Netflix made such a beautiful chef film series out of one Michelin starred Yum’Tcha in Paris and raised the bar a little too high for me. It’s one of those things where the movie often times pales in comparison to the book and original plot. I think the mind builds up its own expectations based on literature and information.
Chef Adeline Grattard was a protége of Pascal Barbot and also worked in the kitchen of Bo Innovation in Hong Kong, and I suppose we had unfairly high expectations. I was told that Yum’Tcha is also Chinese artist Zeng Fanzhi’s favourite restaurant in Paris and he’d book out the whole restaurant when he was in town. Rumour or truth, I don’t know.
Aren’t these plates cute? They remind me of watercolour ombre patterns.
Was YumT’cha worth the experience? Yes, it’s worth the try, just make sure you have a whole afternoon to enjoy your lunch, which for us usually isn’t the case with a jam packed schedule to see family and friends in France.
Love the details and the beautiful textured walls. There’s something very feminine and soft about the interiors.
The food here is different and interesting, delicate and there’s excellent tea pairing over French fine dining. We were not expecting to sit down to a 4 hour lunch, although I can see how the concept of Yum’Tcha, which literally translates to drinking tea in Cantonese – which is to gather and chit chat with friends over tea and light bites has carried over here in Paris. It is never a hurried affair.
I am afraid I lost the menu and was told that the menu changes regularly, so you’re in for a surprise when you get there. :)
It’s taken me over a year to get down to this post and there are gaps in my memory. I am not sure if it’s a good or bad thing as nothing was particularly memorable about the meal – apart from it lasting the whole afternoon.
There was only a menu unique when we went there, but I am told there are choices now.
The chef has a light touch making many humble Chinese ingredients shine, giving them a French gastro facelift, like the fermented beancurd 腐乳 noodle dish (picture below) – a simple, if you will poor man’s food ingredient cooked with noodles. My late grandmother always added some sugar on top and we ate it with congee alongside preserved vegetables.
The cheese dish took an Asian twist – roqueforte in a rice flour Chinese bun (our cheese course below). You can either go for the tea pairing or the wine pairing, I did the tea pairing and the husband did the wine pairing.
Finishing with a really light and fruity dessert.
I think they have made adjustments to the menu prices as I remember paying about 160€ per person with wine + tea pairing respectively.
121 Rue Saint Honoré, 75001 Paris, France
Tel: +33 1 40 26 08 07
