Last Updated on August 5, 2024
Japanese tradition with Mediterranean flavours in Paris
Yakuza Paris by Olivier is the in-house restaurant at Maison Albar Hotels – Le Vendome in the 9th arrondissement of the city. Chef Entrepeneur, Olivier Da Costa, who has also one Yakuza restaurant as part of the Maison Albar hotels in Porto and other locations in Lisbon and Algarve, offers a menu in Paris melding Japanese tradition with Mediterranean flavours. As I was invited to review the hotel, I also had the opportunity to have dinner at the restaurant.
Like the hotel, designed by Fabien Roque, Yakuza Paris is elegantly appointed with marble, emerald velvet furnishing and pops of gold. It has panels of Japanese art, and diners have the choice of indoor seating in view of the open kitchen, a private dining room, or eating outdoors in the Zen garden that leads off the restaurant. This space, planted with trees under which one can sit on outdoor sofas, is an internal courtyard shared with the hotel and has Japanese touches throughout from a sculpture of a horse to a mannequin wearing a black kimono. The garden has several references to Ki No Bi, the flagship gin from the Kyoto Distillery, Japan’s first artisanal gin distillery.
The elegant cocktail bar that leads into Yakuza Paris has a range of signature cocktails as well as a number of champagne or sake options and a list of French wines. Our waiter suggested a Spring House made with Ki No Bi gin, Maracuja, Italicus and lime as well as an Ichigo made with Ki No Tou, strawberry, honey and cardamom syrup and lemon. These were both very pretty and refreshing, interesting drinks beyond the usual cocktail menu offerings.
On a hot Friday evening, we sat in the courtyard where on the weekends there is a DJ at Yakuza Paris. If you would like a zen environment you might want to eat at the restaurant during the week. On weekends you can enjoy a more upbeat atmosphere while you eat some delicious food. Putting myself in the chef’s hands is always my choice when eating Japanese food. We began with new style hamachi which is yellowtail sashimi served with a ponzu sauce and shaved truffle. This generous portion had a central salad with leaves and wafer-thin radish and was scattered with shaved truffle and crispy garlic flakes. It was lovely to look at and very fresh and refreshing.
The second dish was nigiri engawa – seared turbot, Yukari, lime and coriander. Yukari is a Japanese condiment made from dried shiso and accompanies rice. It imparted a fabulous flavour to the rice which was served with the lightly grilled fish. It was served on an attractive ceramic platter.
The third dish was fish tacos with guacamole, Japanese mayo nori, salmon and white fish. A lime wedge dipped in a Japanese chilli spice was to be squeezed over the dish. This was another few delicious mouthfuls with the crispy tacos giving way to a good combination of fish, strips of nori and a spicy citrus hit from the lime. This was an excellent example of a fusion dish with the Japanese and South American influences harmonising beautifully.
The fourth dish was gunkan toro – tuna belly, tuna, foie gras and leek. This was utterly excellent. The combination of lightly grilled, teriyaki fish and salty, crispy julienned leek with the foie gras and the rice was a wonderful range of textures and tastes. With food this good, one would like to stop and eat another helping but the only way to do this is to book to go back and eat again.
In our case, we moved on to the fifth dish which was a large blue ceramic bowl of beautifully presented sashimi garnished with cucumber and orange slices and shiso leaves. It was served on dry ice which the waiter activated at the table with a small jug of hot water, causing steam to rise and envelop the fish. I love a bit of tableside theatre and this was just the ticket. The fish was beautifully fresh and included salmon, turbot, tuna, yellowtail, toro, seabass and red mullet.
We were offered a glass of prize-winning Chateau Shirasagi 65, a fruity sake which was served chilled in glasses like a white wine. It is bottled in France but produced in Japan. It was powerful yet most refreshing. Having eaten at several Japanese restaurants in Paris over the past month, I have been introduced to a wide range of sakes and have developed a keener appreciation for the variety of tastes. This was another excellent addition to my education as a sake drinker.
A sixth dish was gunkan trufé which combined salmon, shrimp, quail egg and black truffle. This was another memorable combination, both to look at and to eat. The dishes at Yakuza are complex, creative and very interesting to eat and savour.
For dessert, we had a gâteau de banana et matcha which was an interesting combination of banana and matcha, a pairing I have not encountered before. The warm cake was topped with a caramel toffee sauce and fresh slices of banana and served with a scoop of coconut ice cream.
Our dinner at Yakuza Paris brought a range of well-executed dishes to the table, some familiar but many new and creative combinations which provided visual and culinary interest. The service was friendly and most informative, our waiter displayed very good knowledge of the menu and made helpful suggestions. Paris is well endowed with a wide range of excellent Japanese restaurants at different price ranges. Yakuza Paris is one to add to your list.
Maison Albar Hotels– Le Vendome
7 rue du Helder 75009 Paris
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