It’s probably not all that well-kept a secret, but if you want to check out a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris, lunch is always a great option. That’s how I ended up having a 100-euro lunch for two at the much lauded Quinsou.
We dined on the terrace, which was relatively simple but still managed to be comfortable. The prix fixe menu, as is often the case in this sort of establishment, was short and sweet: three choices each for app and main and either cheese or dessert.
First thing’s first: an amuse bouche of red bean purée with agastache flower and a puddle of aromatic oil on top. This was served with rustic gressini sprinkled with smoked paprika. This honestly didn’t win me over: I’m not a huge fan of red beans to begin with, and the texture of the gressini felt a little… off. Kind of stale, though I’m not sure that was actually issue. Luckily, the bread was phenomenal (and I think made in-house), and while this first bite was a small misstep for me, it was the only one of the day.
The prix fixe is usually 42 euros per person, but I opted to spend a five-euro supplement to feast on this Pie Noir steak tartare with gochugaru, greenmeat radishes, and sesame leaf.
It was worth every cent.
The flavors here were quite subtle, with just the barest hint of chile and the perfect amount of salt (for me – for others it might have even tended towards the undersalted). The sesame leaf itself was super interesting and aromatic. The fibrous texture wasn’t quite my thing – especially not when paired with the almost creamy tartare (minced, not chopped) and the crisp bite of the radish, but it imparted such a lovely flavor to the dish. A sprinkle of salt on those radish coins would have probably shot this dish into the realm of perfection.
That realm was indeed reached by the other appetizer: a salad of leeks with tartare sauce and marinated trout eggs. The tarragon was the first hit of flavor, followed by a melody of sweet, briny, and rich, fatty flavors. Crumbled egg yolk, almonds, croutons and more made this dish such an intriguing palette.
Another five-euro supplement fetched us the vegetarian main: Dentelles de Cucugnan (made by none other than Roland Feuillas, the owner of the Moulin d’Omer in Cucugnan, aka baker of some of my favorite bread on the planet). The pasta was paired with morel mushrooms (morilles des pins, to be precise) and a cream sauce spiked with Amontillado sherry. The mushroom is ultra-meaty, and the sauce oh-so-rich. This is the kind of vegetarian food I live for.
On the meatier side of things, veal from Touche Fleury farm was confit in salt for three days and then cooked low and slow. With such treatment, I must admit: I kind of expected it to be even more tender than it was… but the flavor was out of sight. And this may get me blacklisted, but to my mind, the real star of the dish was actually the mustard-infused squash purée. Paired with a vegetal jus rich in thyme, it absolutely shone.
I had fully intended to order the Brie de Meaux with mascarpone cream, Piedmont hazelnuts, and plums… but by this point, we were already stuffed, so we opted instead to share a slice of Conference pear tart with bergamot and pistachio. It was the perfect blend of homestyle dessert and the precision one expects at a spot of this caliber. And that ricotta ice cream pushed it over the edge, for me.
I have to give a special note to the service here in general, which was extraordinary and struck the perfect balance between attentive and unobtrusive. In a word: lovely.
Quinsou – 33 Rue de l’Abbé Grégoire, 75006