Where to eat while in Paris can be both fascinating and frustrating. Things to consider include budget, location, hours, style of food, reservation policy, etc...and the list goes on and on.
But it is still one of the most exciting cities in the culinary world to deal with decisions like this. The choices are immense and varied, and no one can possibly find time to sample it all.
One of the most interesting dilemmas I've faced when picking a restaurant in Paris is the idea of the "big name" chef versus the small baby bistro. You know that the food will be good in either place. You know that the big name chef will probably not be in the kitchen, but has handed over the reins to a more-than-competent staff. You know that service in Michelin-starred restaurants will be flawless. But you also know that the food will be ridiculously expensive.
On the flip side of the coin, you have the small baby bistro. Usually the chef has trained in one of the big kitchens and has the expertise and experience to produce high-caliber food. You know that the food will be extremely seasonal, simple but always well-prepared. Service will probably be gracious but not extremely attentive, and the food will be reasonably priced.
So how do you pick? Do you go for the big name and shell out a month's worth of rent? Or do you go for the smaller restaurants and enjoy a wonderful meal that will be a fraction of the cost?
For me, the choice is usually simple, due to a minuscule student budget: go for the baby bistro, dream about the Michelin stars. But to my surprise, I've been lucky during my stay here: school and generous friends have afforded me the chance to sample the places where normally I would be relegated to the staff entrance.
An unexpected graduation gift was lunch at Guy Savoy, a 3-star Michelin a stone's throw away from the Arc de Triomphe. In fact, we went on the day of the last Superior Cuisine demonstration, making the day bittersweet.
To put it bluntly, I was blown away by everything here. Expertly prepared food, perfect service, and a tasting menu that left me throwing in the towel at the end in sheer bliss. We opted for the Menu Dégustation (230 Euros), sat back, and watched the carts roll by.
Never in my life have I seen so many carts in a restaurant: champagne, bread, cheese, dessert. They paired different kinds of bread with each course, so the bread cart came by multiple times. By the time we were finished with lunch, my small bread plate was overflowing with half-eaten pieces of bread. What a lovely problem to have!
Guy Savoy loves surprises. Whether it's being served an asparagus soup, then having the top lifted off the other half of the dish to reveal an asparagus mousse, or being served fish on a perforated plate that revealed a delectable broth underneath it in the bowl, I loved the combinations of textures and flavors.
As a culinary student, there weren't many technical surprises on the menu. Everything was just perfectly prepared and plated. What did surprise me was the sheer number of desserts we were served. The multiple preparations of strawberries gave me a chance to taste the expensive, tiny little "fraise de bois" that I always eyed at the market. All in all, we counted 16 different desserts on our table at one point, and I grew sad that I couldn't finish it all. The additional dessert cart that rolled by with puddings, ice creams, and mousses made me even more sad that capacity in my stomach was reaching its maximum, yet it didn't stop me from opting for a few things.
For the ladies, you will probably get an additional surprise. At Le Cinq, I was given a small box of candies and chocolates to take home. Here, I was given a large, flat square box in the middle of the meal. I couldn't help but squeal in excitement- would it be sweets or something to eat for breakfast the next day? Embarrassingly enough, I was disappointed with the contents- a beautiful dessert plate engraved with the name of the restaurant on it. I guess it shows that I value food more than other material things! Still, it was an extremely nice gesture and I was very appreciative.
We received a kitchen tour, took pictures with the chefs and even said hi to a fellow Le Cordon Bleu graduate staging in the kitchen. We walked out of the hushed atmosphere of the restaurant and back into the Parisian sunshine, squinting and slightly teetering with the sheer amount of food we had just consumed.
Then it was on the Metro and back to the last demonstration class at school, where food coma set in but I dutifully sampled the John Dory fish that Chef Didier prepared for us. I even indulged in the champagne we popped at the end of class. My stomach was in full protest, but what kind of culinary student would I be if I didn't at least taste?
Just how full were we? After a noon lunch reservation, I didn't eat until approximately midnight that night, and all I could manage was a slice of toasted Poilâne bread. Guy Savoy was my first lunch tasting menu experience, and it'll be hard to find another restaurant that can top it (although I've yet to test out Alain Ducasse!).
But it is still one of the most exciting cities in the culinary world to deal with decisions like this. The choices are immense and varied, and no one can possibly find time to sample it all.
One of the most interesting dilemmas I've faced when picking a restaurant in Paris is the idea of the "big name" chef versus the small baby bistro. You know that the food will be good in either place. You know that the big name chef will probably not be in the kitchen, but has handed over the reins to a more-than-competent staff. You know that service in Michelin-starred restaurants will be flawless. But you also know that the food will be ridiculously expensive.
On the flip side of the coin, you have the small baby bistro. Usually the chef has trained in one of the big kitchens and has the expertise and experience to produce high-caliber food. You know that the food will be extremely seasonal, simple but always well-prepared. Service will probably be gracious but not extremely attentive, and the food will be reasonably priced.
So how do you pick? Do you go for the big name and shell out a month's worth of rent? Or do you go for the smaller restaurants and enjoy a wonderful meal that will be a fraction of the cost?
For me, the choice is usually simple, due to a minuscule student budget: go for the baby bistro, dream about the Michelin stars. But to my surprise, I've been lucky during my stay here: school and generous friends have afforded me the chance to sample the places where normally I would be relegated to the staff entrance.
An unexpected graduation gift was lunch at Guy Savoy, a 3-star Michelin a stone's throw away from the Arc de Triomphe. In fact, we went on the day of the last Superior Cuisine demonstration, making the day bittersweet.
To put it bluntly, I was blown away by everything here. Expertly prepared food, perfect service, and a tasting menu that left me throwing in the towel at the end in sheer bliss. We opted for the Menu Dégustation (230 Euros), sat back, and watched the carts roll by.
Never in my life have I seen so many carts in a restaurant: champagne, bread, cheese, dessert. They paired different kinds of bread with each course, so the bread cart came by multiple times. By the time we were finished with lunch, my small bread plate was overflowing with half-eaten pieces of bread. What a lovely problem to have!
Guy Savoy loves surprises. Whether it's being served an asparagus soup, then having the top lifted off the other half of the dish to reveal an asparagus mousse, or being served fish on a perforated plate that revealed a delectable broth underneath it in the bowl, I loved the combinations of textures and flavors.
As a culinary student, there weren't many technical surprises on the menu. Everything was just perfectly prepared and plated. What did surprise me was the sheer number of desserts we were served. The multiple preparations of strawberries gave me a chance to taste the expensive, tiny little "fraise de bois" that I always eyed at the market. All in all, we counted 16 different desserts on our table at one point, and I grew sad that I couldn't finish it all. The additional dessert cart that rolled by with puddings, ice creams, and mousses made me even more sad that capacity in my stomach was reaching its maximum, yet it didn't stop me from opting for a few things.
For the ladies, you will probably get an additional surprise. At Le Cinq, I was given a small box of candies and chocolates to take home. Here, I was given a large, flat square box in the middle of the meal. I couldn't help but squeal in excitement- would it be sweets or something to eat for breakfast the next day? Embarrassingly enough, I was disappointed with the contents- a beautiful dessert plate engraved with the name of the restaurant on it. I guess it shows that I value food more than other material things! Still, it was an extremely nice gesture and I was very appreciative.
We received a kitchen tour, took pictures with the chefs and even said hi to a fellow Le Cordon Bleu graduate staging in the kitchen. We walked out of the hushed atmosphere of the restaurant and back into the Parisian sunshine, squinting and slightly teetering with the sheer amount of food we had just consumed.
Then it was on the Metro and back to the last demonstration class at school, where food coma set in but I dutifully sampled the John Dory fish that Chef Didier prepared for us. I even indulged in the champagne we popped at the end of class. My stomach was in full protest, but what kind of culinary student would I be if I didn't at least taste?
Just how full were we? After a noon lunch reservation, I didn't eat until approximately midnight that night, and all I could manage was a slice of toasted Poilâne bread. Guy Savoy was my first lunch tasting menu experience, and it'll be hard to find another restaurant that can top it (although I've yet to test out Alain Ducasse!).
Joseph Drouhin Poligny Montrachet
Amuse Bouche of Foie Gras on Bread
Amuse Bouche of Asparagus Soup and "Surprise"
L'Araignée de Mer
Spider Crab
"Pommes de Terre Poireaux"
Potatoes & Leeks
Saint Pierre entier et Asperges Vertes
en Poly Préparations
Whole John Dory Fish with Green Asparagus
in Multiple Preparations
(Roasted and Plated Tableside here on a perforated plate)
(Soup made with the drippings from the top plate.)
Foie Gras de Canard Rôti et Nage de Chou Rouge,
Choux Frisés au Raifort et Moutardes
Foie Gras of Duck Roasted with Red Cabbage Sauce,
Cabbage with Horseradish and Mustard
Soupe d'Artichaut à la Truffe Noire
Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup
Brioche Feuilletée aux Champignons et Truffes
Brioche Puff Pastry with Mushrooms & Truffles
Selle d'Agneau de Lait "Rôti-Farcie"
et Fèves au Beurre de Truffe
Saddle of Milk-Fed Lamb Roasted and Stuffed,
Fava Beans in Truffle Butter
Truffled Mashed Potatoes
Fromages Affinées
Autour de la Fraise
All About Strawberries: 4 different preparations!
1) Strawberry Paper, Tapioca-like Pudding
2) Strawberries in a Jelly with Cream,
Madeleines
3) Strawberry Soup
4) Forgot what this was, but it's strawberry!
Fondant Chocolat au Pralin Feuilleté et Crème Chicorée
Chocolate Fondant with Crispy Pralines and Chicory Cream
Desserts Galore!
Ginger Ice Cream
Chocolates
Bread Cart
Cheese Cart
Dubbed the "Sundae" Cart
Guy Savoy
18, rue Troyon
75017 Paris
Tel. 01 43 80 40 61
Lunch: Tues-Fri 12:00 - 2:30PM
Dinner: Tues-Sat 7:30 - 10:30PM
Reservations: reserv@guysavoy.com
Metro: Charles de Gaulle Etoile
Bon Appétit!
18, rue Troyon
75017 Paris
Tel. 01 43 80 40 61
Lunch: Tues-Fri 12:00 - 2:30PM
Dinner: Tues-Sat 7:30 - 10:30PM
Reservations: reserv@guysavoy.com
Metro: Charles de Gaulle Etoile
Bon Appétit!
ohhhh myyyy. yummmmm
Posted by: mich | June 16, 2006 at 03:12 PM
Glad you enjoyed it! I now do all the amuse bouche's, soups, and other various grilled items. Fun, fun fun!!!
Bisous,
Amy
Posted by: Ms. Glaze | June 20, 2006 at 05:47 AM
mich: you said it!
Ms. Glaze: You're lucky to help create all this beautiful food!
Posted by: Chez Christine | August 19, 2006 at 07:30 PM