It is one of those great places we would love to keep just for us, these local gems becoming our HQ because we love them so much. This is the case of Persil, a restaurant nestled rue Amelot in Paris 11^th arrondissement. This place only opens at night and invites us to dive into chef Kumpi’s universe as she had an atypical career before creating this restaurant with Richard, her partner. She first worked in the medical industry, then she became a singer, and the artist made of the kitchen her very own stage.

In the kitchen, she adapts recipes on the menu depending on her mood and guarantees everything is made to order for extra freshness. She is inspired by the world and aims at pushing the limits of yumminess. When Kumpi discovers a specialty, she adds her own touch to outperform what she tried and makes healthy cuisine rhymes with gustatory delight. And this is what is heart-stopping there.

Coming in to Persil means you shall expect a genuine local gem jealously kept by locals. We must say the Berlin-inspired setting mixes different universes and yet makes us feel at ease. On sunny days, enjoy the terrace lined with bamboos.

If you are vegan or gluten intolerant, Kumpi adapts her recipes with benevolence and does better every day to treat your taste buds. If you feel under the weather, she can make you try her plant elixirs, one of her specialties, using experience from her past lives!

The menu looks like a travel diary. As a genuine alchemist of flavors, Kumpi shares her memories and experiences through gastronomy at the crossroad between fusion and inventive cuisines. Among the staple specialties, the 100% homemade gyozas filled with reishi mushrooms for more consistency and drizzled with seaweed-infused tea juice.

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We loved the lasagnas based on watercress, spinach, and Portobello mushrooms, broiled with Emmental or a mix of cheddar and mozzarella. Under the delicately crispy cheese layer, we litteraly melt in delight with the balance of flavors making the taste of vegetables stands out. We also love the radicio salad served with tofu (or a fermented Greek cheese from Cyprus for non-vegan), served with parsley pesto or spicy beetroot pesto.

All the way to dessert, Kumpi manages to treat us to a delicious experience. To finish the tasting, let us enjoy some poached pear uplifted with a touch of cinnamon and lemon, giving a very scrumptious syrupy texture, served with pomegranate and passion fruit for the crunch.

Another sweetness on the menu shining a light on super-nutrients: the date cake with salted butter caramel and plantain, which dough is made with oat. Lighter than we could expect, this gluten-free dessert definitely makes us want to come back to Persil over and over and over again.

Chop chop! Your new Parisian HQ is waiting for you!

This test has been carried out as part of a business invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know in the comments.