Jean-Michel Lorain is one of the most honorable chefs in Burgundy, France. I went to some similar type of restaurants before he came(like Forchetta, a3, Marco polo and of course Robuchon)because I wanted to compare them so I could give a fair opinion.
Romantic flower arrangement on the table
Chef handed you his autographed menu at the end of the meal.
Mr. Lorain didn't like to chat with the clients, he just listened quietly to their opinions most of the time.
lunch menu: NT8800+10%(A little less than 300 US dollars.)
amuse-bouche(starters before starters)+5 courses+3 kinds of wines+coffee or tea and mignardises(Miniature desserts after the main dessert.)
diner menu: NT12,000+10%(About 400 US dollars)
amuse-bouche+6 courses+5 kinds of wines+coffee or tea and mignardises.
They were kind enough to let us park in their lobby.(Just kidding, it was next to the lobby.)
One of the sponsors was Lamborghini Taipei. The cheapest car of theirs is about 1 million US dollars and the expensive ones go up to about 3 million. Want a couple of them to match your dresses and purses?
Breads look familiar? Remind you of Robuchon? They really didn't need to copy the style. The baguette from Landis's bakery was already really good.
Amuse-bouche: Lobster Cappuccino soup and canape
Quite a generous portion for amuse-bouche.(Maybe not by the US standard.)
Didn't bring our own champagne because they were going to serve Taittinger Rose with the dessert.
We just enjoyed the first served white " Chablis 2009 Louis Jadot " (Chardonnay from Burgundy) as our aperitif. It was a typical Louis Jadot Chablis, light, hint of mineral, served just cold enough, quite nice.
Oysters, Ocean Pearls( the transparent fish-egg-like stuff, made from lemon juice, oyster juice, etc..), Bread and Seaweed butter
Breads were already cold so they tasted kind of fishy, sticky and mushy.
Looked nice? Yes. But the oyster part tasted already too warm and soft. Probably because the preparation of this dish was complicated and the 1930 team workers weren't used to Chef Lorain's way yet(or Lorain's team wasn't used to the 1930's kitchen, it was their first day in Taipei.). Domage!
The second wine for lunch: Pouily-Fuisse 2008
One of our everyday wines when we were living in Paris. Lots of memories!
Pairing pretty well with the scallop-ham dish and the petit gris snails.
Roasted scallops with Iberian ham, Jerusalem artichoke Vichysoise, water cress salad with marrow oil.
Quite good, but I kind of expected it to be a little more creative.
Crisp Nuggets of Petit Gris Snails in Virtual Snail Butter, one of my favorites.
The snail was wrapped in Arabic vermicelle(some kind of rice noodle), caramelized, and then deep fried. Crispy and not oily, very good indeed.
Tempting? Want a bite?
We were really curious about this wine. Recently bought by Chanel company and became very hot in Japan and Taiwan because of a popular wine themed comic book series. The winery hired one of the most famous wine makers in Bordeaux(from one of the top 5 chateaux) and is trying to improve wine quality and the whole management system. 2005 could wait a little longer. Pairing OK but not impressively good with the beef dish.
Beef Fillet and Truffle in Cabbage "Michel Lorain"
The "9A" beef was very nicely roasted.
A whole black truffle was wrapped in a mix of chicken and cabbage(on the right side of the dish). Unfortunately, we all agreed that the truffle could be savored better in slices. The whole piece like this was expensive and you couldn't even feel the aroma. Quite a waste.
Lunch dessert:
Creamy Biscuit with Strawberry and Herbs, Olive Oil and Basil Sorbet
Presentation wasn't that great but really tasty and refreshing after the whole meal. Went great with the Taittinger Rose champagne. (The champagne was not included in the lunch menu, it was originally for the diner dessert, but actually matched better with this strawberry one. The restaurant offered it to us because they were out of some pairing wines with other dishes.)
Mignardises(Little sweets after dessert, served with coffee or tea):
Nougat, Grapefruit Macaronne, Apple soft candy(tasted like apple juice, so good), Fennel and Herbs Marsh-Mallow
Why took a picture of an almost empty cup? The service was a little bit weird that day, My brother asked for some slices of lemon and they didn't bring it until the tea was almost finished. The most funny part was: They put the slice in anyway, just like that!!!
First 2 pairing wines for diner: Chablis and Meursault
Meursault was more complex and flavorful than Chablis. A bit oakier, too.
Pan Fried Duck Fois Gras, Wheat Risotto and Alba's White Truffles
It was the first time I tasted fois gras with wheat, more commonly cooked with fruits. There were also some fresh sliced white truffles on top, pretty good together and went well with the Meursault.
Marsannay 2007 Denis Nortet
Pairing wine for the Ris de Veau(Veal Sweetbreads). Very nice and elegant Pinot Noir from Burgundy, with a long smooth finish.
Ginger-Accented Hearts of Veal Sweetbreads, Pearl onions, Rhubarb and Young Radishes
Veal sweetbreads were a bit chewy but still tender, the best I've tasted. Robuchon's former Japanese chef liked to make it a bit more raw inside,( Japanese style perhaps?) was good, too, but Lorain's was even better. Rhubarb and radishes also worked to refresh the palate a bit.
Pommard Rugien 1er Cru 2004
Pairing wine for the lamb dish. A heavier Pinot Noir. Needs a bit more time to develop but pairing OK with the also heavier lamb.
Baby Lamb, Sweet Potato and Purple Carrot Creams, Green Anis Sauce
3 parts of lamb: rib, shoulder and kidney. Kidney part wrapped in some Arabic vermicelles and deep fried.
Taittinger Rose: Pairing wine for the dessert, wasn't cold enough when they served it. The next day when it was served to pair with the strawberry dessert it was much better.
Diner dessert: Rose Ice Cream in Crisp Tulip Shell with Crystallized Rose Petals
The patisserie chef was a bit disappointing. The ice cream was already melting and the rose petals were kind of sticky. The lighting was pretty bad, too. During the lunch time it was so bright and diner time was too dark that you could hardly see anything. Couldn't they be more concerned about the light? It is important because you definitely want to admire the colors and the presentation of all dishes Chef has designed.
The Mignardises with my IKEA green plate and Wedgewood espresso cup
The mignardises were better than the diner dessert. Forgot to take a picture of them at the restaurant because we started talking to David Chauveau, the house chef of Paris 1930.
This is a tradition of Paris 1930 restaurant. They give every lady a nice rose after diner. Usually it's red, but this time it was a rose-champagne color, very fresh, too, accompanied me for quite a while.
Overall, Mr. Lorain's cuisine was good, not showing off and more down to the earth.( Like his character, I suppose? ) Nevertheless, visiting another country and using an unfamiliar working team and kitchen could be challenging. Certain ingredients could be hard to bring abroad and keep them fresh. Should be much more interesting to visit his restaurant in Burgundy and at the same time try some local wines there to pair with his cuisine. The scenery and atmosphere in the French wine country is surely going to make a big difference, too.
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