Paris wouldn’t be Paris without fabulous food. I had the opportunity to sample some of the delicacies and beyond of three michelin star chef Yannick Alléno who creates menus according to his own distinctive style of refined, harmonious and healthy cuisine.
Rigorous and inventive, he works with the best of Parisian products coming from the French terroir. He also has a passion for exotic products.
I was at a special hosted dinner where he prepared the meal, however he also cooks over at Restaurant le Meurice which overlooks the Tuileries Garden.
Restaurant Le Dali is also there fitted out under a monumental canvas (145 square meters / 1560 square feet) painted by famous designer Philippe Starck’s daughter, Ara Starck.
Hotel Le Meurice offers travelers and Parisians a wonderful choice of memorable moments and top notch cuisine. See my hotel write-up as well in the Paris and Hotels section.
On the menu for the evening was a rich starter to kick things off: the Lobster Souffle and Coral Cream. The photo turned out pretty badly so I didn’t include it here, however it was my favorite dish in the five course meal.
Tender, soft, fluffy and perfectly seasoned. The lighting in the dining room was subdued and had a tinted light overhead, so bear that in mind when you look at the images below…..they don’t do the dishes justice considering their quality and scrumptious taste.
After the lobster souffle, we moved onto a sea bass chartreuse with a white butter sauce. After the fish, we dove into red meat since we were pairing the meal with a French Bordeaux. They served a veal with vegetables in a pumpkin and veal juice.
Then, they served a poached pear with Maury wine sauce, served with a small chocolate cake. They also had a Rum Baba and roasted fruit option if you wanted to go on the lighter side.
Behind the cooking is Yannock Alleno, mentioned above, a French chef who has been awarded three Michelin stars since 2007. Alleno was born in Puteaux into a family of chefs and was passionate about cooking from a young age, helping his mother in the kitchen. In 1984 he trained in hotel management at the Lycée Santos-Dumont de Saint-Cloud where he finished first in his class and then became an apprentice in pastry in 1986 at the Hotel Lutetia. In 2003, he became head of the restaurant at the Hotel Meurice at 228 rue de Rivoli in the 1st arrondissement of Paris.
He came out and talked to our group during the meal. And oh btw, did I mention he was cute? Okay, hot. He is hot.
For more on Paris hotels, check out this section on WBTW and for food/wine in Paris, here. Photo credits: Renee Blodgett.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
