Yam'Tcha, fusion? what else will the labels give...
I will never forget ** Yam'Tcha ** because the reservation process (desperate and excited) was immediately after the attacks in Paris on that fateful November 13, in the Saint-Denis neighborhood . I needed to go back to Paris and shout out loud that I still believe, like Joann Sfar, that eating, drinking and living is our greatest triumph . Sfar (artist and comic book writer of the caliber of Vampir or The Rabbi's Cat) reacted to the catastrophe, from his Instagram account, in the only possible way: drawing. Reminding us, pen in hand, of the reasons why we can only win this war. So essential, so bright:
— Paris is our capital. We love music, drunkenness, joy; For centuries, some in love with death have tried to take away the joy of living. They have not succeeded. Those who love, those who love life, in the end are always the ones who win.
Friends from all over the world, thank you for #prayforParis , but we don't need more religion. Our faith is with the music! The kisses! Life! Champagne and joy! #parisisaboutlife
I decided to go back to Paris ; a weekend celebrating life in the city of love. Eat, drink and hit every street in a city you don't know —who does not want to lose an iota of his Credo: we are alive. Ask for another bottle in any tavern (Chez Georges, without going any further) and sweep the kitchens of the great restaurants that we have yet to discover.
Yam'Tcha is **Adeline Grattard's little bistro on Rue Saint Honoré **, an unbeatable location for a gentleman's lunch between Colette, Goyard or Comme des Garçons. La Grattard spent three years in the kitchen of L'Astrance by Pascar Bardot to then anchor in Wan Chai (Honk Kong) —and that's exactly what her cooking is like: a perfect cocktail of French and Cantonese cuisine. Fusion? What else will the labels give...
Scallop with citrus
start the nine course menu with the cheesecake with caviar and Vietnamese roll; without further ado, without the unnecessary (they are so boring already…) snacks, which so rarely offer something truly authentic. With the still tartar and the scallop with citrus fruits, Adelaine shows the main lines of what the rest of the menu will be —and her cooking: dishes where the sharpness of the flavor prevails ; simple elaborations, without great complications, where product quality shines.
We choose, to accompany the dishes, a Morey-St-Denis by Domaine Hubert and Laurent Lignier ; although the restaurant offers the possibility of harmonizing the dishes with tea ( Yam'Tcha , in Chinese, means "tea time" ) Burgundy better than tea, what can I tell you. I chose it because yes and because Adelaine's cuisine is infinitely more Burgundy than Bordeaux (Bordeaux: great castles, opulence and roundness) ; Burgundy is subtlety and gold work , such as the sea bass with shiitake mushrooms and the shrimp soup, which give way to the great dish on the menu: filet mignon, Brussels sprouts, cecina de León and truffle. Delicacy, history, product, flavor and harmony. A dish for the memory in a restaurant (this one) so humble as to claim something so high: Adelaine just wants to cook.
The courtyard it illuminates the tables and even the open kitchen, a small (beautiful) space where Grattard and a group of cooks work in silence. A discreet cook; a thoughtful and coherent cuisine that does not intend to dazzle, that does not look for the spectacle for the sake of the spectacle (a feminine kitchen?); that only seeks to give you a moment of peace and happiness, Wasn't that about the love for gastronomy?
I went back to Paris to remember the reasons why we fought. I came back to prostrate myself before what I believe: to eat, drink, kiss and write in this essential little restaurant where the cooks are artisans and the light from the Paris sky filters, unreal (beautiful) on the wooden and oak tables. This was. That is.
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The magic of an inner courtyard
*** You may also be interested in...**
- Gastronomic Paris: Le Chateaubriand
- Gastronomic Paris: David Toutain
- La Rue Saint Honoré (or why all of Paris is summed up in this street)
- 100 things you should know about Paris
- The keys to the perfect Parisian picnic
- 42 things to do in France once in a lifetime
- The most popular food trucks in Paris
- Paris Guide
- All Tablecloth and Knife items
- All the articles of Jesús Terrés