Pierre Gagnaire, Paris

Not that I have ever been asked, but if I was ever asked to name three grey bearded wizards, I’d probably say Dumbledore, Gandalf and Gagnaire.

The word “wizard” gets bandied about a lot these days when talking about chefs, especially the likes of Heston Blumenthal, Grant Achatz, Ferran Adrià and, of course, Pierre Gagnaire. The creations of these virtuoso chefs are typically influenced by ‘molecular gastronomy’ - a term that was coined by Gagnaire’s long time associate, the inspirational French chemist Hervé This.

‘Foods To Try Before You Die’ came up with an interesting mathematical method for ‘How to choose a three-star Michelin restaurant in Paris’ (see here) – whilst I find this an informative and interesting read, for me, there was only ever one choice.

Of course, I had heard the name before but from seeing him on series two of Great British Menu at the ‘Ambassadors Dinner’ in the British Embassy in Paris and again, in series three, at London's Gherkin for ‘The Banquet’ hosted by Heston to celebrate the best of British, it appeared to me that even amongst the world’s culinary elite that there was a magical aura around Gagnaire that the other chefs seemed to respect – a true legend.

It was these ‘GBM’ appearances that prompted our visit(s) to Gagnaire’s London outpost Sketch last year (see here), which in turn made our desire to visit his eponymous three-Michelin-starred Parisian flagship restaurant even stronger – despite recently slipping to number sixteen, the fact that Gagnaire has ranked amongst the top three in the world on the Restaurant Magazine’s 50 Best restaurants list and appears in Les Grandes Tables du Monde also helped cement the deal.

When telling people that I planned to eat at Gagnaire there were two main responses: one being, that when 'on form' the food could be peerless but to expect some dishes to be 'a bit strange' (strange has never bothered me). The most common response however was usually, 'Do you know how much that is gonna cost?'

The cost was certainly an issue and being able to justify possibly spending close to £600 on a meal for two (before drinks) was not a decision I took lightly. To date, my number one restaurant experience remains Heston's The Fat Duck - for the money we would spend at Gagnaire we could have gone back there twice!

People advised us to forget the three star biggies and check out a number of two or one star places instead (and even some un-starred trendy spots around town) – this is very good advice and at one point I gave in and crossed Gagnaire off the list.

Not for long though, as those 'You only live once' 'Life is for living' 'I could be hit by a bus tomorrow' moments helped it to creep back on. Too much “umming” and “ahhing”? What the heck… booked! (As if there was ever any doubt.)

So the simple question: 'Was it worth it? Simple answer… 'Oh, yes!'

We arrived to be confronted with a grand set of doors emblazoned with the Gagnaire ‘table’ logo. I’ve read a few reviews that have criticised the décor – personally I loved the modern styling in warm brown graduations with big bold art works and flower arrangements.

Extraordinarily innovative and progressive food would perhaps not seem as right in a typically French 3-star dining room based on Louis the ‘whatever’ old school Parisian grandeur.

As a blogger, thinking thoughts about how the lighting will affect the photographs is a downside - the ‘City of Love and Lights’ however, came up trumps with lamps providing just enough light for decent enough pictures (in most cases) without detracting from the atmospheric candle-lit glow befitting a romantic meal.

Gagnaire's restaurants, including Sketch and Gaya have a tendency to present several small tasters together, especially evident with the amuse bouche and desserts. As an eater this is exciting as every course makes you feel like a kid in a sweet shop, not knowing what to try first. As a blogger it's a nightmare trying to remember all the explanations from the waiter - especially when there is likely to be some unusual sourcing or pairing of ingredients.

According to fellow three-star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, "The amuse-bouche is the best way for a great chef to express his big ideas in small bites." Obviously someone with lots of big ideas, in my mind, Gagnaire is the amuse bouche master:

One consisted of a fresh tropical tasting salad featuring a small dice of heart of palm and grape. Another saw a squid ink biscuit sat atop a thimble sized pot containing a tapenade-like concoction of black olive, carrot and tandoori spices. There was also blackberry set between white meringue; a ginger and almond biscuit adorned with a beetroot wafer; and anchovy cream with rocket and a tiny toadstool made from a nut.

The bread offering consisted of: the same delightful little brioche that we had enjoyed earlier in the day at Gaya (see here); a crispy 'traditional bread' that had exceptional flavour and chestnut breads – these were tasty but strangely they appeared to be a little burnt around the edges (obviously by design).

Accompanying the usual 'salted butter' we were also presented with a 'citrus butter' that contained lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit – I was not convinced by the citrus offering, you had to be selective as to what courses it would complement.

Crémeux d’araignée de mer, consommé d’omiza au ginseng; tourteau, petits coquillages et cristes marines – consisting of a cocktail of crab meats, including spider crab and two different sizes of clam set over a ginseng infused jelly made with omiza (see Korean omija tea) and a samphire like plant. My wife loved this dish; it was her favourite of the evening.

Lac Léman: mousseline de brochet au savagnin, grenouilles façon Poulette; flan d’ortie aux herbes fraîches. Tranche d’omble-chevalier voilée de lard de Colonnata, légumes racines de printemps au macvin – this dish came in three parts, one, accompanied by root vegetables, starred the Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) Pike; a great tasting sustainable freshwater fish, it’s a shame you don’t see it more often on UK menus.

One thing also rarely seen on UK menu are frog’s legs as many British diners, including my wife, are squeamish when it comes to amputated amphibians – as a result I got to eat two portions of these delicious ‘chickeny’ bites. The leg meat was served off the bone with rich creamy savoury custard. There was also a grassy, herb and nettle salad and mousse.

Carabineros au curry doux Madras, pointe de citron caviar et piquillos; fondue de pamplemousse rosé, avocat et radis croquants;
velouté de brebis - Carabinero prawns are famed for their deep red hue and more robust flavour; which thankfully came through with a marriage of Madras spices, avocado, piquillo pepper, dinky slices of radish and the citrusy tang of pink grapefruits and bursts of lemon ‘caviar’. A luscious creamy ewe’s milk velouté was spooned over at the table.

Foie gras de canard Dundee-Pinky, huîtres spéciales au gingembre frais;
 sorbet tamarillo et bouquet de champignons de Paris aux pousses d’épinard. Marmelade de betterave rouge – another dish with lots of flavours, all seemingly balanced with a wave of Gagnaire’s wand: duck foie gras, oysters, fresh ginger, tamarillo sorbet, spinach, sesame, red cabbage and beetroot marmalade, topped with discs of white Paris mushroom. The tamarillo sorbet was a revelation.

Poulpe, sériole, tripes de morue et piments de Guernica à la manzanilla; cœur de thon de Méditerranée (issu de la pêche raisonnée),
artichauts poivrades, aubergine et anchois demi sel – this one of my favourite dishes, featuring: artichoke, aubergine, sweet sherry soaked Guernica pepper, fish (cod and amberjack) with octopus and a sashimi slither of what translates as ‘heart of tuna’ (which I think refers to the cut of the ‘bonito’ fillet as opposed to the actual heart.

Crème d’asperge à la cardamome, raviole de cresson; asperges vertes et blanches, chou cœur de bœuf, mange-tout et mangue thaï – white asparagus is one of my all time favourite vegetables and these were the best I have had. The pasta for the watercress ravioli was also exceptional. (I was less convinced by the presence of the Thai mango purée.)

Also on the plate: green asparagus, ‘chou cœur de bœuf’ (or beef heart cabbage) and mangetout. Finishing the dish, a cardamom infused asparagus cream sauce was theatrically spooned on at the table.

La Corse:
Fricassée de cabri poivre vert/vadouvan/miel du désert des Agriates; galette de châtaigne: tricandille, olives noires et cornes d' abondance – this dish featured a number of ingredients that are not often seen on British plates: ‘cornes d' abondance’ are black chanterelle mushrooms that are also known as black trumpet or trumpet of death; ‘tricandille’ or chitterlings are intestines and ‘vadouvan’ is French variant on a masala like spice mix, popularised in their colonial territories in India.

Along with the above ingredients, the main component of goat had also been stewed with green pepper, honey and black olives; topped with leaf shaped chestnut biscuits and surrounded by vibrant peaks of a radicchio emulsion – the dish tasted great but did seem quite autumnal, considering we were tasting the brand new spring menu.

The cheese course was an interesting one, Trois fromages fermiers au lait de vache:
Vieux gruyère de Garde - Coup de corne - Morbier.
Pâte de coing à l’alisier, pousses de soja au vinaigre de riz. Gelée de gentiane aux perles de chocolat blanc – the three cheeses: an aged gruyère, a morbier and, a new one on me, ‘coup de corne’ were all delightful.

The white chocolate and bean sprouts added a pleasing, yet different dimension. However, the gentian jelly was incredibly bitter and tasted very medicinal, even when tempered by the fresh yoghurt - it just didn't work for me.

Les desserts Pierre Gagnaire – a feast of flavours and techniques to tantalise the taste buds. The miniature works of art included such delights as: a ‘macaron’ with orange and orange gelée; coffee jelly with coffee meringues and lime sorbet; a disc of sponge topped with pear, caramelised almonds and ice cream drizzled with a balsamic caramel and strawberries with coconut textures and ‘bubblegum’ ice-cream.

My favourite of the desserts consisted of a clever dark chocolate concoction with cherries, dates and hazelnut - creatively prepared and beautifully presented. In a playful twist, what looked like one of the discs of white mushroom from earlier turned out to be a sweet sugary marzipan type creation.

To finish the meal, a well prepared green tea presented in fine Limoges porcelain by JL Coquet. Service throughout was faultless.

At the beginning of this post I referred to Monsieur Gagnaire as a culinary wizard – unlike Dumbledore and Gandalf, his enchanting food proves that magic does exist.

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Hungry Hoss Top Ten: No. 8 – Jean Georges

Continuing the ‘run down’ of my Hungry Hoss Top Ten favourite restaurants of all time - at number eight, another New York offering, the three star Jean Georges.

On my last visit to the big apple, I wanted to try at least one of the city’s five* 3 Michelin starred restaurants. (*Now seven, with Eleven Madison Park and Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare gaining them in the recently 2012 guide.) Masa was dismissed as I already had a booking at Kajitsu (see here) and as much as I love Japanese food, wanted some variety on my trip; Eric Ripert’s classic La Bernadin was a serious contender; I’d heard wonderful things about the service at Thomas Keller’s Per Se and Daniel Boulud’s eponymous Daniel is legendary and has trained so many top chefs.

However, it was the Asian tinged contemporary French cuisine of Jean-Georges Vongerichten that eventually won the day. Adding weight to this decision was the restaurant’s prestigious location in the Trump International Hotel and Tower at One Central Park West on Columbus Circle.

On the introduction to my top  ten (the Pied à Terre post) I  stated that when coming up with this list, I considered, ‘the quality of food, service, décor, ambience, location’ and ‘‘x factor’ or ‘je ne sais quoi’ – I’d like to add ‘timing’ to this list. For, what also made Jean Georges so memorable was the role that Central Park played as the perfect ‘digestif’ - after our meal, the time that my wife and I spent in the glorious autumnal sunshine, strolling hand in hand through the park, as the words and sentiments of Frank Sinatra’s ‘Autumn in New York’ rung through our hearts, rounded off the lunch perfectly and helped to make the meal all the more magical. Rounding off, the rounding off was a ride of the fabulous merry-go-round and a skate round the Wollman Rink.

All this, I suppose, does beg the question, would the whole experience be as memorable if it had been raining and we had hailed a yellow can back to our hotel? Maybe not, but like I say, that was just the digestif; we still have the fabulous meal to recount.

At the time of dining, the ‘Tastes of Autumn’ lunch menu offered twenty-one dishes with the set price of $32 for two and additional dishes for $16 each. My wife and I decided to select three dishes each. Please, forgive my relative lack of comments on the following, this meal was in October 2010 and I was not writing this blog at the time and although I took a few pictures for posterity, no notes were made. Consequently, I do not want to attempt to write too much from memory as I feel I would not do the food justice – suffice to say that my general recollection is that the cooking was absolutely flawless and the flavours harmonious.

I went for:

Black Sea Bass Sashimi, Himrod Grapes and Lime Ponzu – a fabulous Asian inspired dish; my favourite dish of the lunch.

Crispy Crab, Pink Peppercorn, Mustard and Exotic Fruits – a great combination of textures and flavours: with the crisp kromeski of sweet crabmeat; the juicy, soft exotic fruits and the ‘pepperiness’ of the mustard cress.

Slow Baked Salmon with Burgundy Truffle Crumb, Silky and Crispy Parsnip

My wife opted for:

Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Parmesan, Jalapeno and Mint

Coach Farms Goat Cheese Gnocchi, Caramelized Baby Artichokes, Lemon and Olive Oil (My wife’s favourite dish of the lunch).

Caramelized Beef Tenderloin, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Pecans and Avocado

To follow, being in New York and inspired by the phrase, ‘As American as apple pie’ I chose the dish simply called ‘Apple’ which featured: Granny Smith Sorbet, Chartreuse Compressed Fennel, Crispy Salted Fronds, Spice Cake, Cider Sorbet, Clementine, Dates and Hazelnuts.

The spiced apple cake with the cider sorbet piped into its centre was beautiful; this was surrounded by dates topped with cinnamon encrusted hazelnuts and tiny Clementine juice vesicles that had been separated by liquid nitrogen. The Granny Smith apple sorbet and fennel with Chartreuse and a hint of aniseed then accompanied this, along with the crispy fennel fronds on top - a fabulous finish to the meal.  

My wife chose ‘Chocolate’ starring: Jean Georges’ Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Caramelized Honey Ganache, Amaranth Seeds and Hibiscus Streusel.

After the meal, before the park, we were presented with petit fours to accompany our tea - these included handmade chocolates, macaroons and the rather fun marshmallows, which were cut at the table.

One negative to our meal was the green tea, which was served steaming hot and unfortunately had to be sent back and replaced. I don’t want to make sweeping generalisations about America’s inability to make a decent cup of tea; or indeed reinforce stereotypes about the British and our tea obsession, but a three star establishment, even if in a city famed for its coffee consumption, should know the correct temperature to prepare and serve the teas that they have on their menu.

For those that don’t, here’s the technical bit: the delicate flavour and aroma of tea is determined by natural sugars and amino acids present in the leaves; whereas, polyphenols or ‘tannins’ contribute to astringent and bitter notes. Amino acids dissolve at 60°C, while tannins dissolve at 80°C. Consequently, tea brewed at lower temperatures will enable the sweet complex flavours to shine and will not be overpowered by bitterness or astringency. I’d guess the tea at Jean Georges was served in the high nineties*, resulting in burnt leaves and overpowering bitterness. (*Whilst this temperature is suitable for oolong or black teas it’s far too hot for green, yellow or white) – I hope someone from the restaurant reads this, as they were just about perfect in every other area!

Simple solution, when in New York, go to Jean Georges – it’s wonderful (but order a coffee.)

At the time of dining Jean George was ranked as the Restaurant Magazine's 19th Best Restaurant in the World (it has ranked as high as 4, in 2003).

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