Passage 53

Passage 53 Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Tucked away in the circa 1800 landmark Passage des Panoramas is Passage 53. The place is spare, favoring intimacy, and the mini glassed-in patio for two makes for a romantic spot. Japanese chef Shinichi Sato (formerly of L’Astrance) likes to utilize topnotch products and sometimes deliver them with bold textures, such as jelly or moss.

Food & Drinks: At lunch, two menus are available, one at €60 and another at €140. The latter provides several courses in tiny portions. The transformation of certain ingredients may prevent diners from enjoying them fully. However, there is exceptional craftsmanship at work at the stoves. Seared squid is served with cauliflower, both prepared in slivers and with velouté. Pan-fried foie gras is accompanied by crispy radish and clam juice perfumed with licorice. Pig in yellow wine sauce with turnip shavings and parsnip moss is followed by an assortment of desserts as small as a thimble: crème brûlée; apple sherbet; tarte Tatin; chocolate tartlet; Xeres ice cream. The wine list, its selections spread over Burgundy, is under the aegis of wine steward Mrs. Yuko. A few prestigious options are offered by the glass for €25, such as a Puligny-Montrachet and a Gevrey Chambertin 2011 from Denis Mortet.