To eat at Kei’s is a bit like going on a trip. A journey into the world of senses and poetry. Kei Koyabashi made his first steps in French cooking in Japan, and perfected himself in Paris in the 3 Michelin star restaurant of Alain Ducasse with Jean-François Piège and Christophe Moret. In 2011, Kei opened his first restaurant and got his first star after only one year! (I’m actually surprised he does not have a second as his cuisine is so refined).
In a gray and silver environment, Kei blurs the boundaries and when I asked if we could categorize his French-Japanese cuisine, he responded that he wanted above all to “make gastronomic cuisine, with the best products he could find” while showing me the langoustines from Scotland that had just arrived that morning. From Japan, I am sure he nevertheless kept his taste for ceramics, his meticulous choice for every dish, and the minimalist and balanced dressing making his plates look like art pieces. His cuisine is delicate: highly modern and healthy cuisine, perfectly mastered cooking methodes and amazing details like these fried fish scale.
Kei
5 rue Coq Héron
75001 Paris
Lunch menu: 55 € (4 dishes + 1 dessert)
Tasting menu: 120 € (6 dishes + 1 cheese + 2 desserts)
Prestige menu: 155 € (6 plats, 1 fromage et 2 desserts avec boeuf de Galice et caviar)
turnip maki , carrots and citrus mayonnaise
yogurt tart, sardines and red onion
The garden of crispy vegetables, smoked salmon, arugula mousse, lemon emulsion, tomato dressing and black olives crumble (magical)
avocado soup, crab and shellfish bisque (incredible)
asparagus and parmesan cream
seabass and its crispy scale, beans and wild garlic cream
smoked langoustines, shiitake, bisque (perfection)
the famous dessert of the chef: vacherin meringue, strawberry, miso ice cream and black sesame (pure delight)