Kate and I decided to head to Paris to celebrate her birthday (which, despite her protests, did not mean that I would suddenly be paying for the hotel, Eurostar, food, or everything else she requested). On Friday night, we had the tasting menu at l’Innocence and it was spectacular. More on that later.
We kept it simple on the first night, heading to Bouillon Chartier on the recommendation of the highly talented Jake Makes. A proper Paris institution, full of Parisiens enjoying steak frites or poulet roti with lightning-fast service from waiters who could have been transported straight from the nineteenth century. All very theatrical.
The next day we ate breakfast at Hardware Société, a Melbourne/Paris café serving something inbetween an Aussie and a Parisien breakfast. The chorizo, egg and cheese bake, below, was excellent. Much better than anything I’ve had recently in London where it seems you increasingly have to pay stupid money for something as simple as egg on toast. Highly recommended for anyone kickstarting their day before walking round Montmartre. And it’s coming to London in 2020.
This was all a sideshow, though, compared to Friday night at l’Innocence. There’s no choice on the menu – but they were very accommodating with the customer at the neighbouring table who was vegan and gluten-free – a pretentious American woman who told the maitre d’ that he should improve his English for his own good. The maitre d’ actually spoke very good English, was very patient with my French and described every dish in vivid detail. He absolutely made the night for us and every other diner in the restaurant.
I had three highlights.
Pumpkin and hazelnut ravioli. The filling of a roast (I think!) pumpkin gave the dish much more depth than it suggested at a glance. But the absolute killer was the hazelnuts which were briefly confusing and then one hundred percent delicious. They’d been cooked in a burnt butter which was then used to baste the ravioli. The butter took on the hazelnut flavour and acted as a nutty and bitter envelope to the sweet pumpkin filling. The ravioli were like little autumnal explosions and were the inspiration behind my pumpkin and mozzarella pasta bake.
Potato, egg and (sorry, chef) some kind of green foam. I feel bad for not knowing what it was, but I could take it or leave it. The potato makes an appearance in my highlights for the insanely complex way it had been prepared. My photo doesn’t do it justice. A cylinder of potato sliced into single millimetre sheets, then perfectly reconstructed into a half pipe. Each layer remained distinct and had some bite. The whole thing had then been cooked as a fondant, with some crispness on the edge of each of the layers but soft and buttery inside.
Steak. To be honest, I’d sat through around four courses of our excellent maître d’ explaining each dish in very elaborate – and very French – detail, and I didn’t really pick up much of his description this time. So let’s just call it steak and veg. I couldn’t place the cut but it was very lean yet still incredibly tender. My steak of choice is usually a rib-eye done medium, so that the marbling fat breaks down and turns the muscle smooth and buttery. No fat here, but no problem. I have never tasted such a tender, rich steak, let alone one so lean. Dark and caremelised at the very edge, but pink and as smooth as slowcooked brisket inside. You should visit l’Innocence just for the possibility that this is in the menu.
Paris was short and sweet. But I’ll be back.
The Iris menu at l’Innocence was €69 for six courses, plus homemade bread and amuse bouches, and includes service. Paired wine was an additional €29.
Nathan in the kitchen 