Le Faham is the new and first restaurant from Kelly Rangama (former 2017 Top Chef contestant) and her husband Jérôme Devreese (former pastry chef at Le Bristol). This establishment is a love story between two enthusiasts, but also between the cuisine of Reunion Island (where Kelly is from), Guadeloupe (where Jérôme‘s mother lives), and modern gastronomic creation.
It was in the heart of the Batignolles district in Paris that the couple opened their small restaurant (32 seats) in June of this year. And I must admit that it is a great success, because I was truly seduced by the quality and finesse of their auteur cuisine.
In terms of decor, Le Faham restaurant is elegant, minimalist, yet warm, with touches of color on the benches and chairs. The open kitchen at the back of the main dining room allows you to see the chef and her team in action.
Significant effort is put into product sourcing, particularly for the condiments and other treasures from Reunion and Guadeloupe, which are sent regularly by both of their families. Another little detail that I really appreciated: the knives used at the table come from the only knifemaker in Reunion Island.
For our part, we tested the Tasting menu served in 6 courses for the entire table. I would also like to take this opportunity to point out the very high quality of the bread served at the table, which I always find to be a very positive point.
On the Tasting menu:
- I found the starters particularly interesting: the Sarcives with pork loin, taro mousseline, and cilantro condiment; the Zourite with snacked octopus, a red wine sauce reduction, and an avocado texture; the mushrooms in the form of ravioli with a forest mushroom mix, a smoked nut cream, and vegetarian chili paste (my favorite of these starters).
- As for wine, Jérôme, who is from Burgundy, chose to prioritize wines from his region and buys directly from his winemaker friends. We therefore find a beautiful selection of Burgundy wines and a few gems like this very original pinot gris!
- Regarding main courses, we tasted: the snacked scallops, with melting endive, slightly spicy black pudding, and Bourbon beer sauce; the Toothfish steak, with sweet and sour ginger carrot, tomato concentration, and crispy rice; matured beef Secreto from Yves Marie Le Bourdonnec, salsify and Jerusalem artichokes, beet condiment, and meat jus (French beef).
- To finish the meal, I found Jérôme‘s desserts to be light, and the interplay of textures and flavors (sometimes exotic) is perfectly mastered. Here are the desserts we tasted: the creamy chocolate coffee, with blackberry compote, tamarind ice cream, galabé sweet pastry, and coffee mousse; the sweet potato cake (a traditional Reunion recipe) with biscuit, tatin, sweet potato sorbet, and cinnamon-berry emulsion; the clementine segment with pink peppercorns, chestnut mousse and velvet soup under crispy autumn leaves, clementine sorbet.
I also really liked the small chef’s table (for 8/9 people max) set up at the back of the restaurant, right next to the cellar, which is perfect for lunches or dinners with a slightly more “private” atmosphere. That is actually where we were seated with a few other fellow bloggers and influencers during this discovery of Le Faham restaurant.
Update January 30, 2020: congratulations to Faham for receiving its first Michelin star!!!!
Thanks to Le Faham and Cuisine en Choeur for this lovely invitation.
Le Faham 108 Rue Cardinet, 75017 Paris open Tuesday to Saturday from 12pm to 2pm and in the evening from 7:30pm to 10pm The tip: lunch formulas starter + main course or main course + dessert for €26 / starter + main course + dessert for €32 Dinner menu: formula starter + main course + dessert between €57 and €65 Tasting menu: €69
Find all my restaurant reviews in Paris below:
⇒ My restaurant reviews in Paris
⇒ My island restaurant reviews in Paris
MY ARTICLES ON ISLAND RESTAURANTS
⇒ L’Île de la Réunion restaurant
⇒ Le Faham
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MAP OF MY FAVORITE FOOD SPOTS IN PARIS AND THE ILE-DE-FRANCE REGION
Restaurant 
Bar 
Pastry / Bakery 
Tea Room / Coffee Shop
Brunch 
Ice cream parlor
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free; photographer's authorization required before any use
