Restaurant – Chez l’Ami Jean, Paris, France
March 2012
Every time I go, I love it. And every time someone should ask my favorite restaurant in Paris, I think ‘Chez l’Ami Jean’ at 24 rue Malar, in the 7eme.
If you love the whole dining experience as much as the food, get a table by the kitchen so you can hear the cries of the insanely talented chef, Stephane Jego. This is not a place of many tiny plates with only a bite of food, here you might just go home so full of amazing food you’ll feel sick. The portions are incredibly generous for Paris (with the 80€ menu at least, a la carte is more reasonable), the dining room is fun and chaotic in an artistic way. You can see why diners and other Parisian chefs all adore this restaurant.
This time I went to for a goodbye lunch with my good friend Ted, and we ordered the 80€ tasting menu.
First course was a deliciously smooth and creamy asparagus soup with croutons and bacon and it was just as good as the parmesan soup that I had the first time. Next we had smoked mackerel, amazing. Lamb with white beans and bacon. Then…a huge plate of veau only seared on the outside. I’ll be honest, the first taste was a milky taste. Somehow the last meal of the veal really resonated on our palate and it was a little disturbing. After the first bite however it passed and you just tasted this tender, fresh meat. Pure meat, with a side of asparagus wrapped in bacon. Bacon. You can win me over with bacon. Of course the meal ended with the ‘best’ rice pudding and some petit-fours.
Maybe it was the bottle of wine with lunch, but we took a photo together with chef Jego. You know what is nice about him, I’ve seen him communicate with guests during service and he is always happy to take a photo with clients – in a very modest fashion. If you want to know the best Basque cuisine in Paris, there is no other place to go. He is a sort of living legend in the restaurant scene.
My apologies for the quality / lack of photos of the food…I just kept eating and forgetting to take pictures!
Rue d'Odessa 