Coq Rico, L’Instant D’Or, Omnivore & Michelin France 2012 Buzz

28 February 2012 by Margaret Kemp    777  
Coq Rico, L’Instant D’Or, Omnivore & Michelin France 2012 Buzz
Margaret Kemp
By Margaret Kemp
Since early this year The Triangle D’Or has a shiny new restaurant. The former Saveurs de Flora Mikula is a bright contemporary space: RDV at L’Instant d’Or. The name’s a play on Triangle D’Or and, as you’d expect in the midst of retail therapy central, the tableware’s exquisite, super-shiny eating irons and sparkling glasses await. Studio Mark Hertrich are responsible for the amazing transformations which took one year to complete. Three rooms have three different decors, depending on your mood. The theme’s set in the first salle with a magnificent chandelier created by artist, plasticien Géraud de Tarsiac. A white robot oversees the delicious proceedings; is that a look of amazement on his face? L’Instant d’Or’s Marseilles born chef Frédéric Duca comes with a pedigree as long as your arm.  Sofitel du Vieux Port, Marseilles, Gerald Passedat, Le Petit Nice, Taillevent with Michel del Burgo, Martinez, Cannes, Fouquet’s Paris, La Tremoille, Hélène Darroze and now “because I have the opportunity to form my own equipe”, L’Instant D’Or. But what about the food? From the first little amuses, soupe de lentilles, risotto aux truffes, it’s obvious the accent’s on the products, only the best. Chef interprets his ingredients with a young, studied, eye. L’Oeuf Bio, cuit vapeur, mousseline de brocoli et rapée de truffes noire, velouté de chou-fleur , a triumph. So is the artistic presentation of Les Champignons, ravioli d’une duxelle au lard de colonnata, roulées dans un jus de volaille, céleri fondant. “I’m from Marseilles, so obviously I have a preference for fish and seafood”, admits Duca. So try Homard Bleu, Turbot Sauvage, Bar de Ligne but there’s also L’Agneau Fermier and Le Boeuf Wagyu, each dish has a “Duca” style. What do you expect with a name like that? Kiriko Nakamura, chef patissière, conjugates her desserts into fruit headings: La Clémentine: La Poire: Les Fruits Exotiques and, of course La Chocolat, each is delicate as a spring day in the Japanese countryside. Valéry Batacchi, Director du Salle advises wine by the glass from about 8€ : Saint Julien Le Petit Cailloux 2007 (55€) or the white Chardonnay, Pouilly Fuisée Vielles Vignes from V. Giradin 2008 (45€).  L’Instant D’Or is where you celebrate the arrival of the new Vuitton, Hermes, or even the BMW who’s shiny new showroom is next door. L’Instant D’Or36 Avenue George V, 8thMetro: George VT: 01 47 23 46 78Shut Sunday: MondayValet ParkingTasting Menu: 98€Lunch : 42-49€ Which came first the chicken or the egg? Antoine Westerman’s Coq Rico tries to answer this question in depth at Coq Rico. If you’re faint hearted, taxi or Monmartrobus it up the hill, it’s steep, the climb will enhance your appetite make you feel you’ve earned your lunch/dinner and will tone your butt a treat darling. Before you walk into Coq Rico, look behind you at Le Moulin de la Galette, the mill once supplied flour to the village, it was painted by Renoir, who lived round the corner when he couldn’t even afford to buy paint, let alone a meal, and Picasso, bien sur, and countless others. It’s now a resto (what else?) owned by Antoine Heerah who Pudlo calls “le petit Napoléon des hauts de Montmartre”. Westermann has a belle histoire. He created Le Buerehiesel, Strasbourg. Snagged 3-Michelins and returned them when he handed over to his son Eric W, who now has one Michelin and is doing very nicely! Meanwhile, Daddy Westermann’s tidying up sad old maisons in Paris, www.drouant.com www.monvieil-ami.com and, at the just launched Coq Rico, Montmartre, gives top credit to his suppliers all listed on the menu. If you love chicken, and who doesn’t you’ll adore Coq Rico, revised and corrected from bubba’s recipes. Frankly my dear I don’t care which came first, they’re both flying fantastic! Coq Rico’s not a rip off, like so many Montmartre canteens, quality price you’ll love it. Le Coq RicoBistrot des Belles Volailles98 rue Lepic, 18thMetro: AbbessesOpen 7/7 Lunch & DinnerAverage Spend – 45€ + wineT: 01 42 59 82 89 Diary Dates:Omnivore Food Festival hits Paris with 50 chefs and pâtissiers strutting their stuff at Maison de la Mutulité, as Omnivore World Tour kicks off in Paris continues in Brussels, Moscow, Copenhagen, Shanghai, NYC, Montreal, Sao Paulo, San Francisco, Istanbul, Sydney. “And, because there would be no restaurants without clients there are 11 Fucking Dinners planned”, says creator of Omnivore Luc Dubanchet. 11-13 March – Go to their website for all the info. Michelin 2012 Positive week for France. The Artist wins the Oscars, France beat Scotland in the Rugby Six Nations 17-23 and 2012 Michelin France announces I talented new 3-star: MOF Emanuel Renaut’s fabulous Flocons de Sel Hotel/Resto/Spa now ranks among the 105 restaurants worldwide, “worth a special journey.” Located in the jet set ski resort of Megève, in a chic Relais&Chateaux go to (Renaut’s ex-Marc Veyrat). Two new two stars in France include two in Paris: Sur Mesure par Thierry Marx at The Mandarin Oriental and L’Abeille, at Le Shangri-La, chef Philippe Labbe. Both had two-stars in their former kitchens. Marx at Cordeillan-Bages, Labbé at Eze, on the riviera. New Paris one-stars are Kei, Sola, La Truffiere, Le Diane, Le 39V, Le Lumiere, Cobea, Le Quinzieme-Cyril Lignac (at last!), Akrame, Shang Palace, and Les Tablettes de Jean Louis Nomicos. British chef Gordon Ramsay keeps two stars for his eponymous addy in Versailles, although it’s Simone Zanoni wearing the whites. Strange that the Pourcel twins’, Le Jardin des Sens, Montpelier, and Patrick Gauthier’s La Madeleine, Sens, slip to one star from two. In Paris six addys lose single stars: Fogon, Jacques Cagna, Sensing, L’Angle du Faubourg, Le Passiflore and La Table du…
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By Margaret Kemp

Born in Hampton, Middlesex, UK, Margaret Kemp is a lifestyle journalist, based between London, Paris and the world. Intensive cookery courses at The Cordon Bleu, London, a wedding gift from a very astute ex-husband, gave her the base that would take her travelling (leaving the astute one behind) in search of rare food and wine experiences, such as the vineyards of Thailand, 'gator hunting in South Florida, learning to make eye-watering spicy food in Kerala;pasta making in a tiny Tuscany trattoria. She has contributed to The Guardian, The Financial Times Weekend and FT. How To Spend It.com, The Spectator, Condé Nast Traveller, Food & Travel, and Luxos Magazine. She also advises as consultant to luxury hotels and restaurants. Over the years, Kemp has amassed a faithful following on BonjourParis. If she were a dish she'd be Alain Passard's Millefeuille “Caprice d'Enfant”, as a painting: Manet’s Dejeuner sur l’herbe !