For over 10 years, chef Pierre Siewe delighted the Pigalle district behind the stoves of the late Le Garde-Temps. Today, the Cameroonian chef is thinking bigger, and fancier, at his new restaurant in the chic 7th arrondissement.
Having worked in the kitchens of Yves Camdeborde in Paris and Guy Savoy in London, this son of restaurateurs has set up shop in this minimalist yet colorful setting, named Table Penja after the "city of pepper" in southern Cameroon. And there's pepper on Table Penja 's plates - green, black - as well as a thousand and one other travel spices.
Chef Pierre Siewe, a native of Douala, has retained his taste for bold flavors from his childhood, adapting them to the less muscular palates of Parisians without ever compromising theoriginality of his pairings, supported by his technical expertise in French bistronomy.
This dual identity is the cornerstone of a fusion cuisine that's full of exoticism, crossbreeding and joy. The discoveries are numerous and arrive without warning, even for those with a wandering palate!
The very French tête de veau (calf's head) is served here in carpaccio, snacked beforehand, topped with apèbè-spiced ravigote sauce and accompanied by ratte potatoes withhibiscus infusion (definitely one of the highlights of our culinary year; 22€); andwhite asparagus and perfect egg come to the table, escorted by vandzou mousseline with cumin, wild garlic hollandaise and red bell pepper oil (three condiments for a smashing starter; 22€).
There's a similar difference when it comes to the main courses: on the one hand, veal with roasted walnut and Marengo-style tendron, spiced up with kumquat pulp and fresh green pepper and, in the second course, fonio (an ancestral cereal) prepared as a risotto (€42); on the other hand, rock octopus poached in court-bouillon and then snacked, with peas, vegetarian chili, sweet potato and passion fruit purée, black garlic hollandaise and baobab powder (45€).
Far from being a simple heap of flavors from elsewhere, condiments, spices and African products add real depth to chef Pierre Siewe's dishes, taking them to faraway lands that deserve, more than ever, to be explored. Right down to the desserts!
The strawberry in all its states (verbena consommé, mousse, fresh strawberry salad with candied lemon zest; 15€) is accompanied by a stunning and powerful ice cream with fresh green Penja pepper; while thefloating island (15€), a classic of French cuisine, turns green with moringa powder and also benefits from a surprising ice cream with purple basil.
Although the à la carte prices aren't the most affordable, you can opt for the dish of the day (€25) and the lunch formulas at €35 starter/main course or main course/dessert and €45 starter/main course/dessert. It would be a shame to miss out on such an exotic trip at such a price.
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.
Dates and Opening Time
Next days
Saturday:
from 12:00 p.m. to 02:00 p.m.
- from 07:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Tuesday:
from 12:00 p.m. to 02:00 p.m.
- from 07:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday:
from 12:00 p.m. to 02:00 p.m.
- from 07:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Thursday:
from 12:00 p.m. to 02:00 p.m.
- from 07:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday:
from 12:00 p.m. to 02:00 p.m.
- from 07:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Location
Table Penja
2 Rue Sedillot
75007 Paris 7
Official website
tablepenja.paris
