Even though chef Edward Delling-Williams has left to go cook at Buffet, Edouard Lax’s brutalist bistro (a steel facade, concrete walls, timeworn banquettes) continues electrifying crowds with an ambiance that feels more like a wrestling match than a city diner. From behind the windowed kitchen, Canadian chef Emily Chia (ex-Saint JOHN in London) ensures a smooth transition with small, punk plates that are as sharp and precise as an uppercut punch. The night we went: Armenian lavash bread with a creamy tuna dipping sauce seasoned with Japanese spices; an insane crisp vegetable salad with pig’s ears and shiso; delightful pan-fried chanterelle mushrooms in browned butter and kimchi; before a good whey panna cotta with roasted blood peach and oats. Seen from afar: sauerkraut remastered as a pâté en croûte, or the legendary chunky panisse. // R.deC.
FEELING THIRSTY? Supernatural wines: an MPN from Viret (€5 a glass), N°07, a Loire red from Alexandre Bain (€42), Jour de Fête, a Languedoc white from the Domaine La Fontude (€36)… And over 70 labels available as magnums, including Sous la Roche, an Arbois-Pupillin from the Domaine de la Borde (€92)…
PRICE: Small plates €6-15.
