A friend has been telling me for some time that I would love a restaurant in her neighborhood called Le Bouchon et L’Assiette. The other day I finally got to try it with her and, as I suspected, she was absolutely right.
This small, unpretentious place has a fresh, modern yet cozy look that is pleasant and unobtrusive, like the service from one of the co-owners. Her husband, who has worked with Éric Frechon, does the cooking.
At lunchtime, a set menu offers three courses for €26, with two choices for each. We ordered one of each and sat back to coast through a fine meal.
The starters were smooth and elegant: a panna cotta with layers respectively flavored with white asparagus and peas, topped with pieces
of smoked salmon and ground nuts. The salmon was a bit too strong for the delicate flavors of the creamy panna cotta, but I enjoyed it greatly. The other starter was a fennel soup topped with coriander and grilled
peanuts, a successful combo of delicate and more forceful flavors.
The main courses kept up the standard. Terry had the dorade (sea bream), cooked a la plancha with green beans, pistou of fresh herbs
and a light curry sauce. The fish was delightfully fresh and perfectly cooked and the sauce a nice complement.
I had a generous serving of pan-fried slices of blood pudding made with the recipe of Michelin two-star chef Christian Parra, laced with shreds of pork, and positively swooned over. it. I quickly
pronounced it the best blood pudding I had ever tasted, and Terry agreed (I just discovered that it can be purchased online here). It was served with an appropriately light cauliflower mousseline.
The desserts, like the starters, were a study in refinement, especially the lemon cream topped with meringue and dotted with tiny arugula
leaves and surrounded with beads of arugula sauce. Normally I am opposed to putting vegetables (or fish; see this review) in desserts, but as Terry pointed out, the arugula added a touch of bitterness that was a nice counterpoint to the sweet meringue.
My rice pudding accompanied by praline
mousse was sheer sweet indulgence, pure delight.
Discretion, delicious food and reasonable prices. What more is there to say? Terry knows what she’s talking about.
Favorite