Japanese Chefs and Glorious French Food in Paris

The small kitchen at Table d'Aki

Several years ago I went to a fabulous new restaurant in Paris called Hiromatsu, a small, intimate place lauded for the inventive French cooking of its Japanese chef. The day of our visit I savored course after course of artfully presented dishes, and was wowed by the talent of Hirotoshi Hiromatsu. In fact, I was so enamored of French fare prepared with subtle Japanese accents that my husband and I returned to the restaurant when it moved across town to larger quarters in the 16^th arrondissement.

Last winter when two different friends, both enthusiastic food lovers, mentioned that I should try Sola, a new Left Bank place headed by another Japanese chef, Hiroki Yoshitake, I didn’t waste any time reserving for lunch. The meal was so special that I featured the restaurant in the Out and About section on my website in February. 

This summer while in the French capital, a young American couple who live and work in Paris and who adore the Japanese chefs there, suggested that we book at La Table d’Aki, a recently opened spot

in the 7^th. The restaurant, with only 16 seats, is headed by Akihiro Horikoshi, who spent 20 years in the kitchen of the 3-star L’Ambroisie. He works alone, assisted by a young Japanese server. The night of our visit we had the 58 euro prix fixe menu that included 4 fish courses and a simple dessert.

Rouget with Carrots, Zucchini, and Fennel

Although my husband is not a big fan of Neptunian fare, he loved every dish set before him. A small perfectly cooked piece of cod accompanied by a puree of smoked eggplant was our opener, and was followed by sautéed rouget (a mild white fish) garnished with carrots, zucchini, and fennel and napped with a light vegetable sauce. Next came langoustines and potatoes in a flavorful broth, and then a spiced fillet of Saint Pierre (another mild white fish) paired with an artichoke puree. A dacquoise (a crisp meringue) filled with raspberry mousse completed the offerings. Although the servings were small, just like the restaurant, I’ll definitely go back on my next visit.

La Table d’Aki

49, rue de Varenne

Paris VII

01-45-44-43-48