Surprise Tasting:
Bread and Three Butters - Yuzu, Rosemary,…read moreSalted
Fresh King Crab Bisque with Cold Coffee Cream / Gazpacho of Red Beet and Cherry, Smoked Eels, Belgian Goat Cheese
Spring Pea Cheesecake, Cannelloni of Yellow Squash, Garlic Flowers, Pomelo and Pomegranate Cream
Crab Brain Chawanmushi / King Crab Salad with Avocado, Cream of Black Sesame
36-Month Aged Parmigianino-style Swiss, Potato and Corn Cream, Green Asparagus, Jamon Serrano
Smoked Hamachi, Daikon, Squid, Fermented Soy
Squid on the Embers, Eggplant Mille-feuille, Miso, Cubed Daikon, Dashi
Breast of Bresse Chicken, Green Herbs Emulsion, Cream of Squash, Hay-smoked Pommes Puree
Fire roasted Cherries, Honey-Rosemary Ice Cream
Strawberries and Rhurbarb Tartlette, Cream of Lemon, Rose Leaves
Cherry Gateaux Basque, Black Cherries
Ushered into a new era by Chef David Martin, a man of considerable talent with another more casual restaurant called Bozar downtown, La Paix has received considerable praise from in-the-know gourmands ever since evolving from a traditional Brasserie, and although several dishes from steak to offal are still readily available from the space dating to 1892 there is no doubt that Martin's pursuit of "honest" cuisine is best experienced by way of the Chef's Tasting Menu.
Aged in its appearance from the outside, those unaware most likely to simply see the corner as nothing more than another bar and brasserie, entry to La Paix speaks to the levity imparted in dishes with strong Asian influences and although Martin himself hails from Southern France originally the origami decorations, serviceware and even tables speak to an interest in things found East.
Offering several a la carte options, a lunch menu as well as several degustations, those interested in experiencing all La Paix has to offer are well advised to invest three hours into the 8-course "Menu Surprise" that sometimes comes straight from the carte but more often direct from the team of only six in the kitchen.
Not as bustling as other Michelin starred spots, the casual ambiance and higher prices seeing a total of six-tables filled at lunch, service at La Paix comes from a two-person front-of-house and given the skeleton crew the delays from the kitchen can occasionally be lengthy, though free WiFi, the open kitchen and a tank of 5-6kg King Crabs from Scandinavia provide for entertainment while freshly made bread with three hand-crafted butters continuously offer temptation between plates of food.
Starting with a duo of soup and salad, the bold gazpacho eating more like panna cotta than an actual potage, Martin makes his intent-to-wow known early on by way of the Fresh King Crab Bisque charged with a tableside ISI-shot of Cold Coffee Cream, spoonfuls offering juxtapositions in terms of taste, texture and temperature that continued to a brilliant opening act of Cheesecake comprised of soft goat cheese beneath a gel of Spring Peas with a warm stack of Yellow Squash that dances amongst citrus and Pomegranate cream.
Open only during weekdays, a large gourmet center driving business from across the way, course two continued to show-off the enormous crustaceans in the tank by way of a duo of Crab Brain Chawanmushi and chilled King Crab Salad, the hot custard perhaps the most delicate and flavorful ever experienced while the creamy Avocado expectedly paired well with the sweet meat and cream of Black Sesame.
Shaving "Swiss Aged 36-Months to resemble a Parmigianino" like a truffle for course three the hits continued with Potato and Corn Cream decorated in Green Asparagus and nutty ham, the follow-up of smoked Hamachi, snappy Squid and Fermented Soy with Daikon unfortunately not doing any favors to the fish's texture while far better execution was experienced from a steak of Calamari straight off the embers with a cube of Daikon and Eggplant stack bathed in Dashi.
Continuing both light and seasonal for the final savory, a roulade of Bresse Chicken immensely juicy beneath crispy skin with green Herbs, Creamed Squash and smoky Pommes puree, there was a noted slowdown from the staff as the same young men responsible for savories transitioned to pastry, a simple bowl of two and a half stewed cherries taking nearly forty minutes to present with a small quenelle of Honey-Rosemary Ice Cream.
Putting together dessert two more expediently, the Strawberry-Rhurbarb Tartlette a concept that would be seen repeatedly at fine dining establishments over the course of the next six days, La Paix's version did a nice job of highlighting the vegetable's tartness through Citrus and Roses, the 'mignardises' actually the best of the sweets as Chef Martin offers each guest a slice of Cherry Gateaux Basque, his father's favorite dessert showing that history still has its place at Rue Ropsey Chaudron 49.
