New restaurants are constantly arriving on the scene in Paris, but when you find a place that makes you feel at home from the first moment you arrive, that’s the kind of spot you cling to. Korus is just that.
I first found out about this 11th arrondissement restaurant run by husband-and-wife team Affrae and Yann Brasseur months ago, but it took me a long time to finally make it there for lunch.
Upon my arrival, I was immediately struck by the way the restaurant manages to at once have a striking modernity about it, with clean, simple tables and exposed stone walls, but also be welcoming and warm. A distinct bar area encourages regulars to have just a drink and a small plate or two, while the dining room allows Chef Hanzhou Piao (who more than lives up to the expectations set by the recently departed Evan Leichtling) to show off the prowess cultivated alongside chefs Gordon Ramsey and David Toutain, among others.
While the menu at this neo-bistro can get pricey at dinnertime, lunch is a steal: the 20-euro prix fixe regularly rotates a number of appetizers, mains, and desserts, like this chicken liver mousse that the Country Boy swooned over.
I, meanwhile, went for a seasonal spaghetti squash dish, topped with cacao nibs and pine nuts.
The mains continued in the same fresh vein: this a bavette steak was served with simple root vegetables of all colors.
I opted for skate wing with mussels and beans – and I definitely sopped up every last drop of that flavorful broth.
We opted out of dessert on this particular visit, as we had also enjoyed a few other specialties alongside our appetizers and mains. This fried gyoza dish was intricate and beautiful, not to mention super flavorful.
But perhaps my favorite dish of all was this plate of seasonal corn topped with manchego cheese and an egg yolk, which featured on the à la carte small plates menu.
And while we couldn’t quite manage dessert, we did sample two delicious mignardises with our coffee – a hot, buttery madeleine and a juniper macaron.
I’m excited to see what Chef cooks up on my next visit.
Korus -73 Rue Amelot, 75011