The Chefs of Accents Table Bourse Share Paris Favorites
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Romain Mahi and Ayumi Sugiyama are partners in life and in work: The couple has run Michelin-starred Accents Table Bourse since 2016. But while he helms the savory menu and she the sweet, their sensibilities are far more intertwined. The pastry is often tinged with savory notes like a beetroot-raspberry coulis or a pear-dill filling for the signature sugar ball dessert, while sweet notes are all over the savory menu, which may see cauliflower paired with white chocolate or boudin noir combined with banana.
The couple also shares their days off – Sundays and Mondays, when most Parisian dining establishments are shuttered. Here’s where they head on their days of well-deserved rest.
The day typically begins with… nothing. On Sundays, Sugiyama says, with a laugh, “I sleep!”
“You cook better when you don’t eat,” adds Mahi. “When you’re hungry, you taste better. You want it more.”
When they do have breakfast, it’s typically cereal or fruit, according to Mahi, but occasionally, they like to go to Bon et Bô, an artisanal bakery in the 2nd. While the bakery makes all manner of creative viennoiseries like a coconut pain au chocolat or a crispy pistachio-chocolate roll, both chefs’ tastes skew traditional.
“I’m a pain aux raisins fan,” says Mahi. Sugiyama, meanwhile, loves the chausson aux pommes, filled with house-made applesauce and topped with raw cane sugar for an extra-crisp exterior.
For brunch, they’re fans of Coloré, a Japanese fusion spot in Montmartre. The menu changes constantly: noodles or bentos, donburi or creative pastries. “It depends on her mood,” says Mahi. “You never know what she’s going to make. And above all, she’s really nice. That plays a part too.”
Come lunchtime, they both love bistro. Le Mazenay is a favorite, with its Asian-inspired bistro fare like steak with Phy quoc pepper or roasted quail with foie gras and lemongrass. While the menu changes constantly, Mahi recalls a particularly special hare à la royale, which earned the 2024 Lièvre d’Or from the Brotherhood of Friends of Lièvre à la Royale. (Yep, it’s a thing.)
lièvre à la royale. Photo: Madroune / Wikimedia commons
Both are also huge ramen fans and frequent fliers at the outpost of Ippudo just across the street from their home.
“I think they’re the best ramen in Paris,” says Sugiyama of the Japanese chain known for its deeply flavorful 15-hour pork bone broth. Her go-to is the Shiromaru, with a rich tonkotsu broth and extra-thin house-made noodles topped with chasu pork, kikurage mushrooms, and spring onion. Mahi prefers the Tori-Shoyu made with soy-infused chicken broth, chicken chashu, and fresh toppings of yuzu zest and sweet onion.
Bowl of ramen. Photo: ウィキ太郎 (Wiki Taro)/ Wikimedia commons
When the time comes for an afternoon goûter, Sugiyama has a few go-tos, many of which revolve around her love of mochi. Cookie Love in the 2nd is known for its mochi-filled matcha and sesame cookies, while Gâteaux de Mochi in the 12th is a go-to for house-made daifuku in a wide range of creative flavors from hojicha and orange to caramel-scented white beans with chocolate and whiskey sauce.. “Romain doesn’t like mochi,” says Sugiyama, “but these ones…”
He laughs. “Yeah, they’re really very, very good.”
When she’s not seeking out Japanese sweets, Sugiyama also has a French go-to: lemon meringue tart. She first sampled it when she moved to Paris 20 years ago, at the Marais staple le Loir dans la Théière.
“I remember it so well,” she says, evoking the bright lemon cream topped with a veritable mountain of meringue. “I had never eaten lemon tart as a child.”
She admits she’s not into super-sweet desserts. “I started to eat it, and it’s true that it was very, very sweet,” she recalls. “But oddly, it was also really balanced. And I ate the whole thing. Ever since, I adore lemon tart.”
The chefs are also willing to cross Paris for a pâtisserie in Montmartre: Gilles Marchal. “It’s the best patisserie, as far as I’m concerned,” says Sugiyama. “Everything is good, but they’re especially good at doughs. Short crust, tart bases… everything.”
“And the flan…” adds Mahi.
“Oh, yes, the flans are excellent,” says Sugiyama. While the pair notes that the flans are only available on the weekend – and only if you pre-order – they add that it’s hard to go wrong.
“Everything is very, very good, so it’s no big deal, if there’s no flan,” says Mahi. “You can get something else. Even the standard cakes, the Saint-Honoré. I think they’re always just a little bit different from other patisseries.”
Come dinnertime, when they’re not at work, they often prepare simple things at home. When Mahi cooks, it’s typically gnocchi with cheese and lardons; Sugiyama, meanwhile, concocts Japanese one-pot nabe or cold ramen.
If they want a special evening out, the pair loves to visit Kiyoaji, a sushi restaurant in the 18th known for its omakase counter. “We go… well, I go often,” laughs Sugiyama.
Their other favorite is one they share with many a Parisian chef. “Le Clarence,” they say, simultaneously. As for why the two-Michelin-starred table is such a go-to for culinary professionals, Mahi has “a little theory”: Chef Christophe Pelé’s nearly cerebral creativity.
“When you want to intellectualize it a bit, professionals will see all of the impressive details inside,” he says. “It’s very special.”
“And for professionals,” adds Sugiyama, “we like special.”
Lead photo credit : Ayumi and Romain, Accents. Photo: ©Florian Domergue
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