THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Jean-Jacques Jouteux 153 Grenelle

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Jean-Jacques Jouteux 153 Grenelle Restaurant Review:

Jean-Jacques Jouteux, in the Seventies, was the «enfant terrible»---as the French call these kinds of unruly grown-ups---of the «Nouvelle Cuisine». His place in Montmartre, Les Semailles, was a Mecca and a forum for innovation and debates. Then, in 1984, exit Jean-Jacques who decided to retire on the sunny Riviera. Parisian foodies are happy; the “enfant terrible” is now back in town in a small, recently renovated space in the chic 7th arrondissement near the Invalides. The sober décor plays a symphony in grey and white from the walls to the real raw stone of the floor. It tells you what to expect: a simple but highly refined cuisine, which is the most elaborate form of culinary talent. Despite all these years in the sun, Jean-Jacques has not lost an ounce of his savoir-faire. Taste, as a beginning, for instance, his roasted white asparagus in hazelnut butter or his velvety fresh French peas and cauliflower with peppery pancetta crème. Jean-Jacques also likes to play with acidity. Hence his medley of langoustines interspersed with slices of gherkins and capers. The baron of lamb with a potato gratin is a cooking lesson of “cuisson à la minute” (instant cooking). The lobster in a seaweed butter and grilled vermicelli and the lemon olive oil grouper with spinach sprouts and coriander are a pallet of colorful and delicious tastes. Soft and attentive service.