After his excellent Mensae, Sellae and bourgeois menu for Les Parisiens, chef Thibault Sombardier is embarking on a new culinary adventure with a new restaurant called Mojju. This time, the former top chef takes on a gastronomy from elsewhere: Korean cuisine with a French twist.
Push open the door of this Korean table in the 7th arrondissement, near Les Invalides, and you'll find yourself in an immersive setting designed by Dorénavant Studio, based on the codes of a hanok, the traditional Korean home. The warm, exotic atmosphere is enhanced by rounded lighting fixtures, Asian objects, printed fabric banquettes and an imposing bar.
At this restaurant, which takes its name from a fermented rice alcohol from the city of Jeonju, Thibault Sombardier unveils a menu of great classics from the land of the morning calm, revisited for French palates. The highlight of the menu is the Korean barbecue, which allows you to work around the embers.
To successfully blend Korean flavors with bistro savoir-faire, Chef Sombardier has placed a man he trusts in the kitchen, Chef Hosub Im. The affable chef is happy to explain the dish of the day (the restaurant has a weekly lunch menu, €24 for the dish of the day with rice, banchan and broth), as well as the Taste of Mojju blind tasting menu (€65).
Offered in small and medium sizes, the menu's plates are ideal for getting an overall idea of the restaurant. Beef whiting tartare, Korean pear, yuzu, cebette (16€); oyster with white kimchi, fennel and gochujang (16€); shrimp, tofu and shiitake pancakes (12€); sea bass ceviche, white kimchi and Chinese cabbage (16€); and a shrimp, miso and enoki broth to wash down before moving on.
The cold plates are well-balanced, although from our point of view, the chef could push the Korean cursors (i.e., the spice) even further, without fear of igniting Parisian palates. Indeed, those accustomed to Korean gastronomy may find Mojju's creations a little too light for their taste, Thibault Sombardier having chosen to adapt his condiments and sauces to French taste buds.
Then it's on to the barbecue, with meats sourced from local producers and fish from French fisheries, like the miso-lacquered, barbecued monkfish (24€), miso-matured duck (23€) or LA Galby beef ribs (25€), which can be rolled up in a salad leaf seasoned with ssamjang sauce, in the purest Ssam tradition.
Traditional banchan, the must-have accompaniments to any good Korean meal, are of course included - radish in chili sauce, soy-marinated wild asparagus, kimchi and a trio of sauces: sesame, wasabi pesto and kimchi-miso.
The desserts are faultless, a praline chocolate mousse and black sesame ice cream (11€), one of Thibault Sombardier's signature desserts, and a toasted buckwheat and soy caramel cream (11€), a delight. And, of course, a glass of soju. Keon-bae!
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.
Location
Mojju
4 Rue de l'Exposition
75007 Paris 7
Official website
mojju-restaurant.com
