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Vaisseau means vessel…
…and if you wish to board this ship, you’ll need to book your passage soon. Before sharing why I love this new restaurant from chef Adrien Cachot, let me insert an important detail: the next two-month block of reservations (October 1 through November 30) will open for online booking on September 24. If you’re inspired to go after reading this review, set yourself a reminder to be online a few minutes before noon (Paris time) next Tuesday and get ready to click like crazy.
I arrived for my recent lunch at Vaisseau bearing a chip on my shoulder and the scars of previous Top Chef disappointments. That show has become a powerful vehicle for entry into the Paris restaurant scene. So many new openings are helmed by someone with TC screen time, and so few of them deliver the goods. I had also read that Vaisseau serves their tasting menu blind, revealing a dish’s ingredients only after consumption. I often find this schtick to be cloying.
At Vaisseau, though, they handled this perfectly. Dishes were delivered without commentary. Then, while clearing my empty plate, a server told me unfussily what I had eaten. There was no twee interrogation (“can you guess?”) followed by faux praise for my ability to tag cilantro. Instead, I was simply left alone to imagine the dish’s contents, to wonder how on earth Cachot managed to get such a delicious crust on his tofu…
Spoilers ahead! If you’re visiting soon and prefer not to know the ingredients, turn back now.
Later, I learned that this was veal brain, not tofu, cooked tempura style with a puddingy center and served like bo bun. So incredibly delicious. This brain was one of seven amuses bouches served on the most gorgeous pottery from Amandine Richard. Here are four more:
These were the opening volley in their smaller lunchtime tasting menu called “Quoi,” priced at 60€. The extended tasting menu is called “N’Importe Quoi” and is available at lunch or dinner for 120€.
What came next looked (and ate) like a terrine until I noticed the tiny seeds. Eggplant? Yes indeed - fermented and served with a beurre noisette sabayon, a slippery fold of seaweed, silky red peppers and the tiniest croutons. So very good.
And this? It had the unmistakable flavor of cacio e pepe, and looked a bit like tiny gnocchi. But the chew was different. I prayed for mochi (too early in the day for testicles) and was correct.
Next up: cod in a collagen-rich pil pil sauce with yuzu kosho spiked mayonnaise (too much of it) on a bed of chewy tapioca globules. This was a wonderful play of textures and an occasion to finally use the word globules.
Let’s cleanse our palates now with… I’m not sure what this is. There are two squares of iceberg lettuce topped with a black garlic sorbet and olive oil. Is this a salad or a dessert? Perhaps a salady dessert? I request a determination from the
.Adrien Cachot is a marvelously creative chef. What separates him from other creative TC alums is execution. These dishes have clearly been tested, worked and reworked. They aren’t first drafts.
Cachot’s dishes may be playful and provocative, but they are balanced. They make sense, perhaps a new kind of sense. Don’t let the youthful branding or the obsession with outer space fool you into thinking he isn’t serious. This guy is serious…
… and you should book. Vaisseau is worth visiting. So worth visiting, in fact, that it’s next-to-impossible to visit. I’ve been actively and unsuccessfully trying to book Vaisseau for most of the 41 weeks they’ve been open. My ship came last week thanks to an apparent cancellation. If you’re not online Tuesday at noon, you might need to wait at least a few more months.
Pro-tip: keep checking back online if you’re trying to book a hard-to-get restaurant. Reservations reappear online when people cancel, especially in the early afternoon (Paris time) after restaurants call and email to confirm.
Highly recommended for adventurous eaters who enjoy tasting menus. The vibe is youthful and unstuffy. The current prices are 60€ and 120€. Expect those to increase after Vaisseau gets a star. Open Monday!
VAISSEAU
35 rue Faidherbe, 75011
Open Tuesday-Friday for lunch & dinner
Open Monday for dinner only
Closed Saturday & Sunday
Reservations online or at +33 1 88 61 70 41
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Do I really need to read about another tasting menu???????
My Frenchie husband swooned when he saw the cervelle de veau.