Parisian chef Alain Dutournier

Alain Dutournier in his kitchen whites

The reverence and status accorded to a famous chef in France is no less than a television celebrity. Two-star Michelin chef Alain Dutournier gave a brief but thoughtful speech after serving a splendid 4-course meal to a roomful of starry-eyed culinary students. After three rounds of applause I thought he was that close to receiving a standing ovation!

A cool and contemporary setting

At the Carre des Feuillants which Dutournier owns, his passion for wine and art did not go unnoticed. The exceptional cellar contains more than 3000 bottles, including fine and rare vintages from some of the best wine producers in France. The display of his personal collection of contemporary art in the restaurant provides a modern and sophisticated setting for an innovative dining experience.

Dutournier is renowned for his minimalist, original cuisine based on unexpected textures and complexities. Our first course of salmon prepared four ways was interesting as it explored different approaches and cooking techniques for a single main ingredient. While the most impressive of the lot was the poached salmon cooked sous vide in gelee which was extremely good, both the smoked salmon and the salmon roll were lacklustre for an establishment of this calibre.

Salmon prepared four-ways:
Wild salmon with fresh peas, poached salmon in gelee,
salmon roll and smoked salmon

Then the star of the evening saved the day as the crayfish and scallop ravioli was absolutely amazing. I was a bit surprised to find Japanese enokitake mushrooms in the broth but it was perfect. Any French fungus would have been too overpowering. The clear, perfumed broth had a wonderfully subtle flavour that accentuated the delicate taste of the seafood. C'est magnifique!

Crayfish in a perfumed infusion, ravioli stuffed with scallops

In the world of haute cuisine, you are quite likely these days to be served any number of little portions that make up your tasting menu. At the Carres des Feuillants, it seems that they have adopted a similar concept of sampling.  Most dishes came with three to four elements that had been designed to be enjoyed individually. The third course, for example, comprised small portions of quail, foie gras, truffle and artichoke, as was the dessert which consisted of an assortment of chocolate cake, mousse and fruit compote. In the end, I felt like I have had 12 courses but within half the time.

Quail with a hazelnut crust, panfried foie gras, truffle patties, stuffed artichoke

An element of surprise always does the trick to make our evening more fun and memorable. Well, our surprise was panna cotta drizzled with a hot green tea sauce. A nice touch to prepare us for the dessert heavyweights that followed - baba chocolate, cherry jubilee and creme of verbena.

Punch surprise with green tea sauce

Creme of verbena, cherry jubilee and baba chocolate

An overall satisfying meal with matching wine that accompanied each course. I have to say I cannot ask for more from a school dinner.  That said, my high expectation for a two Michelin star restaurant was not entirely met because I thought the creativity and refinement were lacking at some point.