This was a first (thankfully). There was a big accident on rue de Rivoli, and what should have been a 10 minute cab ride to Accents Table Bourse for lunch actually took 46 minutes! Several years ago this major east-west thoroughfare was closed to regular passenger vehicles (now open to only buses, cabs, bicycles, scooters, and some delivery vehicles), so there is WAY less traffic than there used to be, nevertheless these conveyances and pedestrians do intersect, so there’s always the potential for trouble. Nothing was moving other than emergency vehicles, so my driver managed to maneuver to side streets. Nice tour of the narrow lanes that in other cities would be alleys, though! But a hefty taxi bill. Oh, well, I’m sure that I’m much better off than the individuals who were involved in whatever caused the “bouchon” (the French word for traffic jam, which also means “cork”).
My first visit to Accents was in April 2017, and I was smitten. I’ve returned for lunch or dinner every year since then. The kitchen staff remains consistent with Romain Mahi as Chef de Cuisine and Ayumi Sugiyama as Chef Pâtissière. The fabulous Sommelier Étienne Billard has been a constant source of information and entertainment since my first visit…until now 😟 A new host greeted me at my arrival, and later I confirmed that Étienne had indeed left the business. I missed his careful explanations of each course and of the wines he had chosen to enhance them - along with details of the terroir for each and its effect on the character and taste of the wines, and sometimes interesting tidbits about the winemakers. Accents has a huge cellar, and wonderful wines were served with each course, well-paired with the food, but the descriptions were a bit weaker. And of course I missed the warm “it’s so good to see you again” greeting that I would get from Étienne as he ushered me to the best table!
The kitchen and front-of-house staff is now almost entirely Japanese. I have noticed more and more Japanese students at Le Cordon Bleu in recent years, and more Japanese haute cuisine restos are opening in Paris all the time. At least one of my other favorites, Alliance, is helmed by a Japanese chef. There is a wonderful precision and craftsmanship and attention to detail that is shared by the French and the Japanese, so it’s not surprising. And Chef Sugiyama brings a wonderful sense of whimsy to Accents as well! And their pottery is most entertaining!
My amuse-bouches (sorry, I didn't get pictures of all of them):
- A crispy sweet meringue flavored with a touch of Worchester.
- Warmed Mont d’Or cheese with a slice of spectacular pure Colonnata lard (read more about this ingredient here: https://mariellen-musing.blogspot.com/2015/06/my-pizza-is-so-chic-friday-12-june.html )
- A nugget of chicken thigh in a warm poultry broth with shavings of black truffle
- Black pudding molded into a little pig face with a thick slice of almost over-ripe banana blanketed with banana foam
- Mashed roasted chestnut formed into a ball, sliced and filled with diced green apple, and topped with a thin slice of mushroom cap cut into the shape of a daisy and then with a segment of anchovy fillet.
My first course(s) - sorry that I failed to get photos of them:
- Little balls of “risotto” made ala molecular gastronomy from what tasted like celeriac juice, with tiny cubes of roasted celeriac, crisp apple, and peanuts, covered with a neutral foam. Very interesting!
- Cool, just-cooked octopus - fresh and tender.
- Red partridge cooked rare to bleu - cool, tender, clearly poultry in texture and flavor-saturation and fat, served with a poultry demi glace.
- Sea urchin flesh topped with a thinly sliced mushroom cap and ground nuts, served with a couple dabs of tuna garum (an ancient condiment that has the viscosity and acidity of balsamic vinegar, and imparts a not-at-all-fishy subtle umami to the dish).
- An almost-raw scallop with fish eggs, an herby oil, and a creamy sauce.
My main courses:
- An unbelievably tender sea bass that had the texture of fish but almost melted in the mouth. It was served with thin slices of persimmon (kaki fruit) that had a pear texture but the neutrality of potato. A mussel foam added wonderful depth of flavor with an ethereal texture.
- The turbot had a clean and unfishy taste, was slightly cool, and had a somewhat dense texture while remaining flaky. The ephemeral tête de moine (“monk’s head” cow’s milk cheese that's cut with a special knife that makes little ruffles) was perfect with the dark sautéed mushrooms (which had the same texture as the fish) and jus.
- The astonishing beauty of the deer plate had me almost in tears. It was sweet, tender, with just a hint of mild acidity. Black truffle darkened the flavors even more. The contrasting astringency of the endive married with the currant flavors in the wine. The beef demi-glace was wonderfully crafted with onion, celery, carrots, herbs and marrow. Wow.
- The sweetbreads and monkfish liver were yummy and organy without the slightly-too-funky-to-the-point-of-revolting flavors that sometimes come with organ meats!
My desserts:
- A crispy dark-brown-sugar dentelles tube containing pear gel, powdered cashews, and white chocolate mousse, and topped with a ribbon of fresh pear. So clever! Such technique!
- A shiny blown-sugar sphere filled with quince, apple, fresh ginger, cocoa nibs, and condensed milk. Holy moley! More mind-blowing technique! And very tasty! (Photos are before and after cracking it open.) It was served with a small glass of “spicy sparkling water,” which tasted like a ginger tarragon cream soda.
- Chef Ayumi’s famous lighter-than-air chiffon cake, this time served with diced pineapple.
With the departure of host/Sommelier Étienne Billard I am slightly less likely to visit Accents Table Bourse on every trip, but only slightly! The food and beverages and pairings remain at world-class level. Tutti bravi to the whole team!
Accents Table Bourse 25, rue Feydeau 75002 https://accents-restaurant.com/
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