Sur Mesure

Sur Mesure Restaurant Review:

Sur Mesure in the Mandarin Oriental, Paris, features the “techno-emotional” cuisine of Thierry Marx. Some of his creations flirt with the molecular, denoting more reflection than sensibility. A tasting menu with nine dishes for lunch is a unique meal. To start, cabbage is prepared three ways: in jelly, like a cream, and as a roll surrounding a sardine pâté. The potimarron soufflé is not cooked, but created spontaneously with liquid nitrogen and topped off by a white truffle emulsion with crunchy Bigorre ham. The next course is wiser, a foie gras pâté complemented by a smoked eel jelly. “Semi-pris de coquillage” turns out to be a shellfish emulsion, accompanied by caviar on a crostini. Soy risotto is a classic Marx dish that the chef has served for years. It is, in fact, finely cut soy shoots in an oyster broth enhanced by black truffle shavings --- the result is truly original and rather convincing. Marx excels, however, when he emphasizes the product, as in the case of the scallops in a pineapple sauce, and the crystallized suckling pig served with a sweet chestnut jelly. For dessert, we suggest the Black Forest cake or the “sweet bento,” three petits fours: a fruit tartlet, a chocolate fondant and a biscuit with Morello cherries. The restaurant’s décor is as surprising as the cuisine, marked by minimalism and draped in white fabric. Given the price of the menu and that some dishes may look like gadgets, a meal at Sur Mesure can disappoint. One only needs to be prepared to experience a curious yet exciting culinary journey.