque beer – Oldarki - dark, chestnutty, slightly spiced, yet crisp and dry, goes down a treat. So does a southern French beer – lemony but cheesy, rich then finishing sweet and fresh. Excellent.

We have to wait for a table so sit outside on the footpath drinking, smoking and eating saucisson out of plastic cup. Awesome. Why can't i eat saucisson from a plastic cup at bars in Sydney??

We drink Iroulegey, a pays basque red that serves as a reminder as to why I’ve never heard of this appellation previously – crap.

We have giant salads and I have piperade - spicy an hammy and eggy and good.
To finish we have gateau basque ( and riz “ole” (au lait). Simple, honest and tasty.
The place is noisy and solid. We stay till late talking shit.