Brunch? In Paris? WAIT WAAaaait.... diversity in selection, for *BRUNCH*, in PARIS? Served in a coffee house that has depth, consistency, and stellar coffee.
But what Emperor Norton is doing would be precarious if it wasn't so well executed. Paris is not known for Brunch, but one must start somewhere, and while many look at purveyors of new concepts as daring or risky, sometimes someone is just prescient, and dialed into trends. I think Emperor Norton saw a need, and beat the curve on a new trend. It will give them the time needed to improve upon their excellent skills and menu. I imagine they will only end up more in demand, and likely move to a bigger spot in the future. As I understand, the kitchen is not the most expansive or efficient. Any other reviewers problems might be due, in large part, to their restrictions with the setup. Coutume cafe should be happy to have them as long as possible.
Emperor Norton evolves traditional breakfast fare, by adding subtle touches to some egg dishes, while creating absolutely foreign concepts for the city - like a breakfast burrito, or scrambled eggs and salsa on chips, etc. It's wonderful to enter a place and be completely surprised by the menu - it was unexpected, and completely refreshing. It was a welcome change from the traditional fare... and a marked departure from the carboloaded breakfast we are used to.
This is by no means a pretentious fine dining experience - this is a modern take on CA Fresh Mexican diner morning food. They are producing tastes that are not uncommon to some of the best breakfast joints throughout the west coast of the US.
The food is exceptional, the coffee is EPIC (see previous Coutume review), and it's something we can't wait to return to... not just to eat again, but to see how they grow and evolve.
This is the start of something very rare, fun, exceptional in Paris, and I can't wait to see how these innovators lead the way. read more