They’ll Give You a Doggie Bag at L’Ami Jean (and you’ll need it)! - Wednesday, 12 October

L’Ami Jean is one of the stalwart bistros in the 7th arrondissement, and yet I had never been there!  The chef, Stéphane Jego is known for being a bit old-school and boisterous in the kitchen and specializing in meat and game in large portions.  So I had to give it a try!

My first course was one of the daily specials, roasted octopus with a large oyster, cépes (mushrooms similar to porcinis) and steamed scallions.  It came in a pool of dark veal stock.  Deeelicious, although the octopus was slightly over-roasted and not as tender as I’ve had elsewhere.  People at several tables around me were absolutely raving over the Parmesan soup (Soupe Maman Philomène - Grandma’s Soup), so I’ll have to give that a try if I go back.

Since chef Jego is a game specialist, I just had to try his hare for my main course.  The shredded leg & thigh meat was in a salty red wine sauce with barely-cooked slices of leek (a nice zingy contrast) and thin slices of chestnut (a genius sweet element - I just wish there had been a few more slices!).  Nice deep flavors, it would have been even more perfect on a winter’s day.  The huge portion (could have served a family of five!) was served in a large casserole with a bowl of slightly watery mashed potatoes.  The sad news is that I could eat only about half of it; the good news is that my server offered me a doggie bag (somewhat unusual in Paris) for the leftovers; the sad news is that I’m leaving tomorrow for Minneapolis; but the good news is that I took it home anyway “just in case” I was a bit hungry tonight!

With my meal, a 2000 Saint Joseph Sylvain Badel - a dry red wine from the northern Rhône.  It was beautifully complex - warming and earthy with suggestions of currant, rosemary, mushroom, cherry, raspberry, and leek - my first sip was smile-inducing, and the various flavors went to the foreground or background based on the particular bite of food I had just taken. 

I didn’t have room for dessert, but the espresso was blistering and tasty, and served with a little bowl of milk chocolate covered nuts.

Simple décor with no space between the tables in typical Paris bistro fashion!

Chef Jego at the pass.

The menu.  L'Ami Jean at 27, rue Malar.