Lasserre
The Return of a Star
by André
Gayot
Lasserre
is a magical place with a legendary name. René
Lasserre was a busboy who, after years of humble and
obscure labor in the basement of Paris high society,
reached the highest ranks of French gastronomy. After
observing how the upper crust lived and dined, Lasserre
had a vision that resulted in his conception of a
luxurious gastronomic world where nothing would be
too good to satisfy the well-heeled foodies of the
world.
To
that effect, he had the good idea to purchase a filthy,
unwanted hangar—left behind after the close
of the 1937 Paris International Exposition—and
to transform it into a sumptuous mansion near the
Champs Elysées. Lasserre impressed the establishment
with his marketing and public relations skills, luring
in the glitterati such as painter Marc Chagall, writer
and minister André Malraux, actress Audrey
Hepburn and many others. They rushed in to admire
the ceiling, which on clear and balmy nights would
open up to the star-studded sky of Paris. Soon Lasserre
restaurant, with its essence of romance, gained the
status of an institution. Many illustrious chefs started
their apprenticeship there, including Marc Haeberlin,
Guy Savoy, Michel Rostang and Jacques Lameloise.
What’s
the postscript of this great saga after the March,
2006, death of the charismatic René Lasserre?
Besides the past grandeur of the place, there are
a lot of reasons to dine at Lasserre. The raison d'être
is chef Jean-Louis Nomicos, who deserves our kudos
for preserving the legacy while opening the windows
of the kitchen wide to let the breeze of a new era
flow in. Take, for instance, the signature dish of
Lasserre, the Pigeon André Malraux named after
the famous French writer who was appointed Minister
of Culture in de Gaulle’s government. Although
then everybody raved about it, today’s palates
and stomachs would judge it heavy and “rich”
in the bad sense of the word. Nomicos has kept the
unforgettable recipe on the menu, but he has interpreted
the masterpiece with his own rendition to fit contemporary
tastes, cutting on the cooking time, reducing the
avalanche of foie gras, and balancing the tender squab
meat with vegetables and fruits of the season.
 |
| Green
peas in almond milk with caviar |
Among
the vestiges of the grand Escoffier tradition is the
truffled macaroni with foie gras, assembling two noble
products with a more humble one that sustains and
reveals the consistency of the dish that Nomicos has
equally lightened up, brilliantly displaying his deftness
to save the best of the past while making it new.
That's a tour de force that not many can accomplish
with such grace. Diners will also want to try his
own creations, which will coin the new era of Lasserre,
such as the mentholated green peas in an almond milk
with Osetra caviar, a pleasure for the eyes as well
as for the palate; the crayfish, crispy in the mouth
and melting with the young lettuce; the côte
de veau perfumed with lemon and ginger; or the crackling
rouget in a zucchini flower scented with marjoram.
Of course, all of the products appearing on the menu
are carefully selected from the best sources. The
wine cellar, besides housing the grand crus de rigueur,
welcomes less prestigious but worthwhile vintages
from the Rhône Valley, the Loire Valley, and
from the up-and-coming area of Languedoc.
 |
| René
Lasserre |
So
everything’s perfect? “Pas tout à
fait!” The desserts are refreshing and pleasant
in their simplicity, but they lack the creativity
and the elevation of what came before. Is this by
design after such an extravagant meal?
Our
(slight) reservations have a different motivation.
What has been accomplished on the menu, preserving
the legacy and bringing it up to speed, has yet to
be done with the décor and, let’s say,
the global experience. The room has the feel and look
of what was in the late forties supposed to be a chic
restaurant as revisited by Hollywood’s oldies.
The pompous, outdated setup now of questionable taste
contradicts the modernity and delicacy of the food.
Too bad we have to close our eyes to savor Nomicos’s
delicacies. Although very attentive (perhaps overly
so), the service in this stodgy environment seems
a tad starchy.
Once
these details are finally polished, if they ever are,
Lasserre has the potential to reach the highest rung
among Paris' top restaurants.
Restaurant
Lasserre
17, ave. Franklin-D.-Roosevelt
75008 Paris
01 43 59 02 13
www.restaurant-lasserre.com
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