Welcome to Mokoloco version 2.0! Omar Koreitem and Moko Hirayama – the duo behind the lovely café Mokonuts – have transformed their sandwich shop on Rue Charonne into a residency space for young chefs who put their heart and soul into their cooking. After entrusting the kitchen to Palestinian chef Marcel Khalil Hanna (ex-Mokonuts) and Filipino chef Erica Paredes (ex-Reyna), now it’s time for Johann Barichasse (ex-Mermoz and Penny Lane) to run things. The night we went, we had a taste of his North African cuisine, which is inspired by his Algerian and Moroccan grandmothers: a crispy chicken liver briouate (a savory puff pastry) served with a quince dipping sauce; delicate flame-charred sardines with homemade chermoula, preserved lemon and fresh herbs; bracingly fresh raw mullet with Meyer lemon, carrot harissa and olive oil; plump potato fritters with aioli and (plain) harissa; a heady yakitori-style skewer of grilled lamb liver; melt-in-your-mouth tender pkaïla (a Jewish-Tunisian ragù made with beef, spinach, white beans, mint and cilantro) served over a bed of fluffy couscous. At lunch, Johann lets his inspiration guide him as he crafts sandwiches and dishes of the day – Tunisian fricassee, kefta meatball tajine, etc. // Juliette Delmas
FEELING THIRSTY? Soft drinks (red ginger lemonade or iced tea, €3.50), Japanese beers (€4-6 for 330 ml) and Europhile natural wines – a Piedmont Barbera from Iuli (€6), a Czech white from Milan Nestarec (€40 a bottle), a Croatian white from Vinas Mora (€40)…
PRICE: Set menus €14-18, sandwiches €11, dish of the day €12 (lunch), tasting menu €38 (dinner).
