Last time in Paris was the first time trying a pierre sang restaurant and i really liked it. I like how they don’t tell you what is on the menu and ask you to guess what you had ate. last time we ate at his restaurant in oberkampf so this I wanted to try his other restaurant on gambey.
crab cooked with sesame oil with sichuan pepper cucumber, mayo with gojuchang, nori powder and rice cracker. there was really a lot going on but each flavor didn’t overpower the other. The cucumber was so tender but it still had a bite to it, the nori powder added a bit of saltiness and fishiness to the dish.
white tuna braised with lemongrass, quinoa popcorn, fennel, lemon and wasabi cream, black sesame and mustard greens. i would have never thought to add so many of these ingredients together especially black sesame in a savory way. i have had quinoa popcorn before and i think it is a great and easy way to add some crunch to the dish.
jumbo shrimp, wasabi peas, beetroot puree, ginger cream, broccoli cooked with coriander oil and pea shoots. the shrimp was perfectly cooked, almost melted in your mouth. the wasabi peas added a nice crunch and a bit of spice to the dish. the combinations and textures in this dish were really interesting.
guinea fowl with carrot and orange puree, pickled pepper cooked in sweet soy sauce, gochujang miso sesame paste (signature sauce), and shaved summer truffle. the GUINEA fowl was cooked well, not dry, we originally thought it was chicken. it was a nice COMBINATION with the signature sauce and the carrot and orange puree had a slight sweetness and acidity which worked well with the other elements. it looks like a lot of truffle but this variety had such a light flavor I felt like it was more used for added texture than taste.
brie cheese with raisins and pistachios with an orange yuzu marmalade and honey granola. this was the cheese course, the cheese itself was quite strong but in combination with the marmalade and granola it wasn’t too bad. marmalades, chutneys or honey do help level out strong cheeses.
We actually sat right next to this bottle and asked our waiter what it was as he was starting to pour a couple of glasses of it. apparently it is a liquor that is made from verbena, a type of herb flower. and this one is made only by one family and who only supplies to one restaurant in paris, so i guess we were unexpectedly lucky to be able to try it.
MERINGUE with Rhubarb and Granola. this was the supposed to be the lactose free and the gluten free option but i really only think it was the gluten free option. it was very light and refreshing, the rhubarb flavor wasn’t too overpowering it was a nice combination with the sweetness of the MERINGUE.
vereine vrac, it basically was like an herby sweet wine or SCHNAPPS. the waiter swirled some ice in the glass before pouring it in, however i would have actually chilled the glasses first. it was so warm in paris that it would have been nice if the drink was slightly cooler and not at complete room temperature. and this is very dangerous as it doesn’t taste very alcoholic but i am sure the alcohol content is quite high.
lemon verbena sorbet and ganache and grain granola. a dessert made from verbena and obviously paired with liquor. it was sour, sweet and slightly herby. so many different textures, flavors, and elements in this dish. of course the main flavor is the verbena which works so well with lemon or citrus flavors.
it was another INTERESTING dinner at pierre sang, i am always fascinated by the combinations of flavors, textures and ingredients in his dishes. most i would have never thought to combine together. I think we had many better guesses than our NEIGHBORING dinners, i mean he does add asian ingredients that we are more familiar in eating and tasting than maybe some local french people. but in any case it is a fun experience to try to guess what you are eating, i think that adds to the dining EXPERIENCE but maybe not so enjoyable if you dine with too many competitive people.
for dinner there are two menu options: Menu Découverte, 6 courses for 49€ or Menu Origin, 8 courses for 88€. We choose the 6 course menu. For Lunch, they have three Menu options: menu Simple, 2 courses 20€, or Menu Initial, 3 courses 25€, or Menu Freestyle, 5 courses 35€. We have not tried lunch there but i would be interested to try next time. in oberkampf the menu sets are slightly cheaper but the quality of the food and service doesn’t change. so if you are in paris and looking for a different dining experience then i would strongly recommend going to pierre sang on gambey or in oberkampf. He does have a high end restaurant, signature, that might have to wait for a special occasion.