L'Atelier Joel Robuchon

...where everyone gets a bar seat....

14th best restaurant in the world according to S. Pellegrino. Interesting design-- the kitchen is surrounded by an oversized bar, which are the only visible seats.  Maybe there's a secret room somewhere else.

The maitre d' earns my respect immediately by seating me right away even without a reservation. Also, he is wearing a cool jacket and I am jealous of his hair.

This is an obvious advantage of the bar seats only design. Another more subtle but equally important advantage is that you don't look like a complete loser when dining alone.

The mens' bathroom is like a clubhouse, but minus points for not having terry cloth towels handed out by a butler.

I ask for the tasting menu (160 €!) and rather than solving my dilemma over choice, immediately creates one... I have to choose between lamb, quail and veal.  Panicking slightly as the waiter hovers behind the bar, I take the lamb... Hopefully I have chosen wisely... I ask about whether there is a wine pairing option and he says no set pair for each dish, but they will serve the wine as I drink it, and make the pairs on the fly.

First amuse bouche is a crab cream with creme de "chou fleur". A bit of an in-your-face opener... Strong crabby taste, stringy texture. Interesting pair with the anonymous white wine that has been served to me unsolicitedly.

Next up is a lobster carpaccio... It is becoming increasingly awkward to surreptitiously take pictures with people right at my elbows.  But for you, gentle reader, I will try. 

The dish is sliced lobster meat on a bed of sliced lobster meat.

Ok, the bed of lobster is also mixed with the most delicately sliced chives and olives. And topped with baby basil leaves. Very very good.  The wine becomes apple-y, more tart.

Next is soup, fava beans and green peas.

A beautiful foam on top that hits the palate nicely.  Great saltiness. Love the deep bean texture and flavour. The wine is still apple-y, perhaps a bit citrusy. Yes-- lots of lemon. Still loving the almost soybean texture. However the spoons here suck... Or maybe my mouth is severely deformed...

Next is the seared foie gras with candied cherries and hibiscus juice.

Comes with a beautiful honey colored white. Nose is light, hints of lemon and granite, ocean. Taste is crazy light, like water.

Foie gras has a hard exterior, not in a bad way though. inside is like a cloud, fluffy and not liquid at all, but just riding the edge.  The candied cherries explode with flavor, as does the hibiscus sauce and peppercorns. Now I understand the wine.. It's a blank canvas on which to present some very powerful flavors. The wine is not at all competing with the food, which is great.

Next is a soft-boiled egg with morels, light cream and mashed parsley on the bottom. The waiter chides me lightly to not forgetting the parsley; perhaps this is a common pitfall of most patrons.

Again I am thankful for the wine's cleanness-- this is a super rich dish. The parsley helps break it up a bit, but if it wasn't for the wine I'd be drinking plenty o' water.

Next is the trout. Skin side up, topped with tomatoes, croutons, capers and small leaves that look like sage.

Skin side up turns out to be a total disaster!  Especially with these knives that seem to have come from the local prison. Everything is a mess. However, the fish is perfectly cooked, the croutons are a total hit, there is a slight sweetness to the sauce. The wine takes on a honeyness and becomes more dry.

So the first wine was a Chardonnay from Giraud 2008. Second was a Rhone (Marsanne) from 2009. The next is a red Rhone (Syrah) 2009.

The main course is lamb chops.

TINY!  The mashed potatoes have a fluffy yet grainy texture like I've never had before, again like ground soy beans.  In a good way.

The wine has really taken on the thyme from the lamb, both in the nose and in the approach.  Leather nose. Cigar box. Black Pepper. Very light, somewhat sharp taste. No silkiness (!).

I realize that this is the last real dish before dessert... Not getting great bang for my buck.

Wine is becoming quite floral with the food. Caramelized onions.

The whole baked garlic clove is awesome, tons of great deep flavor.  Almost chesnutty.

I just realized their Wizard of Oz like trick-- there is still a prep kitchen where all the dirty work happens... The kitchen in the centre of the bar is just for finishing, more for show than anything else.

The waiter tries to take my olive oil but I'm still filling up on bread.  In my opinion you need to be at a certain level of fullness in order to truly appreciate dessert.

The first dessert is sliced strawberries in olive oil and jasmine water topped with strawberry sorbet.

It's like what candy makes you think strawberries should taste like. Jasmine and strawberries-- ingenious!!

I order an espresso... But I'm done my dessert before it arrives... Am I really the only one that thinks that coffee should arrive at precisely the same moment as dessert????

Huge lull in the service... Seems like they are getting quite busy. Coffee still has not arrived. Perhaps he decided it was a bad idea and overruled my request?  That would be cooler than the more likely explanation-- he forgot.

Finally I get his attention... He seems apologetic about the lack of coffee... But I can't be too upset, I'm an uninvited guest.

Final dessert is a coffee creme in sabayon. Base is a black coffee jelly. Also it was topped with a coffee fruit roll up... Coffee overload!

Tastes great.  However I am starting to get the feeling like they want me to leave... The pair beside me just had a third arrive....

... And it's just about to rain outside... Which is good for France, but not so great for me.

I ask for the bill... So far the experience has been a 7/10.... Definitely not better than the un-S.Pellegrino-rated Mraz & Sohn.

... And it takes a good 15 mins for the bill.  The service has gone from attentive to distracted to annoying.  My completely subjective and non-mathematic grade has dropped a full point on the last 30 mins alone.  6/10.

And ultimately I'm mad... The bill comes out to 213.50 €.  Horrible value in my opinion.  I don't leave a tip. But I thank the maitre d' on my way out-- it wasn't his fault, after all.

NOT RECOMMENDED!

Mraz & Sohn

Well tonight I had planned to hit up Steirereck, the 22nd best restaurant in the world (according to San Pellegrino's list:  http://www.theworlds50best.com/awards/1-50-winners), and the only restaurant in Vienna to crack the S. Pellegrino top 50. Unfortunately, they were all booked and were completely unmoved by my sob story about traveling all the way from Canada just to eat there.

Instead I travel to another S. Pellegrino recommended restaurant, Mraz & Sohn.  This is a 1 Michelin star rated establishment, with a focus on modern viennese cuisine. Located in kind of an out of the way area, but then again, I don't know Vienna at all so it could be the hippest district there is.  But I would imagine not.

(I stole this image from another blog)

After waiting outside for the restaurant to open, I am let in by an elderly gentleman. The only thing that prevents me from thinking he is some drunk or crazy person is the fact that he has a key which fits into the lock on the restaurant door.

Service gets off to a great start-- I get let in right at opening and am seated even though the restaurant is fully booked.  Pleasant waitress who speaks perfect English.  She buys my sob story hook line ünd sinker.  A lot of staff milling around and greeting me, I'm starting to feel a bit self-conscious, especially as I'm writing this on a massive touchscreen in the middle of their restaurant.

The waitress stares at me slightly sideways as I awkwardly compose a panorama picture using a cool iPhone app I was shown on this trip (PhotoSynth).


I ask her if they have a prix fixe menu and there's a slight hesitation, as if to imply that the menu was forthcoming.  Slight misunderstanding, hopefully she doesn't punish me through the food.

I am handed "the water menu", a plastic bag filled with water and inside is a card with all the different types of water they carry.  The most expensive is from the States-- 85€!!! I ask for plain tap water.

The menu finally comes and the reason for the hesitation becomes clear: the menu is rolled up like a scroll in a clear tube, and at the far end of the tube is an amuse bouche, a small wafer with chicken and light curry.  Very tasty. The wafer has the texture of uncooked pasta but slightly more firm, falls apart in my mouth.  Curry is super light and mysterious, as opposed to most of my curry experiences (which would not be "mysterious" so much as "life-affirming"). 

Inside the wooden box (forgot to mention the clear tube was affixed to a wooden box-- come on, it's in the picture) is a Chinese looking ceramic spoon with a deep-fried fritter of sorts.... Forgot to listened when he explained what it was.  Oops.

Ok he just dropped off the bread and explained that the amuse bouche on the spoon was a goose-liver pate dumpling.  Very rich, crunchy deep fried exterior gives it a great texture.  Sweet pickled celery underneath cleans up the fatty aftertaste.

Next, the breads. 4 different kinds of breads/ crackers with farmers' butter and poppyseed oil from Lower Austria.  Lower Austria is like Upper Austria except much worse.  I won't detail the breads or else I will end up driving myself mad-- there are still 9 courses to go after the amuse bouches!!

Washroom has terrycloth towels!!!  Man, everything about this place screams "trying really hard".... Maybe they'll make it on the S. Pellegrino list next year or perhaps earn that 2nd Michelin star.

Another amuse bouche... Again I miss the explanation, the waiter that brings them has a strong German accent that I am struggling to adapt my ear to.  I caught "interpretation of quiche Lorraine", "carrot wafer", and "we made a lot of apple vinegar".  That last one is actually the only one that I heard clearly.

Carrot wafer falls apart in my mouth. Now I know what it is like to go to Mass.  Carrot hummus is sweet and perfect texture.  Can't taste the apple vinegar, ironic that he didn't put any more than 3 drops on the hummus.  The quiche Lorraine seems to have been a carrot slice with a fluffy and crispy top.  Sweet and tangy.  This amuse bouche is a total hit, lots of subtle textures and flavors.  Am looking forward to the next courses of the tasting menu.

The final amuse bouche comes in a clear plastic hamster bowl type container.  There is a deep-fried shrimp in a corn batter. Lobster chip, yogurt accompany, with a cucumber base.  The cucumber is right on the verge of being pickled. Beautiful bright, sour taste, but not overpowering.  The shrimp has a great texture, the batter is fluffy and not at all crunchy. No real corn flavor. Yogurt gives a nice balance to the dish. The lobster chip gets lost in the sourness of the last bit of cucumbers.

The return of the elderly gentleman... I now realize what made me think that he was drunk-- his face and nose are perpetually beet-red.  Fittingly, he presents me with the first wine, white.  2010 Sauvignon Blanc, I believe from Austria. Almost peppery nose, somewhat steely, like a glacier. Very clean mouthfeel. Taste is almost like glacier water, very fresh and clean.

The first course has a theme-- "land and sea". Lamb chop, oyster, peas, pumpernickel bread.

Lamb chop is breaded, good texture, good temp.
I go against social norms and chew on the oyster and am instantly rewarded for my lack of etiquette. The oyster bursts open to reveal a warm, meltingly soft inside that oozes richly in my mouth, peppery flavor and butter. Wine instantly cleanses and begins tasting faintly like roses. The pea paste is an absolute show stealer though... Warm, fluffy, buttery, creamy, and some amazing hints of peas.

The elderly gentleman waddles past (darn... someone has started to smoke!  I hate Vienna).  I think that he is the owner, but that is based solely on his dress (no uniform, just a dress shirt and slacks) and not on the way he is treated by the rest of the staff.

The next wine is another white-- a 2009 Seher Freutang (?).  Muted nose, slightly grape-y. Taste is sweet with some sourness, stoniness.

The second course is a poppy seed dish.  Rock salmon, meat roll, guacamole, with cheese and poppy seed paste.

Rock salmon is smoked, beautiful white colour.  No special pairing with the wine, it is still somewhat muted.
Meat roll is nice and salty, breaded in a crunchy deep-fried coating.  Wine now a bit lime-y. Lemongrass nose.
Guacamole is fruity, nice chunks of avocado. Wine becomes almost spicy. Sour.
Poppy seed paste is wonderfully nutty.
Avocado pieces - one is vinegary the other bottomed with coarse salt. I love both, but then again, I don't think that there is a format in which I don't enjoy avocado.

The next wine is a 2009 Westhauffen silvaner traucken (?). I am totally blowing these wine names.  Presented by the 'owner'.  But now I think he is the sommelier, since he has presented all the wines so far.  Served warm???  Lemony nose.  Sweet approach, finishes with a honey texture without the honey sweetness. Alright-- the first taste was the warm ounce that was in the neck, after pouring the rest of the glass the wine is suitably chilled.  However, this also tames any nose that was present in the first taste.  Now I might stretch and say that it smells like the beach? But very faint nose. Taste is somewhat watery.

Wow.... They are pouring more than just a taste each time and I am starting to feel it.  Gotta slow down a bit. However, I am thankful that I saw the light of white wines before this meal, otherwise I would have been sorely disappointed-- 3 whites in a row with no end in sight!  So far all Teutonic; although it cannot be denied that they know how to make a good white (unintentional Hitler reference). PS the austrians are very sensitive to Hitler jokes.  Try to keep them to a minimum unless you are intentionally trying to offend an Austrian.  However, wiener jokes are not only acceptable, Viennese folk usually don't get them at all which adds immensely to the humor quotient.

"Vienna-- where calling someone a 'wiener' is not only allowed, but is factually correct"
"Vienna-- where everyone is a wiener!!!"
"Vienna-- WIENER CITY"

Next course-- Green and white asparagus, white butter, ham with a breading, in a white asparagus soup.

White butter gives the soup a huge saltiness.  Amazing.
White asparagus-- nice crunchiness.  Love how the fibers fall apart.
Green asparagus-- good contrast to the white.
The soup itself is wonderfully creamy, unabashedly salty. Asparagus is poking its head through between breaths. Hints of sweet potato and carrot, saltiness gives it a Parmesan texture and flavor.
Ham is very hammy, a bit sweet, texture is a bit stringy.  Breading was soaked by soup (poured by waitress), so no crunchiness.
Wine served only as a cleanser, no real pairing so far. However now there is a tremendous perfume in the nose.  Perhaps a popcorn taste with the soup?  Somewhat herby, a bit of seaweed.

I must be super jet lagged still, because 3 half glasses of wine have me totally chilled out and ready for a nap.

Another white (!).  2009 Shafer frolich Weisser buyrgender trocken (Pinot Blanc) 13.0%. Nose is huge, tons of fruit, concord grapes, skins, sour apples. Granny smith. Citrus. Slight herbiness, perhaps even farmy? Approach is quite sweet. Almost sparkling mouthfeel. Minerally. Sour notes. Fruit forward. Clean finish, another glacier water finish.

Next course is pan fried scallop with "illusion of carpaccio".  Some Parmesan, grated and creamed.

Scallop is cooked perfectly-- as soon as cut it releases a flood of juices.  Seared top adds a great density to the flavor. Wines livens up immensely, jumps on to the tongue, sweet but also clean. No lingering honeyness. Pear confit.
The first carpaccio illusion turns out to be watermelon. Wow-- what a *pop* to the taste with the grated parmesan on top. Total winner. I ask and it turns out to be in a smoked oil, which is what gives it the smoked salmon flavour.
Second carpaccio illusion is a tomato paste painted on the glass plate. Very salty and huge tomato flavour. Absolutely bursting with tomato taste. Parmesan chunks give it a depth of flavor and spiciness. Another home run. Almost meaty taste with another Parmesan chunk. Wine now takes on tropical fruit flavors. Wild....
Creamed Parmesan has great texture, not too salty or rich.

Ok I'm getting used to the accents and the pace... Next wine is a 2009 Jaunegg Knily Grauburgunder (13.5%). Strong herbal nose. Taste is salty, dry, almost chalky.

Next course is a halibut cream topped with fresh herbs and saffron. An apertif to lead the fish course.

Wow!!!  This is huge!!! The foamy top hits the roof of my mouth and only accentuates the sharp taste of the herbs and saffron. Halibut cream is playing major second fiddle in this dish. Wine has become somewhat oily, fuller, almost bony. Vanilla. Floating over the taste and texture of the dish.
Major vinegar from the dish... Not sour though, somehow it had been tamed and only the sharpness remains.

New cutlery for every course... Feels so decadent.  Swiss Chalet eat your heart out!!! The waiter reads into my query about whether this is also the wine for the next course and asks if I would like more wine...  This is easily the kind of restaurant that could become my favourite... The head waitress floats by and makes sure everything is ok.  Quite content at this moment, almost making up for the fact that I am not at the 22nd best restaurant in the world, and that I am dining alone like a complete loser.

Next course-- halibut, crackling, white asparagus, tomato mayonnaise, apricot jam.

First impression is that the halibut is a bit dry... The top is overdone and the flesh is cottony.
White asparagus and apricot jam are an impressive combo.
Deep fried crackling are puffs of batter that have a great salty and oily taste. Very rich, like a potato chip Louis XIV would have eaten.
Halibut is irredeemably dry. Great saltiness though.  They really know how to ride that fine edge of saltiness.
Wine now sharp, sweet, almost liqueur-ish.
White asparagus this time is less done, super crunchy, almost like a pickle. Nice sweetness but also interesting fibrousness.
Oyster tastes like the sea. I've decided to chew oysters from now on-- it produces, a great bitterness.
Final bite of halibut is-- yes, dry.
Last bit of wine was syrupy, almost green peppery.

2007 Hans idler cab sauvignon. After all that white I don't even remember what to be tasting for. Nose is almost surgical, perhaps steely? Also barky. Red fruits. Vanilla. Cream. Perfume. New leather. Very watery taste, watermelons. Perfume. Tons of alcohol. Almost floats on the tongue.

Main course is a goat kid shank, two kidneys, chervil paste with pine nuts, kalamata olive with edible pit, homemade tagliatelle.

Goat shank has a stringy texture, not very pleasant to cut apart. Very rich and sweet. I feel like I am flirting with gout.
Kidneys have a great bouncy texture.
Wow, toasted pine nuts are currently a show stealer. Sweet, spiced, nutty.
Wine now showing some red pepper notes.
Tagliatelle is warm, creamy, buttery, nice hits of pepper. Great pair with the wine, the best pair of the night so far. Wine livens up, becomes more defined.
Goat is so rich and outside is wonderfully crispy.
Olive is salty and briny, love the edible pit!
Wine becomes beautifully salty. Earthy. Fruity.

Meal is winding down-- whew!! Next is a selection of 14 breads, about 12 cheeses and some accompaniments (I pick the plain white, a fig bread, and a curry raisin (on the advice of the waiter).  For the cheese I take a soft goat cheese, a pecorino and a hard cheese with grape must on top.

No notes on the wine and cheese-- that would be a novel all on its own.  Some amazing notes of raspberry and herbs, mountainside, completely out of the blue. Far too many possible combinations-- simply must be experienced!

I know I've used a lot of superlatives so far... In my opinion rightly so.  However, the soft cheese and truffle honey is one of the most profound moments in my life thus far. My mind is racing to understand what the taste buds are communicating. Utter insanity.  Cheese with grape must is quite an experience as well... The grape must has penetrated deep within the cheese.

Wine is now quite vegetal, almost cab franc-y.

I inquire of the waiter and he lets me know that they've had their Michelin star for 15 years.

First dessert is a deconstructed lemon cake that quite inexplicably arrives on a massive granite block.

No wine pairing (fine by me, I've nearly reached my limit). Lemon ice, lemon creme topped with ginger cake. Accompanied by fresh raspberries and cream and a yogurt crisp. One of the raspberries is topped with fresh mint... Delicious.  Ginger is a bit too powerful.  Ginger and mint combine to make an earthy impression.  Cake is dry.  Too bad.

Last wine is a 2010 Tschida Muscat Ottonel, another white! Nose is quite minty/herby, basil. Can really smell the muscat grapes. Coca cola. Lavender. Roses. Lilies. Cream soda.

Final dessert is a sweet dumpling with pumpkin seed variants as well as a strawberry ice cream.  Also a "marinated red stripe", I believe a thin slice of rhubarb.

I have a tiny sip of wine-- now enormously floral. Big payoff.

Last "gift from the kitchen", as the hostess charmingly calls them, is a selection of mini desserts... I am quite stuffed but they're small enough to nibble on.

In the end, I've spent 4 hrs and dropped the equivalent of nearly $200 on a meal (almost as much as Gramercy Tavern)!  Quite decadent and I feel more than a twinge of guilt at the luxury of it all.  But for the first time this trip, I'm truly and deeply grateful that I am still single.

Supper at the 9th best restaurant in the world...

.... in 2011, according to S. Pellegrino: http://www.theworlds50best.com

The name of the restaurant is "Le Chateaubriand", French for "yes we're better than you and yes we are fully aware of that fact".

Word to the wise-- make a reservation, it will save the inevitable 2 hr wait outside. However if you do decide to chance it, here's a pro-tip: jump the line and go straight to the bar and get yourself something to drink while in line. And hopefully there's a half-drunk Frenchman who takes pity on you and gets the attention of the bartender. And at the end of your meal inquires as to how you enjoyed your meal. Very charming.

If you have decided to live on the wild side and line up for the 9:40 second seating, make sure you are at least 2, or preferably 4, not just a loser all alone like me. Not only does that scream "SOCIALLY INEPT AND UNABLE TO FORM MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS ON EVEN THE MOST BASIC LEVEL", it also makes it harder to get a seat. I seriously considered soliciting a random passerby to join me just to get seated quicker. Also most female random passerby were inordinately attractive by North American standards.

So, main takeaway point- come in a group.

The menu changes every night according to the chef's whim and depending on what is fresh. This is cool, since the menu does not dictate what they buy, but rather what they can buy fresh dictates the menu.

The beginning is a series of "amuse bouches".

The first two are paired with an apple wine (Par Nature (vin de pomme) Normandie, Julien Fremont). Very light, not very apple-y, strong cider nose, apple rot.

First amuse bouche is some kind of cheese puff.

The first of the two waiters is not particularly interested me understanding what he says, apparently he is programmed to simply utter certain phrases upon successful delivery of each course. The puff is nothing special, not a great pair with the apple wine.

Second is the ceviche (looks like tuna) - still paired with apple wine.

Perfect texture, floral, soup is not too citrusy, very light fish taste. It opened up the apple wine quite a bit, more tart now, sour, less rotty and more baked apple

Next wine - Fleurie 2008 J Foillard.
Needed a cleanser - apple wine still quite powerful and lingering
Very flat, nothing particularly outstanding, colour is quite pale, raspberry colour, nose is almost grassy, maybe lemongrass, but quite subdued

Paired with an anchovy with olive pâté and dusted with dried crushed raspberries

Bitter at first, no special pairing with Beaujolais, not salty enough for an anchovy, even with the olive paste

I unwisely inquired of the waiter what this next dish was, after it had arrived... all he managed to verbalize in between snarls was "c'est un oeuf". I then recalled the introductory explanation: Egg parfait in spinach soup.

Tons of garlic-- awesome!! Egg probably needed another 3 or 4 seconds of cooking-- whites were still raw.

Overpowers the wine, again a seemingly failed pairing. Maybe I'm just not getting it? Egg yolk tames the spiciness of the garlic just enough. A perfect dish!

Next up is the first course (i think), described by the waiter as 'duck juice and carrot'. Also has sesame and other various seeds in it (one was anise).

Very rich, the seeds offset the richness quite nicely though. No wine pairing? Or maybe I drank the Fleurie too fast... Oops.

Nope that was apparently the last of the amuse bouches. Now it's a Greek white wine, which is stored in clay pots and the sealed with "retsina". Dunno what that is. (Les Larmes du Pin 2009 Domaine Kachris). Clean, not dry or sweet. Can smell the clay. Swished in mouth and now there's a huge alcoholness... Still neither sweet nor dry, if anything sour.

The dishes are coming fast and furious... The one waiter who seems to be a bit of a snob (even by French standards) just rushed me through the description. Good thing I have a menu. I see radishes, seaweed, little grapefruits? In some sort of gelatin.

Ok and at the bottom is fish, not sure what kind, raw, or maybe smoked. Great spiciness from the radishes. Now the wine is pulling some great dryness, maybe even grassiness. Some lemony hints? The fish texture is a bust. Falling apart. Also the gelatin-- not sure what the point of that was. Some nice hits of salt, wish there had been more.

Next wine is a 2008 Chardonnay (Abbaye de Morgeot Chassagne-Montrachet 1st cru Fred Cossard). Citrus nose, grassy. Maybe even stony. Taste is sour, clean.

The second course is brill (barbue sauvage) with white asparagus, topped with pine needles (!).

White asparagus is like normal asparagus except 1,000,000 times better. Pine needles are an awesome topping, nice fresh minty/lemon taste to offset the brill. Brill is cooked perfectly, crispy skin, tender flesh. Fish is almost nutty, but very delicate taste. The wine is now quite sharp and stoniness is more present. However the wine is so clean, even swishing it does not bring out much alcohol, tastes almost like water from a stream. Wine now has almost buttery nose.

A pause in the service, dishes are now no longer being shoved on to my table. A welcome respite. Some time to contemplate what has just come to pass? Instead I eat some more bread and plan my trip to L'Atelier Joel Robuchon (No 14).

The waiter changes my cutlery, I get a fresh fork and a steak knife. Good thing it's the last course, I'm turning out to be quite a lightweight! My wine tolerance

Someone just let out a war cry, must be another French custom I'm not aware of. Or perhaps they finally got seated after the 3 hour wait.

The next wine is a CDP (Pignan 2006 Chateau Rayas). Wish I knew my Rhones better, I don't really know what to be smelling for. Nose: Red pepper, anise/licorice, mint. Oops forgot to drink before I tried the food!

Another war cry.

Next up is the beef with "burned eggplant" (i think he meant grilled) and spinach.

No, he meant burned. Something spicy and tomatoey, almost like a BBQ sauce. Probably an onion. Spinach leaves are amazing.

Wine nose is much more red pepper now. Not much silkiness. Red fruits.

Meat is cooked perfectly, yet is quite tough. Must be the cut.

Oh-- there's the silkiness... Apple-y almost. Creamy. Almost cognac like. Nose is nutty like a good Brussels sprout.

Spinach is still amazing. And the pickled red onions are a hit, just 3 small slices, just enough.

The burned eggplant is soooo rich, and the burned flavour is just at the end. Very nice. Adds a great subtexture to the beef.

One pickled pearl onion cut in half, another good counterpoint.

Wine is developing some great vanilla notes. Not the Rhones I'm used to drinking. Almost like old fashioned cream soda.

Wow that pickled red onion tastes like soy sauce... Very tangy and powerful. Good finish to reset my palate. The last hit of wine was quite vanilla with just enough cream. Almost converting me to CDR.

Two liqueurs to end, one Cedrat and one cerises sauvages, both by L Cazottes.

The first smells like St Hubert moist towellettes. Pear taste, almonds, vanilla.

The second has a sharp nose, almost unpleasant. Tastes like a store bought cherry pie.

Waiting for the dessert....

Dessert - first course is strawberries, peas, torn mint leaves.

The liqueur is still quite piny. Mint is a hit at first, but too much mintiness when combined with the lingering liqueur aftertaste. I'm getting a headache! Liqueur with the dessert had become peary, maybe black pepper? Strawberries are unfortunately quite muted, I would have preferred them more vibrant, crispy, punchy. Instead a bit mushy, green. Liqueur now has quite an anise hit.

Next dessert is cherry sabayon with tamarind meringue.  Paired with cherry liqueur. Liqueur is now quite pleasant, nice black/sour cherry taste, like everything good about black/sour cherries with none of the sourness.

Sabayon is perfect-- still warm and fluffy, not soggy at all. Tamarind meringue reminds me of why I loved tamarind, before I od'd on Filipino tamarind candy a few years ago. Wow, that did i already mention that the sabayon is absolutely perfect? Whoops! Forgot to take a picture!!

With the sabayon the liqueur's alcohol really comes out. Sweetness is ramped up a notch. Cherry cola galore! An epic end to the meal. Sabayon is like eating a cloud. Wet, fluffy, like a marshmallow but with no firmness. Last hit of liqueur is like cough syrup. The good kind.

Now for the coffee, here is where I predict the wheels fall off.. After being completely spoiled by La Cafeotheque earlier today I don't see how this can begin to live up.

Comes out nice and short, good head or crema, very hot. Good start. Turns out to be quite insipid, although with some promising citrus notes. Serves me right for expecting any different.

Second random guy asks me how the meal was, this time an American. I must look particularly pathetic eating all alone.

Anyways, it's 1 am and I need to be at CDG in 7 hrs to make a flight that I have yet to book.... So I'm off!!!

PS. Keep your wallet out-- you're gonna miss the last metro and you'll need to hail a cab.