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Arriving after a day’s cultural nourishment at the beautifully tranquil Musee Rodin, I had been looking forward, having read reviews, to a hearty meal at this celebration of central French Auvergne cooking in the Le Marais district. First impressions were positive, the interior was cosy with exposed wooden beams and a warm welcome from the maitre d’.
On studying the menu I quickly decided, as did Catherine, to start with the generally recommended warm puy lentils, cooked in goose fat and served with bacon. These came in a large bowl with the emphasis that we should help ourselves.
Although not the most appealing-looking of dishes, it was beautifully executed and very comforting. This comforting, homely theme continued with the main course. Again there was harmony in our selection, both of us choosing the magret de canard served with aligot, cheesy whipped mashed potatoes, which our waiter was able to stretch on a spoon from the pan like mozzarella.
The duck was nicely pink and the creaminess of the potato compensated for the lack of a sauce. Although filling nicely, the reputation of the restaurant’s chocolate mousse encouraged Catherine to order it for dessert, while in the interests of diversity I elected to try the blueberry tart with ice cream.
The tart was delicate, full of flavour and a nice light way to finish a meal. ‘Light’ would be the last word used to describe the mousse which, as with the starter, was left on the table in a huge serving dish, with instruction to Catherine to take as much as she wanted. Rich and moreish, it was the sort of dish that Masterchef’s Greg Wallace would no doubt declare his interest in burying his jowly face into. Overall what the food lacked in elegance it more than made up for in rustic charm. A bit of stodge is sometimes no bad thing…
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