It was such a calm, relaxing dinner. We didn't feel rushed, our servers were incredibly respectful, delightful and classy. I know we overstayed our welcome as we didn't saunter off onto Parisian streets until midnight...so imagine my embarrassment to discover that Yelp says they close at 10. I'd have hoped that we were told they were closing, I assumed they would and I feel terrible for having their staff stay for longer than necessary. It goes without saying that the food is amazing. It's innovative and interesting without it being unapproachable. Not every dish was a hit for me (personally found the fish to be overly fishy and what seemed like such a randomly placed oyster in our dish that didn't seem to pair well with its surrounding flavor) but would still give it 5-stars. Well worth the money. read more

On this trip to Paris, I had lunch at a newly starred Michelin restaurant, Loiseau Rive Gauche and had their Ephemeral Nature lunch menu (45€). Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. The menu consists of two amuse bouche followed by four courses and some sweets at the end. The meal started with a cracker made of green lentils which was crunchy and flavoured with an herby seasoning. I was also served an artichoke "croissant" which had a light and crunchy shell and was filled with a delicious artichoke cream inside. Both had earthy flavours which was further emphasized by the presentation on grains and dried leaves. The first course was a Tonic Oyster from Normandy paired with some cucumber and cucumber butter in celeriac. The oyster was fresh and sweet and the sauce that enveloped it was light and citrusy. Again, I was extremely impressed with the presentation. The oysters looked like it came straight out of the green waters of the sea! To make the meal a little more special, I decided to have the oysters with some Daurenki Royal Caviar (extra 15€). The caviar had a soft and fruity flavouring and paired very nicely with the sweet flavours of the oyster. The 2nd course was Pike Perch and Smoked Eel. The Pike was so perfectly grilled that it was crispy on the outside but still warm, tender and soft inside. This was the perfect vehicle to encase the smoked eel filling which was incredibly light and fluffy.  Altogether, the pike and eel made for an incredible light fish flavour and the caviar and splash of citrus on top added just a touch of sweetness and brightness to balance out the fish. The 3rd course was a Guinea Fowl which was juicy with a light crispy skin. The top of the skin was sprinkled with lavender which had a light floral flavour and actually paired very nicely with the white meat. The sweet carrots and lavendar-carrot purée added bright creamy notes to the dish and the tangy and sweet jus added a pop of acidity and vibrancy. This course was served with a side of perfectly fried potatoes balls which were crispy and light on outside while also being fluffy creamy and smooth inside. Think of the fluffiest mash potatoes encased in the lightest and most aromatic deep-fried shell. I think I might have liked the potatoes even better than the fowl (and I LOVED the fowl). This is the way all potatoes should be served! For the last course, dessert was a Smoked Chocolate served with Peat Ice Cream. The chocolate was surprisingly light with lots of air bubbles integrated into the chocolate thus producing a very delicate texture. It also had an intense smoked flavour which was quite enjoyable. The peat ice cream tasted a bit like brandy and made the dessert quite refreshing. The creamy chocolate mousse helped to ground the more airy dessert and made it seem more substantial. I'm usually a bit impartial to chocolate but this dessert thoroughly impressed. Finally, I was presented with a selection of sweets at the end of the meal of which I chose the lollipop, the marshmellow and the jelly. The lollipop had a white chocolate shell which was filled with an apricot mousse and a lavender liquid center which was extremely aromatic. The outside of the lollipop was topped with crushed hazelnuts which gave it some crunch and added even more aroma to this delicious bite. And while I thought this sweet bite was very well executed, I was even more impressed with the marshmallow and jelly both of which had a bold and intense lavender flavour while not being overly sweet. The jelly was also infused with some apricot but the floral notes was really what stood out. Before leaving, I was also presented with one last gift of a boxed madeleine to take away with me so that I could have something to snack on later on in the day. It's these little touches that I really appreciate. read more

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Class and elegance. That is what I think when I think back to my experience at louiseau rive gauche. There is a second restaurant (rive droite), but my experience there doesn't even compare to how fantastic the food and service was at rive gauche. Why this restaurant doesn't have a Michelin star? I have NO idea. The restaurant itself is super classy on the inside. The service is fantastic and the main waiter we had was charismatic, knowledgeable, so French and o so handsome. We went for a 3 course set meal but there was a ton of little starters (mise en bouche) that came as a pleasant surprise. Everything was interesting and BEAUTIFULLY plated and nothing was ordinary. The starter was a combo of mushrooms, egg, and coffee. UN-REAL. Probably one of the best appetizers I've had during my whole time in Paris. Incredibly fresh mushrooms, a fantastic explosion of flavours, and honestly they could've given me a bigger portion to eat again as my main and I would be so happy. The main of duck (obviously perfectly cooked) also came with pommes dauphine on the side. For those of you who might not know, pommes dauphine are essentially fried mash potato balls. Sounds basic - yes. But here they are anything but ordinary. I LOVE potatoes and I hunted for good pommes dauphine around Paris. Nothing, absolutely NOTHING comes close to the ones I had at Louiseau. They were like little balls of joy and I would love to just ask them if I can buy a mountain of them and just eat them freely. Or even better I wish that I could swim in a pool of them or have a scarf made out of them. The perfect consistency inside and the outside is just SO lightly fried with the thinnest outer layer. I'm not even sure how it's possible to fry something so perfectly. It was a chocolate dessert, but being not the biggest fan of chocolate, I can't say that I was blown away. However, they also served madeleines as an extra bonus. Again, for those that do not know, madeleines are basically small butter cakes. I am not a fan of this dessert and I do not care for it at all. I took a bite to try just because it was hot (and honestly, when anything baked is served hot, it is usually good). I am thankful everyday that I took that bite because it was the BEST madeleine I have ever had in my life. Warm, soft on the inside, slightlyyyyy crispy on the outside edges, and surprise! - there was a light chocolate hazelnut filling on the side that oozed out. This meal was a life changing meal for me. I cannot stress enough how nothing about it was ordinary. I can say with certainty that is better than some 1 michelin star restaurants I have been to (I haven't been to many but I'm sure that not all who have a star actually deserve it). Someone PLEASE give this place a michelin star!!! read more

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For a Micheline starred restaurant, this one is appalling. The moment I walked into the restaurant, I already felt something was not right. I was not greeted warmly although the restaurant was quite empty at 12:15pm. I said "bonjour" to the waiter who was standing right in the middle of the hallway and told him I had a reservation. The only emotion I saw from him was grumpy, grumpy, and grumpy. He led me to my table, gave me a menu, and said something about the menu in a very impatient manner. He asked if I wanted water--still very impatient and condescending. I had thought about leaving at this point because I did not come here to be emotionally abused! This waiter, by the way, is tall and with big beards on his face. Things started to change a bit when a different waiter came and offered me the amuse-bouche. Unlike some restaurants where you have a regular wait staff, this one seems to send you whoever is available. All the other wait staffs were OK--still lacking warmth, but at least not hostile. However, for Micheline standard, I do not think it reached the bar. The food was another let down. I had a 4-course lunch with the amuse-bouche, the little sweet after dessert, and bread and butter, there were a total of 7 "dishes". All of them were very ordinary. I did not see any imagination, playfulness, or creativity. Some of them were not even tasteful. Blank, ordinary, and nothing conveys "Micheline". By the way, that tall waiter with big beards on his face...I found out that he could smile, yes, when he was dealing with French lady clients. I don't know whether it is me being Asian that had offended him, but it was very clear from the start that I was not welcome. It was a true letdown and I regretted going there. Thinking back, the fact that it was so empty during peak lunch time (I was there from 12:15-1:45) despite being in such a central location speaks volumes about the lack of quality and reputation of this restaurant. It is the worst Micheline starred restaurants I have experienced, for sure! read more