This weekend’s restaurant exploration Shane and I went to try Paris’ coupon’s world. For him for the first time ever and for me, for the first time in Paris. Most of the deals here are shitty, in low-end restaurants and I was searching for something worth a while. I found a deal for 40%-60% (depends what is ordered) discount for a gourmet meal (3 course each) in a new modern-Italian cuisine “Paris 9”. We went for it, for 22.5 euros each it was worth trying.
This is what we had:
Decor is a big deal in this place. Very modern feeling
Purple lights and low lamps. I liked it. The dinning room is pretty large actually and they managed to fill about 60%-70% of the tables.
From another angle, wine shelves (mostly Italian wine) and there were these picture-frame-fire-place thing which didn't picture well but was interesting
Waiting area. When time comes and people will have to wait
The menu. between 11-15 euro for a first course and 14-26 for a main. No dinner formulas or fixed menus.
8 for dessert and 12 for cheese platter and we could choose whatever we wanted in this menu with no limitations.
The amuse bouche that came and I wish it didn't. was the worst thing in the meal and very much unnecessary. It was a rice and cheese fried ball over shreds of purple potato. Was not freshly fried, not even warm. These things has to be served a second after making them, otherwise it's real bad. The purple thing was just purple, didn't taste good
Probably this whole dish was served to please someone's obsessiveness to the color purple.
The bread was not worth touching. I touched it just to check, it was too dry. Not that dry, but just dry enough to be un-appetizing
The first courses came pretty quickly. That looked huge! as a first course. This is the winning of this whole meal! Big sardines, warm, over polenta sticks with baby marinated artichokes
The sardines were very good and this combinations worked!
The other first course was half a quail with figs, carrots and green beans, cardamom spiced. Green beans and figs?? We raised an eyebrow but found out the problem with the dish was the quail itself, overcooked and redundant in this vegetable and spices feast. Also, served in a bawl made it hard to eat.
The main course, slices of duck with black grapes spicy sauce, carrot and semolina gnocchi
The sauce was very intriging and tasty. The duck was a bit overcooked to me but had a crunchy fat layer and after asking in school, the classic duck does supposed to be served pretty cooked, so... The carrots were great (orange, yellow and parsnips.), not turned or anything weird. The gnocchi was very good too. So overall, good dish but not amazing.
This fish was written in the menu as Lotte. We didn't know what it was but turns out to be a freshwater fish that resembles a cod. Called Burbot in english and has no translation to Hebrew. It was fried in Polenta and served with oyster mushrooms. There was supposed to be some sort of sweet salad of mache but we only got this leaf.
The fish tasted regular and not that special (highest priced dish at 26 euro). The sauce was something mild but with chilly oil, felt in the back of your throat. I asked for lemon to squeeze over which made the whole thing open its flavors.
Desserts, first was chocolate tiramisu. Served a huge portion, we couldn't even finish half of it. Still not getting why it was called chocolate tiramisu. Where is the chocolate? Very classic, a bit heavy but tasty.
The biscotti in the middle, could be more biscotti to make it lighter. Like, two layers!
Ricotta cake with fruit confits. Was surprisingly very good and new. I liked it, was like souffle, hot from the outside and creamy but cold from the inside. Had some chocolate inside and the only thing I would say is more of this confits. Had to have more acidity.
Like a stuffed cake. New for me, I like it when they surprise me!
We got the bill, it should have been an 88 euro meal. We payed 45 in advance.
The sum up is that this place has potential but the chef still didn’t reach the place he probably wished to be. For us it seemed like the chef has new and good ideas but the team is not trained enough. Overcooking is far worse than the wrong garnish. Portions can be moderated a bit. I felt like, in this place, you can have luck and order all the “right” things, walk out amazed, or have less luck and order the mediocre dishes, and walk out feeling let down. A real good restaurant has at least 90% of good choices in her menu. This is my opinion anyway.
the oyster mushrooms that came with the fish really were flavorless.
אני כנראה צריכה להגיע לפריז להזמין אותך למסעדות טובות באמת……
I like purple, this is why I started eating beet with all of my salads.. 🙂
I also liked the figs dish, the duck with black grapes.. and the beautiful deserts!!
Too bad there aren’t better coupons 🙂
Life in Paris is not easy 😛
didn’t you once make rice and cheese fried balls for your friends?
does duck taste any better after you know that the classic duck is supposed to be served pretty cooked???
you are right, I remember it 🙂
about the duck, doesn’t taste better but makes it harder to complain