Stella Maris: a haute cuisine experience
Stella Maris, 4, rue Arsène Houssaye 75008
Tel: 01-42-89-16-22 / Fax : 01-42-89-16-01
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Charles de Gaulle-Etoile |
If you're not looking for Stella Maris, the subtly elegant entranceway might escape your notice. Just around the corner from the Arc de Triumph this gem of haute cuisine offers a tantelizing menu prepared by the chef Tateru Yoshino, who just received his first Michelin star. His elegant preparations of classic French cuisine inundate the palate with perfecly balanced flavors and meticulously perfect presentation. Eating at Stella Maris is an experience. Reserve well in advance, and if possible, ask for seating on the upper level of small split dining room where you can tuck yourself away in a white leather booth and admire the modern decor from on high. The minimalist atmosphere is not austere, letting the quality of the cuisine take center stage. If you come with a group, consider the moderately priced menu de dégustation with chef selections, or order à la carte. My visit to Stella Maris began with delicately crisp langoustine tails wrapped in rice paper shells, accompanied by a medly of wild and domestic asparagus and heady morille mushrooms. I chose the Breton blue lobster for my main dish and marvelled at the tender meat, so exquisite it stands alone. And I had need not worry about freshness: the waiter presented my lobster live for my approval. Dessert was a perfectly round, gleaming mirror au chocolat, a demure little cake filled with rich chocolate ganache atop a crispy hazelnut wafer completed by an oval of pistachio ice cream and a daub of vivid red fruit coulis. The attentive wait staff will recommend a fine wine and answer any questions. Though the wait was longer than expected, we were presented with several amuse-bouches that were intriquing enough to dispell any impatience. After all, truely good food is worth waiting for.
