My friend Johann told me about Ze Kitchen Gallery so many times and about the wonders chef William Ledeuil does in his kitchen. I finally got the chance to have a meal there last week in Paris.
Located on the left bank of the river Seine at a stone throw from the Pont Neuf in the Rue des Grands Augustins, the site is medieval but the building dates from the XIX century. From the street, the facade of the restaurant set on the ground floor, is made of big window panes with contemporary floor to ceiling black iron frames inserted between large stone arches. After the glass door opens, guests walk in straight into the service bar where a friendly staff greets them by taking their coat. Right away the bright though warm ambiance reveals a simple interior made of chocolate wooden floor and white walls filled with lithographs, water paintings and other modern art works, all very colorful. This is lunch, and the 40 or so seats restaurant is packed.
As I walk to my table I notice at the other end of the dining room, a glass wall where I see the prep kitchen with cooks getting busy preparing the food. The service staff is all made of young men, all casually but elegantly dressed (no uniforms).
So back to my friend Johann (my host) who kindly reminded me why we were there today: to taste the "fusion cuisine" à la Française. Indeed, chef William Ledeuil fell in love with Thai food and Japanese cuisine during his trips in Asia and particularly in South-East Asia. A look at the menu (40 euros for lunch apps+main+dessert!) one can see right away the predominant Thai influence. I ordered a Crawfish Ravioli, Thai Broth and Pistou Condiment, followed by Confit-Grilled Suckling Pig, Pineapple-Orange Condiment (garnished with braised endives, bok choy and young carrots – so red they looked like red peppers). For dessert I went for the White Chocolate and Wasabi ice Cream, Pistachio sauce and Green Tea Emulsion.
Needless to say I was amazed by the experience.
The Thai broth that came with the ravioli was just exquisite: a perfect balance of flavors similar to what we can taste in a Tom Kha in Thailand, only it wasn't too creamy or too salty; we could even taste the shellfish broth base under the galanga and other Thai herbs. Just perfect. The ravioli was meaty and perfectly cooked as well.
The Suckling Pig was another feast as well: slow cooked sous-vide, the pig was then sizzled to obtain a crusty skin. The sauce was a perfect sweet and sour balanced accompaniment to the meat. The vegetables were crunchy and juicy. Cleared as well with the baguette that was served in japanese rectangular baskets!
When came the dessert I suspected another PacoJet ice cream dish but what I had was much more complex than that. The ice cream (a dream of creaminess, not too sweet) was topped with a meringue that tasted like caramel although white. The sauce underlying the ice cream was a green sauce that blended beautifully with the ice cream revealing the wasabi that was actually white, adding to the surprise of the senses. Beautiful.
After the meal I got to talk to William Ledeuil who explained me that I was blessed with being given a skill (French cuisine demands, for instance with long and meticulous processes of broth making), a palate curious of new exotic flavors and a creativity fueled by his passion for experimenting dishes, playing with ingredients and surprising his guests. Right now, he has only introduced Thai and Japanese flavors in his cuisine. "India and China will be my next ventures" he says.
Ultimately his cuisine has given a new, and truthful, meaning to the word "fusion" – word that got a bad press since the nineties. This is a generous cuisine, with an approach made on jus rather than heavy sauces, presented simply whilst made with a lot of "rigueur" whether in the selection of the ingredients, the way they are prepared or the way they are cooked.
http://www.zekitchengalerie.fr/
