Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire - Gastronomic masterpieces created here everyday that are pleasing to both eye and palate
Amuse-bouche: saffron & mayo ice cream, curry spinach, tomato consomme, mousse of pigeon with foie gras, and gelee of mushrooms
Raviole de roquette à l’estragon, soupe de poireau grille aux baies de sureau (Arugula ravioli with tarragon served in grilled leek soup and elderberries) - A unique one and it's the best among "Parfums de Terre" dishes. There's a little taste of foie gras, the soup is also good. Overall, a very earthy dish indeed!
Quenelle Ranavalo; minestrone insoliete; bisque forestière (Thick cream soup of wild mushrooms served with puree of vegetables) - The mushroom cream is very strong and dominant; I hardly taste the vegetables
Le veau de lait: poitrine longuement braisée, enrobée d’un caramel de framboise à l’oseille (Braised of milk-fed veal breast meat coated with caramel of raspberry and sorrel) - A small piece of tasty veal balanced with raspberries, so that it will not be cloying
Top - Feuilles sauvages du jardin d’Annie Bertin, bouillon d’artichaut brûlant (Wild leaves from Annie Bertin’s garden served with hot broth of artichoke) and Bottom - Coeurs de celtuce, sorbet d’endive au vinaigre de coquelicot (The thick part of stem lettuce served with chicory salad green sorbet and poppy vinegar) - I like the herbs soup. It may taste like Chinese medicine at first, but the more you drink, the better. It's a bit hot and spicy, suitable for cold weather. The sorbet with sake is OK
Paleron de boeuf poêlé au laurier; tranché devant vous, la viande est posée sur une crème de rave au saké (Pan-fried shoulder of beef in bay leaf, sliced in front of me and placed on sake cream) - This is the best piece of beef/steak I've ever eaten - forget Morton or Ruth Christ, even slightly better than Akagegyu beef. The beef, with some layers of fat, is truly delicious and it's enhanced with cream of sake. A genius work on the palate, even though the master himself was absent that night
Moelle au caviar osciètre, pointe de persil fume (Beef bone marrow served with osetra caviar and tip of smoked parsley) - The bone marrow is somewhat dull, the caviar's saltiness brings out the flavor. The herbs below gave some distinct aroma ...
Left - Friselli, cantal frais et oignons crus piquants (Thin potato chips prepared with fresh Auvergne cheese and spicy raw onions) and Right - Carotte d’epaule en pot-au-feu; sauce daube et chantilly Hermès (Simmered beef shoulder stew served in sweetened carrot whipped cream sauce) - The beef stew is not bad at all except the mousse is a bit too sweet for my taste while the chips are surprisingly nice
Poire traitée comme un carpaccio, vinaigre liqueur (Thinly sliced raw beef served with liquor vinaigrette and pear puree) - The beef is of high quality, but the flavor is slightly overtaken by the puree
Jus froids, museau au sesame noir (Vinegared beef muzzle served with cold aspic and black sesame) - My least favorite in the "Boeuf a la Francaise" dishes. It's normal, the gelee below is just fine
Biscuit soufflé gingembre fraise et pur Vénézuela (Sponge cake soufflé served with fresh ginger and undiluted Venezuelan chocolate) and Ganache onctueuse au Trinité; tranche de cassate à la pistache de Sicile et chocolat lacté (Rich mixture of chocolate and smooth cream sliced in 3 ways, Sicilian pistachio in left & right and milk chocolate in the middle) - The intense chocolate souffle served untraditionally on the plate. The top part is a bit crispy, below it's smooth intensified with pure chocolate. The ganache is wonderful, but too small
Eau de fraise au kirsch, glace blanche au gingembre noir du Vietnam (Water of strawberry and eau-de-vie of wild black cherries served with white ice of black ginger from Vietnam) - This "cherry water" is hardly sweet and served cold. To me, this side dish of the dessert acts more as palate cleanser to tone down the strong chocolate souffle
The dining room - In the evening, this modern dining room gave some sense of romantic atmosphere. The service is professional as always without being too formal
Moi alone. Both the owner and Michel Nave were not in the kitchen, but the experience is still almost as good as my first meal a year earlier
