If you recall, back in early 2015, I had already tested the Zen Garden, a luxurious restaurant on the Champs-Élysées, to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Danyang Chen and her husband Shimin Chen have since sold that restaurant to focus on Le Lys d’Or, their other establishment opened in 1993, which offers high-end Chinese cuisine in an absolutely sublime setting, resembling a winter garden adorned with green plants, indoor streams, and fountains.
The restaurant’s menu is varied, offering a tour of different Chinese flavors, from Northern cuisine to that of Shanghai. It features many traditional dishes and a few “Signature” dishes by Shimin Chen (we tested 3 of them), some of which have won awards at gastronomic festivals and culinary competitions in China.
Add to this an impeccable and friendly service, along with an atmosphere that transports you elsewhere, and you have a fantastic spot for a culinary journey through the rich Chinese gastronomy.
To try:
- As a starter, the Fleur de Zen (Shanghai Gold Medal 2006), a scallop and a grilled shrimp on a bed of zucchini and eggplant, with Zen sauce (€9). A very delicate and refined dish.
- Another signature starter: the 7 treasures of the Lotus flower (Dalian Gold Medal 1998), succulent scallops and shrimp, crunchy vegetables, and cashews, served in a crispy corolla (€14).
- For the main course, we sampled the Sichuan-style succulents (Dalian Silver Medal 1998), grilled duck fillets with a Sichuan province black pepper sauce (€20). This is one of the chef’s signature dishes. To accompany the meal, I recommend the house’s delicious stir-fried noodles (€6.50).
- Another, more traditional dish is the Cheng jie si han (€18), a typical preparation from Northwest China featuring lamb, bell peppers, stir-fried shallots, chives, and red curry (beware of the spice).
- For dessert, we fell for the flambéed banana fritters (€9), simply because I love bananas and like trying them in every form!
- In terms of drinks, I highly recommend ordering a teapot of green, red, or black tea (€5) to go with your lunch. And as an aperitif, the house cocktail (€5) is a very pleasant way to start the meal.
Price: tasting menu of the four major Chinese provinces (Sichuan, Shanghai, Canton, and Beijing) with 4 starters, 4 main courses, and 1 dessert for €29.50 per person (minimum of 2 guests) / New Year’s Eve tasting menu at €64.50
The good deal: lunch menus at €14.50, €16.50, and €18.50
Thanks to Le Lys d’Or for this invitation.
Le Lys d’Or 2 rue de Chaligny 75012 Paris Open every day from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM and from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Find all my restaurant reviews in Paris below:
⇒ My restaurant reviews in Paris
⇒ My Asian restaurants in Paris
⇒ My Chinese restaurants in Paris
MY TOP CHINESE RESTAURANTS IN PARIS
⇒ Dao Restaurant & Art
⇒ Chez He
⇒ Yoom Dim Sum
⇒ Le Lys d’Or
⇒ Restaurant Chez Ly
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MAP OF MY FAVORITE FOOD SPOTS IN PARIS AND THE ILE-DE-FRANCE REGION
Restaurant 
Bar 
Pastry Shop / Bakery 
Tea Room / Coffee Shop
Brunch 
Ice Cream Shop
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's permission required before any use
