Super Faminto: 5 Days in Paris: Birthday Dinner at L'Epi Dupin

L'Epi Dupin near Le Bon Marche is normally a quiet place full of neighborhood types and locals. Their course meal is a bargain. Old types sit and drink. The snobbery was at a low. When our mixed mash group of birthday celebrators reserved a month before, they probably didn't expect the entire ambiance of the place to change, but we eat a little differently. French, Portuguese, and English were flying across the table and sarcastic criticisms of the food flung from either side as we sampled one anothers' plates.



Our wine drenched course meal (literally... sorry Angela) was pretty damn right and brought that bit of French cuisine I hadn't had since Tokyo. The company, orange risotto, Parmesan eggplant, pumpkin soup, and easy going staff allowed our party to go late into the night--eventually leading us to the Seine (once again) to blow out the candles on our pile of freshly bought Pierre Hermé macarons!

Starting off right: A deadly pumpkin soup was a free gift to begin our meal.



This soup was so smooth and warm. It was like a mother's hug.



APPETIZERS

A delicious Parmesan eggplant with sweet peppers cooked au gratin with grana:


I wish I could have had another.

Cold white asparagus and a creamy sorbet of vegetables:


This beautiful arrangement was strangely served cold.

The table agreed that if this had been warm it would've worked. If this plate could hear it would have had it's feelings hurt.

Celery foam surrounding a crispy salad of fennel and avocado with shrimps:


Getting foamy.

Confit of duck with honey and coriander sauce:



MAIN COURSES

Confit of veal grilled and creamy risotto with orange:



Piglet marinated with "soja lime" and potatoes:



Seared Tuna over a ratatouille in a foam:



The desert courses were awesome, some a little funny, but my hot chocolate cream and lemon thyme ice cream did not make it around the table. I destroyed it.




Gone: 3 minutes and 21 seconds.

French caramelized toast with confit of rhubarb and raspberry sorbet:



Shortbread biscuit with apricots and almond milk ice cream:



A gift from Nohra--my own mustard set:




The crew. Can you spot the lurker?

Back to the river again to light the cake: Pierre Hermé macarons!



Flavors: rose, olive oil and vanilla, passion fruit and chocolate, chocolate and yuzu, pistachio and cherry, jasmine, milk choc and coconut, and caramel.


My birthday cake by the Seine.



Special thanks to Angela for translation and being an amazing hostess.

- contact@epidupin.com