Kitchen Ter(re)

The great William Ledeuil (Ze Kitchen Galerie, KGB) is once again spreading his well-traveled pastafarinism in his third modernist spot (electric blue benches, terrazzo tables, works by Daniel Humair…). In the kitchen, chef Julien Jéquier (who used to work at Le Cinq and L’Écrin) takes this pasta made with heirloom flour milled by the Aude miller Roland Feuillas on a first-class trip to Asia. The day we went for lunch, we struggled to choose between roasted escargot in garlicky parsley butter, faithfully accompanied by new potatoes and a watercress coulis, topped with a lemon and caper condiment, and tender chard-kimchi ravioli, taken to the next level with an explosively flavorful date and yuzukosho topping, paired with melt-in-your-mouth fennel and button mushrooms (the latter won out). Followed by kamut coquillettes pasta (which were almost overcooked) with shiitake mushrooms, spinach and kimchi, given a twist with the addition of a mushroom essence vinaigrette and added texture from a lovely garlic crumble topping. The praise-worthy grand finale? A giant gianduja chocolate lava cake with praline ice cream and a crispy tuile. // Vic Beretton
FEELING THIRSTY? A short but smart selection of wines: a menetou-salon from the Domaine Minchin (€10 a glass), a Brouilly from Georges Descombes (same price), a Saint-Émilion grand cru from the Château La Fleur Pourret (€74 a bottle), a Burgundy Côtes Salines from the Gueguen family (€50)…
PRICE: Set menu €32-37 (weekday lunch), à la carte €56-60.