Alrighty. Finally uploading the last and one of the greatest culinary moments of my European adventures. On the advice of my friend Roberta, I headed to the restaurant L’Epi Dupin.
My view of the city before I headed to dinner. I went on a little excursion in Montmarte. TAKE ME BACK.
It was like a magical mirage.
The restaurant was crowded, but I got there early enough to snag a single seat at the bar. Well, they made a seat at the bar for me. I was the American outcast, and it was awesome.
From my seat I could stare into the kitchen. Creepy? Yes. Did that stop me? No.
There was a prix fix of 33 euros for three courses To be honest, I don’t know why people claim that French food consists of small portions. I was full for DAYS.
The menu was written in French and a lovely waiter translated it for me—the dishes change frequently which I LOVE. It usually results in fresh ingredients and dishes that are always in season.
Can you read this? Besides the fact that it’s slightly blurry, it’s in French. I’m lost.
Something I was really getting into while being in Europe was being off the grid. If I wasn’t connected to Wifi, I couldn’t be on my phone, which may have added in making the food even more delicious. It was a great learning experience.
I started with a red wine that I don’t remember the name of; it paired beautifully with my entrée. Wine in Paris costs less than soda in some instances. And not crappy wine either; rich, full bodied wine. Mmmmmmm. Alcohol.
Red, red wiiiiiine.
The amuse bouche (a little preparatory bite so the chef can flex his culinary muscles) was a chilled leek soup with bacon foam. BACON. FOAM. Are you kidding? It was perfection; the color was vibrant and I love leeks so that was a home run. Also did I mention BACON FOAM?!
Give me a tub of this and I’d bathe in it.
I chose a combination of squid and octopus as my appetizer. An octopus cake was expertly fried and a beautiful base for the tender, perfectly cooked squid on top. The simply dressed greens on the bottom totally counteract the fattiness of the fried cake, right? RIGHT?! All in all it was a solid appetizer. Favorite appetizer in the world? Maybe not., but the ENTRÉE. The entrée was everything.
So many seafoods, so little time.
Okay, so if you’re kind of squeamish, just skip to dessert. For my entrée, I had duck hearts and seared foie gras. They. Were. Amazing. I had eaten duck hearts before but they were nothing compared to this. Tender and succulent, they were drenched in a buttery, herby sauce that was one of the single greatest sauces I have ever consumed. It was insanely rich, and then topped with a huge chunk of seared foie gras. After eating foie gras here, I completely understand why people are in love with this goose-y delicacy. It was rich and creamy; a complex blend of minerality and unctuousness. I want a pillow made out of it so I can eat it for a midnight snack. IF I had to name something that could have improved this entree, it would be to have something acidic with it to cut all the rich elements. I actually had to take a break before diving back in because there was so much going on. I don’t remember the last time I had to do that. In conclusion, this was one of the greatest entrees I have ever had.
Take another little piece of my heart.
The dessert was a little less so. For some reason, this place was serving a pineapple confit dessert with pineapple foam (which in my mind was out of season) and an ice cream that had an herb I couldn’t really distinguish. The pineapple was a little sour; it was a great palate cleanser, but I’m just used to something sweeter for my desserts.
Lookin’ real pretty.
All in all, I would absolutely be back to see what seasonal, new items are on the menu. Anybody want to ship me to France??!
Sacre Coeur!
totallyfat 