In celebration of the Paris 2024 Olympic victory in Lima, Alain Ducasse and Gastón Acurio got together once more – this time in Paris – for a “four-handed” lunch at the opulent Plaza Athénée… and I got an opportunity to give it a taste.
The lunch started with a pisco sour made with Peruvian pisco and lime.
I sipped mine while enjoying hors d’oeuvres like these marinated vegetables…
…house-made corn chips with marinated mullet…
… and choclo humita with cheese cream, my personal favorite.
(I also stalked Alain Ducasse from afar.)
After speeches from Ducasse and Acurio, who highlighted the importance of Franco-Peruvian fraternity and friendship with regards to the lunch, we settled in to enjoy the meal: a series of ceviches paired with two Dom Perignon Champagnes: Plénitude Deuxième (2000) and Rosé Plénitude Deuxième (1996).
The first ceviche really set the tone for the lunch: it was fresh, surprising, and fairly unique. The white asparagus ceviche was served with a ginger tiger’s milk, boasting a pleasant acidity that really leapt off the plate. It was sprinkled with puffed quinoa and infused with hot peppers, a real treat in heat-averse France. I was convinced this was going to be my favorite of the day. (Spoiler alert: I was wrong.)
Next up, we were treated to a Breton langoustine ceviche with caviar – a play, I was told, on a dish that’s currently on the Meurice’s menu. This was quite tasty, but not nearly as surprising and unique as some of the other dishes on we got the opportunity to taste.
The next dish in the parade was the one you’ll see up top and my favorite of the day: called the ceviche del amor, it combined uni, red onion, mullet, and rocoto tiger’s milk, with a few corn nuts for crunch. Not only did this look like a work of art, but the flavors and textures were incredibly on point. This dish, IMHO, was perfection, and I’m very, very sad that I can’t have it again.
The only hot dish on the menu was this plate of scallops with assorted cabbages (Brussels sprouts, savoy cabbage, and bok choy) served in a savory broth. It was the Frenchest of the dishes and therefore, in my mind, the least interesting of the bunch. The scallops and veggies were nevertheless perfectly cooked – but I’d expect nothing less of the almighty Ducasse.
A pre-dessert of citrus ceviche was exactly what I always want out of a dessert: light, colorful, and just sweet enough, I would have been happy to end the meal here.
There was, nevertheless, a perfectly fine Peruvian-inspired baba to follow. I’m not much of a dessert person, but this was quite nice.
While none of these dishes will be available on the Plaza Athénée’s regular menu, the lunch concept certainly afforded an interesting glimpse into Ducasse’s current philosophy at the Plaza Athénée kitchen.
The Paris Climate Accord has forced most nations (ahem…) to take a closer look at how they’re using different resources, and Ducasse has taken the reins in transforming his menu to include less meat-heavy (and thus more sustainable) offerings. It’s a huge change for carnivorous France, but it was executed to a T.