[2015 France-Paris] Tasting menu @ AG

This morning Gaetan called a cab for us to get to the train station. The driver was clad in an all-black tight-fitting outfit like a spy in the movies. He even had a black moleskin notebook for all his appointments. Quite rare and a welcoming sight in this age of smartphones! Once we arrived at the train station, we waited nervously for the Rhonexpress. If they pull the same crap as we experienced on our trip into Lyon, we'd miss our flight! Thankfully, there was none of that and we got onto the plane with plenty of time to spare.

  

We stepped onto the RER blue line at CDG airport. It was a straight shot to our stop: Luxembourg. Lucky for us, we got onto the express train, so we shaved off 20 minutes of travel time. I remember from guidebooks and online forums before my last trip that the RER line is pickpocket heaven, but it didn't feel particularly dangerous. Maybe the situation improved over the past 10 years? Or maybe I'm just not alert enough... 

Upon exiting the Metro station, I felt like a country rat in a big city. The air was now filled with the stink of piss and we were surrounded by people hurrying to their destination, even the sky seemed less blue compared to Lyon. The confusing little streets around the station didn't help to lift my spirits. Imagine my dismay when I realized our new airbnb is on the THIRD FLOOR!!! I told Mr. Kimchi: if our luggages end up too heavy when we leave, I'm just gonna chuck it down the stairs!



This airbnb is in the 5th arrondisement, near the Pantheon and Paris-Sorbonne university. Of course what really piqued my interest was the market at nearby Place Monge and the foodie street Mouffetard. Sadly we arrived too late for the market, so I had to  make do with bread from Boulangerie Moderne.

This was the second and final dinner reservation I made for this trip. The restaurant is called AG. Since I read numerous positive reviews on ParisByMouth and JohnTalbots, I decided this would be our splurge meal. Tasting menu it is!

Surprisingly they didn't find my name on the reservation list. Probably because I missed the confirmation call while traveling in Lyon. Fortunately we were the first customers so we get to take our pick for the table.

 Love the airy green decor

 

 We started with complimentary squid ink and parmesan sable cookies. They were soft and buttery, but I couldn't taste much of the squid ink. The parmesan, on the other hand, was very strong.

 This tiny appetizer is two parts: a cheese croquet on top (which was perfectly crispy and melt-in-mouth smooth inside)

 And basil mousse and pesto eggplants in the bottom. We pretty much licked this one clean...

 This was a weird combo: eel and foie gras terrine. I like foie gras, but eel doesn't really go with it. The pickled cauliflower and radishes were a nice touch, as were the dollops of homemade aioli (I really need to get around to making this at home some day). 

 Then it's sesame crusted tuna with beet mousse. Unfortunately I'm not a huge fan of savory mousse, nor a fan of tuna, and what's that black stuff on the plate??? 

 The main course was a fish called merge. It's a mild white fish that was perfectly pan-seared. I loved the seafood cream sauce and sauteed veggies underneath it too.

The next main course left quite an impression (or scar, depends on your viewpoint). This was pork belly with soy sauce, caramelized brussels sprout, bokchoy and pureed carrots. Nicely flavored but the rind was so hard I thought I might cut the plate in half (I almost wanted to chew on the plate with frustration). While the taste was good, the cut was a bit too fatty, even for a pork belly lover like myself, and that rind...grrrrrr

 Thankfully dessert was very refreshing: yuzu sherbet & yuzu tart. Although I thought the tart tasted exactly like crustless key lime pie.

 We ended with chocolate madeleines and yuzu marshmallows. I can't say I love marshmallows, but homemade ones are nothing like those machine processed ones in stores. If you can get them, try them!

And so ends our first splurge meal in France. Not only did we not like all of the dishes, we also ended up in a minor fight. Will stick to small restaurants next time! Honestly though, the older I get, the less interested I am in fancy restaurants and creative cuisine. Yes I'm sure it took years of intensive training for the chef and probably quite a bit of talent too. But when you get to that level, you're no longer eating what YOU like, but more what the CHEF likes and his culinary vision. And when that vision doesn't agree with yours, at that price point, it can be rather unpleasant. Nowadays, I much prefer tiny places with cozy decor, friendly service and simple home cooked meals that I like, for a fraction of the price. N'est-ce pas?