Thoumieux, Oh boy are we gonna have fun!

I'm so glad to have found Thoumieux, radically renovated and updated to becoming the cool eaterie of Le Moment in Paris.

I spoke to the chef (ok, ok, ok I do that without much excuse) Jean Francois Piege, I accused him of culinary robbery, "hands up, I'm guilty, why not take a bit of this and a bit of that from ITALY, FRANCE, and SPAIN, that's what's modern cookery is about" our chef exclaims! Mixing is only one part of the game here what's more awe is the brilliance of Piege's culinary reinvention.

With all the magic on the plates it's no surprise that the joint is mirrors, mirrors and more mirrors everybody is flattered by the lighting and that may explain why there is a distinct difference to the night and day clientele. I went for Lunch and Dinner on the same day so this is what I know.

The lunch crowd is the business end of show and dinner is ....show business. One sexy crowd, people watchers will be rewarded as the place is elbow to elbow with the in-crowd or as the French say tres MONDAIN! Definition belonging to fashionable society. The music at night is a twinge to loungey loud for me though!

I love menus where the choice is complicated and many selections sing to your palate, "choose me!" When you run down the menu you'll wish that you are with at least three good friends who want to share the tastes.

With the menu you are given a DIARY (I'll leave you to discover it) and this:

Here it is from another angle:

The crusty bread, which is outrageous by the way served with a cup of flaky salt, for the raw milk pat of butter and a sardine tin that does in fact contain sardines that have been smushed with "Vache Qui Rit" (Cow Who Laughs brand of French soft white processed cheese) I dare you to resit this! Impossible!

The signature dish is the pizza revisted!

You are going to have fun with this one, a souffled matzo wafer thin crisp crust (that's the pizza part) covered in a dress of wild arugula, nestled on smoked tuna, sprinkled with a Parmesan shower,  all of this cocooning a hidden trove of burrata and calamata olive puree like a secret purse within.  This is  wild to eat,  imploding with the first fork.

The optical delusions just carry on with squid Carbonara... Here is how it looks as it set before you.

Hidden under the Carbs is an egg yolk, the smokiest of crisp bacon, a little creme fraiche, more Parmesan and grind of corse pepper but then when you fork the plate you do a double take.

 Hey that's not spaghetti at all but the calamari in question.  One word Superb!

Even this serving of asparagus takes the ordinary to extraordinary it lifts a perfect spear to new vistas with a hard boiled egg mustard vinaigrette, coating and glistening each mouthful. Pass the bread!

More humor pearl barley Paella with pimenton spanished shrimps and grilled piquillos!

Is this this is all becoming clearer....

Goujonettes of sole here served with an air light whipped tartare sauce that is robust and lifted by the squeeze of fresh limes.

Raw and Cooked Fois Gras, is first pan fried then pressed hot into a terrine to cure. It's plated with raw apple and some spiced apple sauce. A great duo, take notes!!

VITELLO TONNATA is revisited in the Quasi de Veau to brilliant effect. Look at this next picture closely.

If you click on the picture above it will enlarge and I will point out some rather clever twists. In the back of the plate is a tube like pate paste of preserved lemons with tuna which is the tonatto condiment of the veal. The meat has been seasoned with more than salt and pepper and the jus encroaches under the mash potato which is topped by purple spud chips. Serious YUM, YUM

Corn fed chicken, morels, cream and spinach....

 Pork belly crusted in crispy onions and crackling with shredded cabbage!!! Hey I said Crackling!!!

Dessert does not let the side down one jot either.

Churros and Rolls are covered in popping sugar that sets off a noisy clack click in the mouth is served with dipping hot chocolate and turned to order vanilla ice cream. One day we will all have a Paco Jet.

Here Creme Caramel revisited, we have the cream for sure, but imagine a mixture of the best of  genre meets Creme Brulee, Hybrid to be sure, I shot  two angles so you could see the crispy top and the depths of the salted thick salted caramel  base below the vanilla speckled cream.. I  would go back just for this!

If you add great service, valet parking and great value at less than 50 euros a head, then you'll understand why you'll leave as one happy camper!

Thoumieux ... and now for my next trick!!!

http://www.thoumieux.fr/

Open every day lunch and dinner till 23h30

9 RUE SAINT-DOMINIQUE | 75007 PARIS | T 01 47 05 49 75 |

Amaya is my favorite restaurant in London

Amaya near Harrods is my fave spot in the capital, there is nothing like it. A fusion Indian with fresh and brilliant flavors, spices and original tastes. Nothing is nuanced or bland, every bite is an explosive firework of flavor. Nothing is super hot or chilied to extreme, I would say perfume, layers and texture are the touchstones here. Above all you will encounter new flavors and originality with every dish. Things you believe you already know are revisited and updated. The condiments of dry rose petals, tomato chutney and ground peanut dust transport the food off the charts.Modern to be sure with respect for the historic spices that underpin Indian cuisine.

As you will be able to tell the spoon went into the lettuce cups before the finger got on the camera shutter.

 Here spiced chicken is blended with crunchy julienned raw veggies and served in a lettuce cup with a tumeric tinged curried dressing.

Chevre and mandarin salad is a super refreshing foil to the perfumed food.

Regular readers to my blog will know that this humble dish of broccoli grilled with burnt edges, hot off of the tandoor skewers is the summit of Amaya. The signature dish!  The ginger yoghurt dressing is a miracle marriage, this is simply the most perfect veggie dish I have ever tasted! This sauce is so moorish I am capable to dream of it from afar, I scour the internet for the recipe have once been told it's contents with quantities. It is unbelievable delicious!

I am told the secret to the moist chicken breast after the Tandoori inferno is a six hour marination. Here the smoked Chicken Tandoori. NB The best Tandoori Chicken is Black Pepper!

The Black Pepper Tandoori Chicken on the left is perfectly balanced with two dipping sauces and on the right seasoned the chicken chops some very complex layers of flavours .

These are Chicken (Lamb is also available and often preferred)  lollipops sweet tomato tangy with a chili kick. I also adore but don't have a picture of the tomato ginger prawns which are stupendous. NB Garlic is very present in this food!

Another veggie dish this time sweet potatoes with tamarin sauce. I first thought this would have been too sweet or overkill but not this acidulated topping takes the one dimension yam on a leap of flavor and good taste.

Amaya get's super busy at night. It has one Michelin Star (rightfully so) and I would recommend booking. I find the internet site the best place to stake a table. I have sent more than a 100 friends over the years to Amaya and it always turns up as a foody fave!



Amaya, Halkin Arcade, Motcomb Street,
London SW1X 8JT
tel: + 44 (0)20 7823 1166
fax: +44 (0)20 7259 6464
email: amaya@realindianfood.com