A recent tasting at Parisian master Alain Passard’s l’Arpege brought unexpected colors, airy textures, and a dramatic display of tableside service to the plate.
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L’Arpège
Paris, France
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Perfectly cooked sections of lobster are served in the shell and coated with a yellow sauce made from a wine from Jura. In an unexpected play of color contrasts, vibrant purple graces the plate in the form of shaved cauliflower florets. |
Chef Alain Passard |
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L’Arpège
Paris, France
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The thinnest possible layers of pastry make up this towering millefeuille, which is served alone and unadorned on the plate. It needs no accompaniment; the color and crisp, flaky texture are visually compelling, and are even more dynamic in the mouth. |
Chef Alain Passard |
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L’Arpège
Paris, France
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A mountain of steaming hot French sea salt is laid on a cloth on a tableside serving cart. The top is chipped away, and a bright red dome appears; it’s an exquisitely cooked beet, which is then extracted from the salt for the diner. |
Chef Alain Passard |
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L’Arpège
Paris, France
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Once removed from its case of salt, the beet is sliced tableside and plated with nothing more than a drizzle of 25-year aged balsamic vinegar. |
Chef Alain Passard |
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