We needed a good night sleep because the next day, Sunday, was Museum Day. Off to the Musee D’Orsay, home of many Impressionist delights. There was only one flaw in this plan: as it was raining, most of Paris had the same idea we did. Lines to get in were very long, owing mainly to security. Still it was great to be there, and the restaurant on the second floor was a good choice for lunch.
That night, I had a special treat planned for my kind and patient friends who let me crash their trip. I took them to a Michelin one-star restaurant at the The Park Hyatt Place Vendome, Restaurant Le Pur’. Michelin-starred cuisine is not my normal fare, and I don’t think I had ever dined in a Michelin-starred restaurant before that evening (and I should remember eating in Michelin-starred restaurants, right?). So I approached this with some level of trepidation, not just because of the cost, but also because of the fear of possible disappointment. We’ve all had situations where a special restaurant doesn’t live up to expectations and I didn’t want this to be one of them.
Things did not start off promisingly because yours truly got herself and her guests off at the wrong Metro stop. Miss Smarty Pants, who hadn’t been to Paris in 11 years, thought she knew a better way than the directions on the Park Hyatt website. Turns out she was wrong. So, if the Park Hyatt website says get off at Opera, get off at Opera, not Madeleine.
Being women, not men (sorry guys) we did ask for directions. It was somewhat disconcerting that the Paris gendarmes we consulted for directions seemed confused when we asked where the Place Vendome was. Isn’t the Place Vendome rather well known, especially by Parisians, and more importantly by Parisian police officers who should know all major landmarks? Was our French that bad such that the officer thought we were asking about something else? Or worse, had I really messed up the directions and landed us in a suburb?
We got ourselves sorted out, and feet hurting and a half hour late for our table, we arrived. And boy had we arrived. The Park Hyatt Place Vendome is quite a place and Restaurant Le Pur’ was everything I hoped it would be. http://paris-restaurant-pur.fr/. The décor was quite subtle and perhaps a bit somber but all the better to focus on the food and the dining experience. The kitchen is open and most of the tables face outward so you can watch the action. A brigade of white toqued chefs work with precision, occasionally calling out “Chef!” I suppose to catch the attention of their boss, Chef Jean-Francois Rouquette. It was enthralling. And the food? Well, if this is Michelin one star cuisine, I can only imagine what a two or three star must be like. In a word, it was great.
We chose the Menu Prestige, which was available as a special deal for subscribers of thefork.com. It was a 7 course menu with wine pairings priced at 175E. The English translations of what we ate and drank follow:
Duck Foie Gras Poached in Hibiscus Juice
Soba Noodles and Enoki
Pineau des Charentes Rouge
Tuna Fish Tataki Watermelon- Sweet Red Peppers, Prunes and Iberian Ham
2010 Louro Do Boldo, Valdeorras, Espagne
Chanterelle Mushrooms ‘Bouton de Culotte’
Hazelnuts Crumble, Sweet and Sour Mulberries “from my mother”
2007 Allende Rioja, Espagne
Monkfish, sea-scented emulsion with yellow wine, young leeks and souffleed cereal
2010 Camp de Lebre, Mas de Agrunelles, Pays D’Oc
Mixed Duck, Rubbed with Xian Gu Pepper, figs carpaccio, & ‘foie gras’ leg in Kromensky fritter (and no, I do not know what a "Kromensky fritter" is but I was happy to eat it)
2010 Lunatique, Domaine Rouge-Bleu
Comte Cheese, Red Onions, Macvin Wine Aspic
Tangy Savarin Cake, Infusion of spices, whipped cream with lime
2007 Quarts de Chaume, Domaine des Baumard
Not listed was the amuse-bouche, which was a foie gras lollipop. Pretty amazing. Or the pre-desserts or after desserts, or the little meringues with which we were presented as we were getting ready to leave.
Was this meal worth approximately $225 per person? Yes, to me, it absolutely was. I thought the food was outstanding and we were treated very well. And I discovered a new favorite wine, the Louro do Boldo served with course two. Delicious. So much so I have ordered some online from a favorite wine store based in Florida, www.b-21.com
After such a great meal, I couldn’t drag my friends my friends through the streets back to the Metro, could I? Besides, it was getting close to midnight at that point. So what does the enterprising traveler do? Summon a taxi? Mais non, she calls Uber, of course! Uber, the mobile car dispatch service, is in Paris. Some tapping on the Iphone and a few minutes later, the driver was at the front door. Very good service and the price was not bad, either.
Stay tuned for Part 3...
That night, I had a special treat planned for my kind and patient friends who let me crash their trip. I took them to a Michelin one-star restaurant at the The Park Hyatt Place Vendome, Restaurant Le Pur’. Michelin-starred cuisine is not my normal fare, and I don’t think I had ever dined in a Michelin-starred restaurant before that evening (and I should remember eating in Michelin-starred restaurants, right?). So I approached this with some level of trepidation, not just because of the cost, but also because of the fear of possible disappointment. We’ve all had situations where a special restaurant doesn’t live up to expectations and I didn’t want this to be one of them.
Things did not start off promisingly because yours truly got herself and her guests off at the wrong Metro stop. Miss Smarty Pants, who hadn’t been to Paris in 11 years, thought she knew a better way than the directions on the Park Hyatt website. Turns out she was wrong. So, if the Park Hyatt website says get off at Opera, get off at Opera, not Madeleine.
Being women, not men (sorry guys) we did ask for directions. It was somewhat disconcerting that the Paris gendarmes we consulted for directions seemed confused when we asked where the Place Vendome was. Isn’t the Place Vendome rather well known, especially by Parisians, and more importantly by Parisian police officers who should know all major landmarks? Was our French that bad such that the officer thought we were asking about something else? Or worse, had I really messed up the directions and landed us in a suburb?
We got ourselves sorted out, and feet hurting and a half hour late for our table, we arrived. And boy had we arrived. The Park Hyatt Place Vendome is quite a place and Restaurant Le Pur’ was everything I hoped it would be. http://paris-restaurant-pur.fr/. The décor was quite subtle and perhaps a bit somber but all the better to focus on the food and the dining experience. The kitchen is open and most of the tables face outward so you can watch the action. A brigade of white toqued chefs work with precision, occasionally calling out “Chef!” I suppose to catch the attention of their boss, Chef Jean-Francois Rouquette. It was enthralling. And the food? Well, if this is Michelin one star cuisine, I can only imagine what a two or three star must be like. In a word, it was great.
We chose the Menu Prestige, which was available as a special deal for subscribers of thefork.com. It was a 7 course menu with wine pairings priced at 175E. The English translations of what we ate and drank follow:
Duck Foie Gras Poached in Hibiscus Juice
Soba Noodles and Enoki
Pineau des Charentes Rouge
Tuna Fish Tataki Watermelon- Sweet Red Peppers, Prunes and Iberian Ham
2010 Louro Do Boldo, Valdeorras, Espagne
Chanterelle Mushrooms ‘Bouton de Culotte’
Hazelnuts Crumble, Sweet and Sour Mulberries “from my mother”
2007 Allende Rioja, Espagne
Monkfish, sea-scented emulsion with yellow wine, young leeks and souffleed cereal
2010 Camp de Lebre, Mas de Agrunelles, Pays D’Oc
Mixed Duck, Rubbed with Xian Gu Pepper, figs carpaccio, & ‘foie gras’ leg in Kromensky fritter (and no, I do not know what a "Kromensky fritter" is but I was happy to eat it)
2010 Lunatique, Domaine Rouge-Bleu
Comte Cheese, Red Onions, Macvin Wine Aspic
Tangy Savarin Cake, Infusion of spices, whipped cream with lime
2007 Quarts de Chaume, Domaine des Baumard
Not listed was the amuse-bouche, which was a foie gras lollipop. Pretty amazing. Or the pre-desserts or after desserts, or the little meringues with which we were presented as we were getting ready to leave.
Was this meal worth approximately $225 per person? Yes, to me, it absolutely was. I thought the food was outstanding and we were treated very well. And I discovered a new favorite wine, the Louro do Boldo served with course two. Delicious. So much so I have ordered some online from a favorite wine store based in Florida, www.b-21.com
After such a great meal, I couldn’t drag my friends my friends through the streets back to the Metro, could I? Besides, it was getting close to midnight at that point. So what does the enterprising traveler do? Summon a taxi? Mais non, she calls Uber, of course! Uber, the mobile car dispatch service, is in Paris. Some tapping on the Iphone and a few minutes later, the driver was at the front door. Very good service and the price was not bad, either.
Stay tuned for Part 3...
