It's been ten years since stunning chef Jacky Ribault set down his knives at 50 rue Amelot. Ten years since his first restaurant, poetically named Qui Plume La Lune, opened its doors. Long before L'Ours in Vincennes and its Michelin-starred cuisine, it was here that Chef Ribault won over regulars, curious visitors and Parisian gourmets alike. In fact, he won the star for Qui Plume la Lune first, in 2014.
Since his departure from the 11th arrondissement for the kitchens of his Vincennes lair, a man he trusts, chef Jean-Christophe Rizet, has taken over the reins of the establishment. And with flying colors, since the star in the famous red guide has been preserved, almost 3 years later.
While retaining the strong identity and values of Qui Plume La Lune, Chef Rizet, the son of a Charolais farmer who worked at La Truffière for no less than 15 years, has injected his vision of gastronomic cuisine that honors beauty and goodness, chic visuals and shocking flavors, with an emphasis on short circuits and seasonality.
For here, the kitchen imposes a single constraint: respect for the seasons. Chef Jean-Christophe Rizet lets himself be guided by what's on the menu, and draws inspiration from the surrounding environment to create his dishes. Roasted royal langoustine, lime leaf cream and green zebra tomato sorbet; pan-seared foie gras, honey vinegared with vadouvan and cream of corn emulsion... the score is written in the moment.
For its 10th anniversary, Qui Plume la Lune has given itself a makeover and, at the same time, expanded from 24 to 40 place settings in a sober decor of velvet, raw materials and dried flowers - just look up and see the imposing hanging plants!
We're taking advantage of this anniversary to step through the doors of Qui Plume la Lune and let ourselves be guided by a team of attentive staff, a friendly sommelier who knows his bottles inside out, and a chef in whom we place our trust. And we have to, because Qui Plume la Lune offers gourmets 4 menus, but no à la carte menu, so we're forced to let our taste buds do the work.
More than words, we'd like to take you on a gastronomic journey with us during our fabulous lunch at Qui Plume La Lune. The beauty of the dishes alone would merit a whole paragraph of praise - the delicacy of the crisp beet leaf will astonish many, a nice nod to L'Ours, which had already surprised us with the same geometric motif.
And then there are the combinations of flavors, known for their agility in blending together - smoked eel and Neuvic caviar - or which at first glance seem to be opposites - apricot sorbet and pea coulis - but which, in the end, come together perfectly and make our taste buds dance.
Of course, the care taken with original condiments - Egyptian dukkah, vinegar gel from sakura, the Japanese cherry blossom - and the plants that revive a flavor here, a sauce there - chickweed leaf, marine aster - is also noteworthy. Needless to say, the quality of the meat and fish, and the way they were cooked to perfection, won our hearts? This marinated tuna, served half-cooked, melts in your mouth, this saucy, creamy pan-fried foie gras, this tender filet of Charolles beef.
Wonderful appetizers
Soft-boiled egg, lightly smoked mozzarella cream, dukkah and honey caramel
Tapioca chips, cod tarama and sakura vinegar gel
Small tuile, eggplant caviar and salmon roe from Fontaine
Alsatian pretzel, candied lemon butter and herbs
Terre et mer
Lentil salad with blond lentil emulsion, smoked eel and caviar from Neuvic (Dordogne)
White tuna marinated in sake and soy served half-cooked, trumpet zucchini, pequillo-red bell pepper condiment, beurre blanc emulsion, chickweed leaves
Chef Jean-Christophe Rizet's signature dish
Pan-seared foie graswith a marine leaf, aster, red berries, crispy beet lace and red wine sauce, port reduction and blackcurrant nectar
Fillet of Charolles beef, cream of peas flavored with verbena, turnip, spinach, reduced meat juice
Cheeses: Charolais, Comté de 2017, Fourme de Montbrison, Soumaintrain, Langres, dried fruit butter, cherry compote, salad
Fabulous desserts
Apricot sorbet, apricot compote, pea coulis, jasmine cream, fresh apricot poached in apricot syrup, tangy meringue tuile
Chocolate gianduja cream, hay mousse, hazelnut grated, crumble, fresh blackcurrant and blackcurrant coulis
The cute mignardises
Cabbage with basil
Fruit pastewith vine peach
Chocolate truffle
One thing's for sure: we'll be back.
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please mention it in the comments.
Dates and Opening Time
Starts July 21th, 2021
Location
Qui Plume La Lune
50 Rue Amelot
75011 Paris 11
Official website
quiplumelalune.fr
