It was a true tasting journey that I was invited to discover when I headed to the heart of the 17th arrondissement of Paris, to the restaurant of Laurent Pichaureaux, Esens’All. The place, simple and refined, is bathed in an intimate and plant-filled atmosphere that exudes a certain serenity, and it is to spend a moment outside of time and away from the Parisian hustle and bustle that one comes to recharge their taste buds in this confidential address (it’s unlikely you’d walk through the door of this establishment if you were just passing by this street…).
I was charmed by the gentleness and passion of this talented chef, originally from the Poitou-Charentes region, who knows how to share his thirst for culinary explorations with his guests for an evening and accompany them throughout this meal where surprise awaits on every plate. Laurent Pichaureaux offers a contemporary, inventive organic cuisine in his restaurant, blending tradition and fusion, marrying seasonal products with flavors from around the world.
But what really won me over is the restaurant’s concept itself. You let yourself be completely guided, eyes closed, on a culinary odyssey imagined by Laurent. There is no menu, no à la carte, and you have absolutely no idea what you are going to eat. The chef simply asks you at the beginning of the meal if you have any allergies or if there are any products you absolutely do not eat, and he adapts accordingly.
It is to the rhythm of the plates that one discovers the different dishes, knowing that fish, shellfish, and the plant world in a broad sense, are the chef’s favorite products. There is a real play on colors, textures, and flavors in the dishes with a focus on spices, flowers, young shoots, essential oils—in short, a real treat for the eyes as well as the palate. The menus consist of 3, 5, 6, or 8 courses and change every 15 days, according to the market and the mood of the moment.
The waltz of dishes:
- Amuse-bouche, espuma.
- Smoked eel, fresh cheese, and samphire for a revisit of a nearly Vendée-style dish (in my opinion), which reminded me of my little culinary getaway to Saint-Jean-de-Monts.
- Mozzarella di bufala, pistachio emulsion, and fried onions, with a very interesting play on textures between melting, frothy, and crunchy.
- Wild salmon cooked at low temperature, it melts in your mouth…
- Apricot on a bed of bulgur with herring roe and a verbena emulsion.
- Poultry supreme (I’m having a little memory lapse here, it’s hard to be more precise), the meat was incredibly tender.
- Gariguette strawberries, cucumber ice cream, and soup, a very fresh dessert.
- Intense chocolate based on Mexican beans and yuzu jelly for lovers of great chocolate vintages.
The wine list is essentially organic and offers a very beautiful selection from all French wine regions (again, I advise you to let the chef guide you in the choice of wines, especially since you don’t know the dishes at the time you choose your wine… At the same time, who better than him can know the flavor pairings that will enhance his creations?).
I strongly recommend that you take this journey of the senses, which certainly has a cost, but it is a pleasure worth a little extra and will be perfect for a romantic dinner or just to share with friends who like good things and have a taste for gastronomic discoveries. At EsensAll, you let yourself be carried away with your eyes closed by the chef’s choices from the appetizer to the dessert, through the wines, and it is simply a delight. Stay open, have a curious soul, and you will have a beautiful culinary journey.
Price: Esens’All express menu €28 (lunch menu in 45 minutes, 3 dishes, 3 flavors, and a coffee) / Roots menu in 3 services €36 / Materials menu in 5 services €45 / Pure State menu in 6 services €62 / Elements menu in 8 services €75
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Dinner at Esens’ All with Great Nature Wines from Faugères
In June 2018, I returned to Esens’ All with my favorite photographer for a food and wine pairing dinner with the Faugères wine appellation. This Languedoc appellation, located 20 km from Béziers, is backed by the Monts de Faugères (hence its name). It produces white, rosé, and red wines on 100% schist soils.
On the menu for this dinner:
- Cauliflower texture, smoked eel, Sambai-su vinegar, and mustard sprouts paired with a 2017 Domaine Ollier Taillefer white wine.
- Perfect egg, poppy emulsion, fresh peas, trout roe, and alfalfa paired with a glass of La Graine Sauvage, Rocalhàs white 2016.
- Steamed lean fish with Genmaicha tea, toasted rice, and green asparagus paired with a Château de Grezan Les Schistes Dorés red wine, 2016.
- Roasted Challans duck fillet with candied radishes and a tangy black sesame juice with a glass of Mas des Capitelles 2011 red wine.
- For dessert, a roasted pineapple with spices and vanilla with a white Miso/vanilla ice cream paired with a Fine Faugères bubble by l’Atelier du Bouilleur.
Esens’All 12 rue Dulong 75017 Paris open for lunch Wednesday to Friday and dinner Tuesday to Saturday
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To discover my other gastronomic addresses, go to the gastronomic restaurants section.
Photo credits: Mademoiselle Bon Plan and Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization mandatory before any use
