Since the beginning of the year, the “1868” restaurant at the Hôtel Edmond (Hôtels et Châteaux Collection) has had a new chef: Jean-Sébastien Pouch. A disciple of Michel del Burgo and Éric Fréchon at Le Bristol, and for a time head chef at Lapérouse, he has taken up residence in Edmond Rostand’s former mansion on Avenue de Villiers (75017). The décor has been updated in a resolutely contemporary spirit, with anthracite, white and pink tones illuminated by a skylight.
We had the pleasure of discovering this establishment during a discovery lunch.
Here’s the menu created by Jean-Sébastien Pouch and his teams.
Appetizers:
Creme de celeri aux morilles
Starters :
Langoustine,
Just stiffened, served cold, shellfish jelly with yuzu,
Beetroot and green apple still crunchy
Fried duck foie gras
en papillote with Fine De Claire oysters and green tea,
Bouillon and condiments
L’Asperge verte
And petit violet, gilded minute, black truffle coulis,
Some shellfish and leaf emulsion
Fennel and sea urchin,
Fine fennel emulsion with a hint of spice, tongues in iodized herb jelly,
Sparkling green anise broth
Scallops
Just snacked, delicate citrus crumble and Piedmont hazelnut,
Parsnip mousseline, slightly bitter beard juice
Le Tourteau,
Cannelloni flavoured with Daikon radish, pink grapefruit jelly,
Celery ice cream
Pisces:
Cod
Gilded with Espelette, cumin ratte emulsion, fresh herb foam
Le Saint-Pierre
Cooked in banana leaves, carrot sweetness with lemongrass, lime quat confit and turmeric foam.
Lobster
Roasted in sparkling butter, served in its green Sichuan pepper jus,
Méli-mélo of raw and cooked asparagus à l’Oxalis
Sea bass,
Reduction of orange juice, red chicory confit with port
And shavings of black fig
Meats
Le Bœuf Normand
Au sautoir, asparagus, squid and chorizo belota,
Sélection de pousses aromatiques et jus corsé
Vendée pigeon
Cooked on the trunk, fine Roscoff onion purée, green cabbage raviole
Au colrave, balsamic sliced juice
Calf sweetbread
Rubbed with juniper berry, Jerusalem artichoke and foie gras casserole, herb jus
Lozère lamb
Oven-roasted rack, pink garlic confit, a few pan-fried mushrooms,
A condiment jus with periwinkles
Selection of fresh and mature cheeses
Desserts
Comme un vacherin revisité Caramel pear with Tonka infusion
Beet Delicate transparent sorbet, fromage blanc mousse with green apple
Dark chocolate pure Caribbean Sweetness with a heart of green cardamom, candied pineapple sorbet
Almond Emulsion, creamy Bergamot and Ras El Hanout sorbet
Coconut with blackcurrant jelly, Japanese pearl and hibiscus flower sorbet
Pouch’s love of the product, his ability to sublimate the aesthetics of his dishes and his ability to cook them to perfection have won him an already loyal clientele with his famous soft-boiled egg in a crust of burnt bread, his daring combinations and his graphic dishes. We could mention sea bass with black fig shavings, lamb from Lozère, jus condimenté with periwinkles or sweetbreads rubbed with juniper berry, but the menu changes every month and a half or so! Indeed, the chef is always on the lookout for new ideas, hoping to arouse renewed interest in his cuisine. The main ingredient is systematically put forward, in a menu with particularly attractive titles.
Here and there, spices, herbs and aromatics spice up this seasonal gastronomy at tight prices. Preparing fresh produce every day, the chef is an unrepentant gourmand who knows how to seduce the eyes and taste buds of his guests. The desserts are not to be outdone, either, with their well-balanced, high-flying presentations that leave the palate with astonishingly delicate flavors, such as a transparent beet sorbet, a formidable almond emulsion accompanied by a ras-el-hanout sorbet, or a breathtaking vacherin revisited. An author’s cuisine to discover!
4-course tasting menu: €49
Restaurant 1868 Hôtel Edmond
22 avenue de Villiers 75017 Paris
Practical information:
Tel: 01 44 01 09 40
Metro: Villiers station (lines 2 and 3) / Malesherbes station (line 3)
Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
