Already at the head of the neo-bistro Parapluie and the café Azerole, Malaysian chef Chern Hwei Gan is expanding his Dijon empire with a noodle bar for inspired culinary trips (stone walls, wooden rafters, hardwood floors), which he’s entrusted to his accomplice Lao Jiu. The latter brilliantly revisits Asian classics, like cold noodles dressed with rice vinegar and Iberian ham, or a Pekinese version paired with a puffed omelet and smashed tomatoes with fermented soybeans. What did we order? Shanghai-esque yang chun noodles that were both firm and tender, plunged into an amber-colored broth of chicken, white pepper and ginger, with strips of spiced, breaded pork and an egg marinated in green and black tea. Pair all that with some Asian-inspired tapas (Pekinese herbed duck, tagliatelle with tofu and Sichuan pepper, etc.), before a delicate matcha and toasted almond panna cotta. // T.J.
FEELING THIRSTY? A wine list prepared by Charles Dovale, who used to work at Parapluie: a Burgundy red blend from the Domaine de Thalie (€5 a glass), an Aude Sauvignon from the Château Salitis (€22 a bottle), a Marsannay red from Laurent Fournier (€52)… Otherwise, there’s a P30 lager from the Dijon-based microbrewery L’Arquebuse.
PRICE: Noodles €14-16, tapas €5.50 to €9, desserts €6.
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