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| Through the kitchen window, Manager and Cheffe Pâtissière Ayumi Sugiyama (with Chef Romain Mahi barely visible on the right) |
The food by Chef de Cuisine Romain Mahi and Cheffe Pâtissière Ayumi Sugiyama is fab, of course. And they have a new Cheffe Sommelière, Léa Salomon. She replaces the wonderful Étienne Billard, who left during the pandemic. And hoo boy, is Léa ever wonderful! Fascinating parings & inventions, and clear descriptions (she has worked in Belgium, Australia and Canada, so her English is excellent).
My welcome drink: an elegant Rosé Champagne Maison Abelé 1757. It’s a very small producer in Reims, so this Champs is apparently hard to get! Tiny very dense bubbles, with the taste of raspberry, strawberry, and white pepper. 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot noir. Gorgeous. No matter what kind of mood you're in when you arrive, with a glass of this you'll achieve calm and bliss!
Half of a cherry tomato with all the flavor of a big tomato, some kimchee liquid, and a sliver of anchovy on top.
A little meringue that absolutely evaporated on the tongue, flavored with horseradish.
Sweet and fluffy black pudding purée that was formed in a little piggy face mold. It almost tasted chocolatey.
With these, a glass of tomato water containing a celery ice cube. So refreshing and vegetal!
Next, mussels that had been lightly poached in wine and, I think, pushed through a food mill (the texture didn’t feel like it had been puréed), with squid ink added to half of the batch, formed into square logs, and cut into cubes. Perfect, lightly sweet and sea-salty.
With the mussels, a Chenin Blanc “l’Échelier” from the Loire by Thierry Germain. Dry and tannic with hints of citrus, chalk, flint, oak. 70-year-old vines grown on limestone give this a sturdy character! And it balanced the sweet mussels beautifully.
At this point my server brought a slice of their signature home-made crispy-thick-crusted sourdough bread with a cute teddy-bear-shaped knob of cherrywood smoked butter. Nirvana!
Then, sea bean (samphire) “risotto” (made with tapioca beads rather than rice) with chopped peanuts and diced apples, topped with a salty foam made from the broth of the sea beans. Sorry that I failed to snap a photo of what was under the foam!
With the risotto, a very interesting “martini” made with unfiltered green apple juice. It tasted appley alone but turned a bit sweet and pear-like with the food. I still had some of my Champagne, which brought out the nuttiness in the dish, and some of my Chenin Blanc, which brought out the saltiness. Fascinating!
Next, a filet of arctic char with hot roasted-on-the-pit dark cherries, a Tomme de Savoie (cow’s milk cheese) sauce, oysters, and young tender fir needles. Oh, the richness! Fatty in the best possible way.
Then, a small pastry saucer containing cuttlefish (similar to squid) and topped with caviar that had been aged two weeks in duck fat. On the side, a crispy filo “cigar” filled with crab gelée. Sweet, salty, seafoody, earthy, funky, juicy, fatty, crispy, a bit of heat. What kind of genius invents a dish like this?!? Amazing.
The beverage with this dish was equally fascinating. Sommelière Léa poured a dash of Loda Vita Homard Bleu, a brandy made with lobster carcasses, into a small glass of Jo Landron “Atmosphères,” a tiny-bubble sparkling wine (Folle Blanche, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay). It was funky on the nose, but not as much on the palate. Salt and funk came forward with the caviar.
For my final meat course, a juicy fat slice of chicken breast with blackberries and morels, topped with a very deep veal demi-glace! On the side, onion confit purée covered with lacy crispy chicken skin. Hooy boy, so much going on here, and the very definition of earthy!
With the chicken, a small (very cute) glass of warm Sake. Léa said that it was made in a modern style, more fruity than vegetal. It had a thick viscosity and a beautiful sweetness, with hints of vanilla and pistachio.
Then, dessert #1: a white chocolate sphere containing soft foamy meringue and raspberry jam with wasabi; watercress sorbet; milky gelatin tubes containing fromage blanc; watermelon; cookie crumbles; minced herbs. So cleansing and refreshing!
A crispy rice shell filled with lemon cream.
And finally, there’s always room for chiffon! Cheffe Ayumi’s signature Japanese chiffon cake, this time orange, with apple compote, chunks of dried orange, and dill.
And an espresso, of course. Wowzer! What a finale!
By the way, this is also one of those restaurants where you just let your server know how many courses you want, whether you have allergies or dislikes, and whether you want the wine/beverage pairings. The chefs take it from there, and your server describes the dishes as she/he (Léa Salomon in this case) brings them to you. Let the party begin!
Then my amuse bouche:
With the fish, a Domaine Jessiaume Santenay “La Cassière” Burgundian Pinot Noir. Fresh and a bit floral, the cherry flavors harmonized beautifully with the dish.
The beverage with this dish was equally fascinating. Sommelière Léa poured a dash of Loda Vita Homard Bleu, a brandy made with lobster carcasses, into a small glass of Jo Landron “Atmosphères,” a tiny-bubble sparkling wine (Folle Blanche, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay). It was funky on the nose, but not as much on the palate. Salt and funk came forward with the caviar. 
With the chicken, a small (very cute) glass of warm Sake. Léa said that it was made in a modern style, more fruity than vegetal. It had a thick viscosity and a beautiful sweetness, with hints of vanilla and pistachio.
A crispy rice shell filled with lemon cream.
And an espresso, of course. Wowzer! What a finale! 
Next year they will be remodeling the place a bit to add a bar and to open the kitchen (both very trendy at this time). I think it will be a big hit with the financial crowd at the Bourse just a block away. I don’t know how long the renovation will take, but I sure plan to make another visit when I’m back in town in November!
Accents Table Bourse. 24 rue Feydeau, 75002 One Michelin star. https://accents-restaurant.com/
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