L’Arpege
84 Rue de Varenne
75007 Paris, France
+33 1 47 05 09 06
Official Site
So many chefs these days have been focusing more on vegetables as the main attraction at their restaurants, even the great Alain Ducasse made a splash last year when he decided to concentrate more on vegetables and fish after refurbishing his namesake Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athenee in Paris. But way before Chef Ducasse and others made the transition Chef Alain Passard was one of the first big name chefs that entered the movement when he removed all animal protein from his menu at his critically acclaimed three Michelin starred restaurant, L’Arpege in 2002 (though animal protein has returned but to a minimal). Such a risky move for an established chef who’s had three stars under his belt since 1996.
Chef Passard purchased L’Arpege from his mentor, Alain Senderens, back in 1986 and at that time it was named L’Archestrate (where he also spent time in its kitchen) before he renamed and renovated it. The calm dining room is small with a simple interior. Its clean white walls are covered in blond wood panels with silver plated artwork, low ceilings, tables sparsely spaced and paired with beige leather padding chairs in shiny metallic frames. The restaurants cellar, an enclosed space with exposed bricks, is also used for extra dining space.
L’Arpege has an a la carte offering, a EUR 240 vegetable tasting, and a EUR 340 dinner tasting, although pricey, it’s on par with Paris standards. For lunch there is a EUR 140 tasting, a bargain for this type of restaurant and which I selected. Just like my previous meal at Chef Passard’s mentee Pascol Barbot in L’Astrance, the kitchen creates what is available on that day.
Lunch Tasting:
The lunch tasting began with a tiny snack of carrots with garlic puffs which was finished in one quick bite. Then a trio of nicely done mousses in individual teaspoons of carrot mustard, parsnip with coriander, and Parmesan with coriander was served. Next to come was a beet root sushi with mustard bay leaves. Made with thinly a sliced beet that was a substitute for tuna on top of tightly squeezed rice, to replicate a sushi, displayed the creativity of the chef.
Afterwards, I was served a salad from the garden. The vibrant leafy green vegetables were extremely fresh. It was garnished with shaved Parmesan cheese and walnuts for added texture while a dressing gave the right amount of acidity. For such a simple dish it was very good. Vegetable ravioli was next, which consisted of three pieces of ravioli stuffed with vegetable puree and drowned in warm vegetable broth with beet shoots and carrots juice. The ravioli stuffing had a wonderful veggie flavor to go along with an earthy aromatic broth.
Gratin with Parmesan cheese, peppers, and grapefruit was the following course. Made with potatoes and onions, the gratin had a nice crunchiness that combined perfectly with the pungency of the Parmesan cheese while also having a slight citrusy zest. This was then followed with a beet root tartare served with potato chips. A fascinating, yet refreshing root flavors that married with an intense bitterness of the horseradish cream. A well thought out dish where the genius of Chef Passard replicating a steak tartare that turned into a vegan delight.
A lone meat dish on the tasting menu was the heart and liver of duck tapenade on puff pastry with a side of green salad. The offal meat sliced in small cubes was cooked wonderfully, but at this time I was already enjoying the vegetarian spectacle that the animal protein was an afterthought. Never the less this was still a lovely savory dish. Now back to the vegetables. For the next course, colorful garden fresh vegetables with just a splash of olive oil and sprinkling of couscous giving it an added element.
An array of sweet courses began with honey onion and mint caramel custard served with fragrant star anise ice cream on the side to cool off the palate. A delightful plate of assorted pastry and sweets came as an intermission prior to serving the rest of the dessert. It then proceeded with a Paris-Brest, a firm pastry sandwiching a cream that is slightly rich and sugary. To end the meal were two kinds of chocolate confection, a mousse and a chocolate Napoleon, which was layered in different types of chocolate.
This was a sublime meal especially for the price I paid. The food served was light and healthy; the vegetables that were used were extremely fresh and of high quality. They are transported daily from Chef Passard’s own farm where he personally picks them. As a master craftsman who has a special relationship with vegetables, Chef Passard allows their natural flavors to shine without doing too much to them while arranging them on the plate with perfect combination. Also, in this tasting Chef Passard was able to use an ingredient more than once (as many of top restaurants do not do this) and used them well, adding a different dimension each time.
Unfortunately, there was no pre-set wine pairing available for this tasting but the restaurant did have an excellent list of wines available by the glass. With the help of the sommelier, the red and white wines from Medoc and Alsace region that were picked went well with my courses while also recommending a beautiful champagne as a welcome pour.
At L’Arpege, service was precise and formal to a degree, but was also adjustable to the type of guests that they serve. The staff was a mixture of young and seasoned veterans and handled the dining room with ease. After service, when the guests (or what’s left of them) are served their final dish the maestro himself emerged into the dining room. Mingling, stopping by every table, and even having coffee with guests or posing for pictures and waving goodbyes. A humble gesture from a chef with all his accolades.
Throughout the years Michelin starred chefs like, Pascol Barbot, Mauro Colagreco, and David Toutain, as well as countless more, have passed through the kitchen of L’Arpege. Chef Passard is one of the most influential individuals in gastronomy. He was a head of his time and an innovator willing to challenge himself and succeed. When he transitioned to a veggie-centric menu, his credibility did not suffer a single bit and L’Arpege has been constantly voted as one of the best restaurants in the world. It is continuously five toques from the Gault & Millau and has maintained three Michelin stars, including in the most current edition of the guide.
As well-known as Chef Passard is, on the same league with the Ducasse’s, the Robuchon’s, and the Gagnaire’s, he doesn’t have a global empire. He only owns one restaurant and can still be seen behind the stoves on the grind with his cooks and staff. His sole focus at L’Arpege is to create a dining experience that transcends vegetables to another level and where guests will have a better appreciation of the ingredients that are often overlooked on the plate. To charge EUR 240 without any animal protein, the food has to be out of this world and though I had the lunch tasting for a lot less, I can see why Chef Passard and his restaurant is highly regarded. This is a place for a gastro pilgrimage that both vegetarian and meat eaters will adore.
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