Accents - My Happy Place! - Tuesday, 24 September

For the last three years or so, I have looked forward with great anticipation to a meal at Accents Table Bourse. Sometimes I’ve had lunch, sometimes dinner. I’ve always been enchanted by the imaginative dishes, pristine ingredients, flawless execution of some difficult culinary techniques, brilliant wine pairings, very warm welcome, and comfortable environment.

My view through the
kitchen window

The first time I visited, host/sommelier Etienne Billard seated me at a table for two just under the window looking into the kitchen. I loved it there, and he has remembered to seat me at the same table on each of my (5? 6? something like that) subsequent visits. I’m guessing that he takes notes on his “regulars” because not only can he predict what I might want to order, he also seems to remember details of conversations we’ve had (like what I did for a living!) as we’ve chatted outside while I’m waiting for my Uber at the end of the evening. It might be shallow for one’s happy place to be a resto, but if so, I’m shallow and proud of it! It’s my favorite resto in Paris.

So, Tuesday night. Six courses plus some amuse bouche, with wine pairings by Etienne. The courses are small but not microscopic, and they flow beautifully one to the next.

My first amuse bouche was just-warm squash crème with a hint of nutmeg, Niçoise olives, a splash of olive oil and a large shaving of Parmesan.

(Note, you can click on any photo in my blog to view a larger version.)

Next, poached duck liver in a nori seaweed wrap (what amazing interplay between those flavors – I’ve never had a combo like this before!), with a root vegetable crème, very thin pickled carrot coins, watercress, and currant jus. Such imagination and skill at balancing flavors, textures, acidity, sweetness.

Next, smoked chèvre sorbet, microplaned raw cauliflower, cuttlefish ink, and an impossibly thin sheet of spun sugar. The combination was downright explosive, I tell ya - sulfur and brine and earth! Wow.

These first courses & bites were served with a 2018 Albert Mann Pinot Blanc Auxerrois from Alsace – fruity, floral, medium-heavy viscosity, just a hint of fresh-pear-like astringency. Beautiful!

Next, flakes of mackerel (steamed, I think), on top of some jellied peppery fish stock with tomatoes, shortbread-like crumbles, hazelnuts, and hints of something quite acidic/sharp that was not lemon or lime or vinegar – I didn’t catch what it was.  In any case, way above my forensic dining pay grade! But fabulous! This was served with Sake – rich, fresh, barely lemony, with faint flavors of caramel, butterscotch and licorice.

To accompany the next courses, Eric Kayser’s spectacular very crunchy-crusty (yet tender inside) wheat bread. The closest I've found in the Twin Cities is Patisserie46/RoseStreet's Miche. Accents serves it slightly warm with their mind-blowing hay-smoked butter, the like of which I’ve not experienced anywhere else. I would come here for the bread and butter alone, I kid you not.

Up next, fabulously sweet and tenderly toothsome corn risotto, with Monk’s Head cheese, paper-thin slices of Cecina de boeuf (smoked & dried beef), softened mustard seeds, and deep rich beef demi-glace. With it, a 2014 Château Valrose white Bordeaux – crisp, refreshing, like a nice tart apple.

Next, a meaty roasted fish (whose name I didn’t catch – flaky and rich but not oily) with sea beans, cabbage, dill and a faintly cinnamon-scented sauce. Fascinating and fab! With it, a 2016 Clos Saint-Fiacre Montigny-Piel “L’Excellence” Chardonnay from near Orléans in the Loire valley – creamy, viscous, with a nice pineapple-y astringency that cut through this rich course beautifully.

Then wild duck (for the second time this trip – ‘tis the season!) with creamed celeriac, girolles (chanterelle mushrooms), roasted fig, duck fat, and roasted poultry demi-glace – rich, earthy, dark. With it a red wine made from the Mondeuse grape (yup, new to me too) by Cellier de la Baraterie in the southeast of France – juicy, slightly gamey, flavors of currant, roasted berries, and wood, with gorgeous tannins that cut right through the richness of the food.

First dessert: a beautifully executed thin chocolate cylinder filled with a light chocolate cream, fresh blackberries and raspberries, and coco-crispies, topped with beetroot foam. Entertaining, smooth, crispy, sweet, silky, acidic – it had it all!

Second dessert: an amazing spun sugar box (how did she do it?!?), filled with passionfruit crème, diced fresh peach, and a half-dome of white chocolate. Next to it, refreshing lemon verbena sorbet on a bed of green tea crumble. Holy moley!

And finally, Chef Ayumi’s famous green tea spongecake with coffee whipped cream. And then their wonderfully intense espresso.

with Sommelier
Etienne Billard

And then I was invited into the kitchen to greet and chat with the chefs! It’s corny, but I just had to get a photo with them. Such a souvenir!

Chef de cuisine is Romain Mahi.

Manager and Chef Pâtissière is Ayumi Sugiyama.

Really, folks, put this on your list. Accents Table Bourse, 24 rue Feydeau in the 2nd arrondissement (just steps from the Bourse). https://accents-restaurant.com/