We had dined at Chez L'Ami Jean once before in October of 2011; it was a magical evening from start to finish. This was THE dinner we were most looking forward to, including the mythical rice pudding. Would it disappoint?
Chez L'Ami Jean is the quintessential modern Parisian bistro. It's loud and bustling, although not as bustling as on our first visit, when we waited at the bar for our reservation and received complimentary wine and charcuterie.
Two years earlier, we had ordered the prix fixe menu; this time around, we ordered à la carte. Marlene and I split two starters, the wild mushrooms and the salmon special. The mushrooms were plentiful, with multiple varieties, sautéed in lots of butter. Delicious!
The salmon was perfectly rare and excellent quality. Bone marrow on top added richness; celery slaw in the middle added texture. Magnifique!
Marlene order the sweetbreads as her second course. They were tender, moist and meaty; we'd never had better.
I ordered the wood pigeon with foie gras – the whole bird, with hand wipes and a plate for bones. The bird was large breasted and tasty.
We were seated at the best table in the house; we overlooked the kitchen and watched Chez L'Ami Jean's incredible chef Stéphane Jego plate every dish. He clapped his hands when each was complete; he also flirted with Marlene.
And then came dessert. We probably would not have ordered the rice pudding the first time around if it had not been recommended on the prix fixe menu. Lucky for us we did. It was every bit as intoxicating the second time around, sweet and indescribably delicious. Are you having trouble getting excited about rice pudding? Trust us.
We also shared the sliced pears, with almond cake and sorbet – not the rice pudding, but excellent.
We had a wonderful meal at Chez L'Ami Jean. It wasn't as magical as two years earlier – those evenings are seldom repeated. But it did not disappoint. Copyright © 2013 TwoForTheTable.com |
