Le Cinq Paris Eng
Alfieri Maserati
knew how to create the most beautiful shapes for a car. Mozart wrote incredible
music, Hans Eine Kleine Nachtmusik remains, probably, the most famous piece of
music. Salvador Dalí created the most beautiful pieces of art I have ever seen.
So, what do I want to say with this? Well if we take a piece of each fantastic
person above and add them to one single person, and this person have together
with his very important team, affected my gastronomic mind to something incredibly
good.
It’s not the
first time we enter the fashionable Four Seasons Hôtel George V in Paris and
its definitely not the last time. I can write for hours about the lightening,
the flowers, the art, the colours and the hosting. But it’s impossible to write
in words of how fantastic this really is. Everyone is gazing at us, at least
that is the feeling when you enter the hotel. And what’s amazing is that
everyone who enters has the same feeling. We are being so taken care of from
the very first second. It’s something that’s in their blood, service is
something they know about in France, (of course there are exceptions but far
from here) we are being shown in, thru the foajé, the bar and the dining room for afternoon tea, up
to our hostess who welcomes us with a smile…..You do understand what kind of
happiness and another amazing experience this day will bring us.
The
location of the restaurant, surroundings and interior
Paris is
big, really big, but for us gourmands there is nothing that is outside the centre.
The restaurant is the centre, it doesn’t matter if the address is 31 Avenue
George V, 75 008 in Paris, or Aldura Gunea Aldea, 20, 20 100 Errenteria,
Gipuzkoa, in Spain. As I always have said and will, is the place where we will
enjoy gastronomy and beverage, is our centre.
The
interior well imagines a castle in the fairy tell with all its luxury it can
have. There is not a single piece that does not belong there, and each one has
its unique place, well maybe not some of the confused tourists in their too short
shorts. The lightening is just amazing to watch, how it moves along the time
and how the shadows dance around the setting. Sometimes it feels like we are
sitting under the bare sky due to the big beautiful windows.
For those
who like flowers, have come to their heaven. Every day the big flower
arrangements are replaced and set, which means they are always amazing and
beautiful with all its colours and the scents, but nothing is too much. I hope
the pictures will do the them justice and we can only thank the Artistic
Director of the hotel, Jeff Leatham.
The idea of
the restaurant and its uniqueness
What’s
special with Le Cinq is its total feeling for its guest and it’s so interesting
of how the hierarchy of the dining room is working. Its working just perfectly
and arranged just the way it should be. The ones with the most experience and
knowledge are steering the ship and you can see how the whole team is working
all together and united, all together, from the youngest to the one with most
experience. I must mention Alberto, this young man who with such a joy and
empathy served the bread. To us Alberto will the future be the next Charles
(Ass Rest manager). Le Cinq is so alive, so organised (certainly it might happen
that someone has taken the wrong position at the table or forgets to brush off
the table) but these are extremely small thing that a regular guest will never
take notice of.
Service
from the very first moment and thru the whole dinner
Here we
must tell you our first complaint, and it’s something that annoys us every
single time. Everyone is not like us and thank God for that. But how hard can
it be to relax and enjoy this show and experience? Just sit back and let them
take you on one of the best journeys you can make. This critic is not to Le Cinq
as you understand but to some of their many guests. Me myself is studying every
single move in the dining room but for many this is just another restaurant
visit to get a full stomach. Why let the staff with years of studying and hard
work, give these guests their very best experience when they don’t even care to
lift their heads from the cell phone for 2 minutes and appreciate what they do
for them.
Me, Miss E
and Miss W does not visit Le Cinq every day, we do not have the possibility to
do that. But for each time we enter this dining room we are looking forward to
the perfect gastronomy and an exciting show. Half of the show is what’s going on
between the servings. Each sommelier, waiter and manager make us feel like
kings and queens. This feeling is something unique for Le Cinq, in other words
the service is in perfection. It’s a well-trained way of serving but it never
becomes a standard routine that is boring to watch. With the answer in our
hands, this is perfection from beginning to an end.
How is the
food? The cooking? Any mistakes? Are they working after season, which is
something we like to see.
It’s a
pleasure to sit back in the comfy chairs around our beautiful table and let us
be taken care of. Charles
Divay (Responsable Adjoint du Restaurant) tells us what the menu for the day
will be and that’s the way it will be. With that said we know that we are in
the best hands and will have the very best lunch we can imagine. For lunch you
will be served the big tasting menu, it will be both new dishes and dishes we
have tried before (and can eat each day for the rest of our lives, that’s how
good they are). The dishes in general has raised on step, it feels like each
dish has gotten more personality and even more work has been putted down on
them. Last time we were here it was top notch, so you might understand how good
it was this time and how each dish just blown us away.
We start
with a glass of 2004 Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires. Or to be honest,
we had a very tasty drink at the bar before the lunch. A bar that we must enjoy
for a bit longer next time, not only for the drinks but also for the interior,
the atmosphere and the knowledge behind each drink.
”The Champagne contains Chardonnay from five crus of Côte des Blancs:
Oger who gives the concentration and the structure of the wine. Mesnil-sur-Oger
who gives balance, Avize for minerality, Cramant for the complexity and finesse
and Vertus for the freshness and floweriness. The, as for all of Charles wines,
vinification is done on steel tank with malolactic fermentation. Dosage:
9 gr/l”
For the
Champagne several Mis es en bouché are served, one tastier then the other.
Playful texture, exploding flavours, fresh and crispy. What a start. The
bravery and maturity of the Champagne is a true friend with the first servings
of this long menu (we sat down for lunch at 12 am and left Le Cinq at 8.30 pm).
This time we chose wines from the wine list and we will get back to the list a
bit later.
But the first choice was a 2009 Vincent Dauvissat Chablis Premier Cru”
La Forest”, a very good choice for the first part of the menu. Mature
Chablis from one of our top producers in Chablis can’t go wrong.
The first
dish of the menu is a serving we will never forget, a tartar of tomato served
with sorbet of sorrel and crispy sticks. We were asked to close our eyes and
feel the texture in the mouth, think of the most tender part of the topside
that has been cut to a classic beef tartar. This was a total experience of how
texture can trick your mind in a very fun way. The sorrel gave a smoothness to
the dish with a touch of fresh herbs. This was one of the most exciting and
interesting dishes of the year. And believe me, La Forest was perfect with this
dish.
Next
serving is a classic at Le Cinq, gratinated onion in different textures. A dish
that might not have the colours you could wish for, but it is incredibly tasty.
The sweetness from the gratinated onion, a bitterness that is just perfect,
soft onion who meets the crispness. The dish has a slightly oxidized tone, so
with a focused and brilliant sommelier knowledge we are served a classic Madeira av Pereira d´Oliveira from
1985.
”Pereira d'Oliveira is
a Madeira Wine producer, independent, run by the descendents of the founding
owners, owned by 3 brothers under the administration of Aníbal D`Oliveira and
Luís D´Oliveira, who represent the fifth generation of knowledge and experience
dedicated to the production, commercialisation and exportation of Madeira Wine.
In this company 5 producers of Madeira are integrated, all being from families
from the island, with the oldest being founded in 1820. In their warehouses you
can find a considerable stock of old rare wines which are the result of
valuable wine inheritance of the aforementioned companies, and which currently
represent added value for Pereira D'Oliveira wines.”
Everything
I taste from the plate I can taste in the glass, but the wine adds a fantastic
nuttiness, a nice sweetness and a peaceful and elegant acid. A combination that
is just as perfect as duck liver, toasted bread and a big glass of Chateau
d’Yquem from 1921.
Sea bream
with tomatoes and ginger. A stylish and delicious presentation. The fish, with
a specular meat, is cooked to its perfection, when we separate the meat of the
fish its shining like pearls and the lamellae are falling like dominos. Charles
is serving a compote of tomatoes and the colours on the plate makes it a piece
of art. The texture of the fish is very interesting, compact but smooth, you
must eat it together with the skin to get the right feeling in your mouth. The
tomatoes are exploding like fireworks with all the taste of sweetness,
bitterness and the aroma.
We are
served a pasta dish as an extra serving and it’s just so amazing. During one of
the breaks of the lunch we entered the kitchen and had the opportunity to see
how this pasta creation was made. A pretty detailed job which is an art in its
self, the craft of this dish is worth a journey in its self. The flavours are
artichoke, truffle and pork. The creamy content that shows it self when we cut
it in the middle is perfect and the scents of truffle that hits us is like an intoxication.
When the
next dish is about to enter we feel that something big is about to be served. A
piece of glazed pork with aubergine and fresh herbs. The scents that are spread
around the dining room is amazing and we are being served a piece of Asia. The
crispy pork is perfect, the sweetness from the glace is wonderful, the
aubergine and the herbs are adding some green flavours in a perfect way. Please
give us more!
For this dish a bottle of 2015 Saint- Joseph from Jena- Louis Chave has been served.
A wine of the best example of the school book of what Rhone can and should
produce. A wild pepperiness but with a good balance and sensual fruit. It was
perfect with the pork. Despite the young age of the wine (which I missed with
four year, embarrassing, and I’m reconsidering to change job) its still big and
elegant.
"Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is a fantastic producer located in
the northern Rhône, making wine under the Hermitage and Saint-Joseph
appellations. Chave's red and white Hermitage wines – based on Syrah and
Marsanne and Roussanne respectively – are some of the most important in the
Rhône Valley, commanding both high prices and 100-point scores.
The estate has 14.5 hectares (36 acres) of land in
Hermitage, making it one of the largest land owners in the appellation. The
vineyards were planted when the Chave family arrived in Hermitage in the late
19th Century after phylloxera had devastated much of France. The vineyards were
terraced and today cover eight different plots on the hill, providing a range
of mesoclimates and terroirs for the Chave wines. Many of the vines are between
30 and 60 years old.
The plots are brought to the winery and vinified separately,
to give the winemakers more control over the blending process. Grapes are
usually destemmed, and are fermented in stainless steel before being aged for
up to 18 months in oak, a small portion of which is new. All of the wines are
bottled unfiltered.
Jean-Louis Chave make several wines under the Hermitage
banner. The generic red and white Hermitage wines are Chave's flagships,
although the range is headed by the Cathelin cuvée, one of the Rhone's most
collectable wines. Chave also make a couple of wines from Saint-Joseph and a
Côtes du Rhône wine. The Chave family have been growing grapes since 1481, and
today the domaine is run by Gerard Chave and his son, Jean-Louis."
Well of
course we couldn’t stop ourselves from ordering some complementing bottles
despite all the nice wines that we had before. 2009 Domaine Francois Raveneau
Montee de Tonnerre, Chablis Premier Cru and 2011 Domaine Francois Raveneau
Butteaux, Chablis Premier Cru. Two wines that we hold really high, if not the highest among all the
producers of Chablis.
"The domaine holds 9.29 hectares of vineyard land planted
entirely with Chardonnay grapevines, in Chablis. The wines are harvested
entirely by hand, Raveneau is one of only five estates in Chablis to still use
this method. No new oak barrels are used to make the wines. The wines are
fermented in stainless steel and then aged in barrels with an average age of
seven to eight years, for twelve to eighteen months.
Raveneau owns sections of three Chablis Grand cru vineyards.
These holdings are 0.54 hectares in Les Clos, 0.60 hectares in Blanchots and
0.75 hectares in Valmur.
Further land is owned within six Chablis Premier cru
vineyards. The largest holding is Montée de Tonnerre, with 3.20 hectares,
followed by Butteaux with 1.50 hectares. The other four are Foret with 0.60
hectares, Vaillons with 0.50 hectares, Montsmains with 0.35 hectares and
Chapelot with 0.30 hectares. There is also a newly acquired 0.95 hectare parcel
of village classified Chablis, on the opposite side of the Vaillons slope. The
first vintage from this plot was harvested in 2007".
After a “sweet
singing” dish of pork, we go directly to the countries of cheese. Once again,
we are blown away with all the knowledge that everyone in the staff has, everything
about the gastronomy and now also the cheese. The waggon is rolled in next to
our table and another show has started, we tell our sommelier to choose freely
among all the cheeses for us. We counted to ten tastings of different cheeses.
Every single one has its own story and I don’t have the space to write of each
one of them. Our rating of the cheese serving is nothing than standing ovations
and we love that something so “simple” can be so amazingly good.
Apricot and
vanilla, a light, elegant and perfect pre-dessert. It’s like a version of the
classic dessert Pavlova. Genius textures where crispness meets the sweetness
and where the smoothness meets the resistance of the fruit.
We have now
arrived too the last presentation of the menu and it’s a favourite that will be
served. Strawberries and white chocolate. A piece of art and with well-balanced
flavours. I often talk allot about textures and it’s so exciting to feel what
happens and all the flavours in your mouth. One second it’s so smooth and all
of a sudden something pops and another flavour is added. This dessert is like a
journey into heaven of gastronomy.
But the
lunch is not over yet, once again we enter the kitchen for the” regular” tour
and to say hello and thanks to the entire kitchen staff. After that we go back
to our table for coffee and treats, a whole lot of good things are served, and
you must try them all. And once again we lean back in the comfy chairs, soak in
the calmness of the dining room and listen to the classical music. Suddenly we
notice that we are all alone in the room, which we understand when we take a
look at the clock and realize that we will soon be part of the evening service,
time flies when you are having a good time.
But Charles
has another thought of how our late afternoon shall be and he has set up a
beautiful table at the terraces for us. The staff has decorated the table with
flowers and it’s just like to sit down in a dream to enjoy all the luxury. We are
sitting at this table for a long time and “accidently” order in some dishes
from the one Micheline star restaurant next door to Le cinq, but those dishes will
be written about another time.
(How is the
wine list? Large, small and pricing. How much is the beverage knowledge of
staff and sommelier?)
Sommelier
Eric Beaumard has together with his sommeliers, done a fantastic job with the
wine list. Here we find everything that a typical guest of Le Cinq can wish
for. Of course, it can cost, but if you look at an international market it’s
not more expensive here. As a guest at Le Cinq you know that the wine list will
have the standard it has, and the price will be after it. What we must mention
is that the adding to the prices are not exaggerated but more justifiable. You
can find long verticals of classic producers and with over 2500 different
labels there will be a wine for everyone.
As said we
took bottles this time (we are sorry Charles) but when you find bottles on the
list who costs more back home at the local place then at Le Cinq, it’s
impossible to resist to have the bottles that you dream of. All the
sommeliers are of course coming from the French school and all with a superb humility,
we get the best service when it comes to wines. We feel at home at Le Cinq and
we know that all the guest who lets them be blown away, do.
(A final
review…)
We wrote in
the first part about some very important people, what they did for the world in
music, art and technology and want to say that the complete piece of puzzle is
to bring in gastronomy among this and Chef Christian Le Squer is that piece of
puzzle. We must not forget that without Chef Le Squer´s stab, Le Cinq would not
be as great as it is today. But we all stand up, applause, bow and shed a tear
of pure happiness. You are what we call perfection within gastronomy and
service.
Thank you
for everything and see you soon, and Franck Painchaud... you are amazing!
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