Bouillon 47 -- Restaurant Review

47 rue de Rochechouart 75009 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)9 51 18 66 59
Metro: Line 12 (Notre Dame de Lorette)
Check website for operating hours & online reservations
http://www.bouillonparis.fr/

Rating Standards: 5-Stars = Extraordinary; 4-Stars = Excellent; 3-Stars = Average; 2-Stars = Fair; 1-Star = Poor

€ = Inexpensive: 30€ and under; €€ = Moderate: 31€-49€; €€€ = Expensive: €50 -75; €€€€ = Very Expensive: more than €76 (prices based on minimum 2-courses)

1-Bell = Pleasantly quiet (less than 65 decibels); 2-Bells = Can talk easily (65-70); 3-Bells = Talking normally gets difficult (70-80); 4-Bells = Can talk only in raised voices (75-90); BOMB = Too noisy for normal conversation (90+)

4.80 - Star....................................................€€........................................................ 1 - Bell

At the recommendation of our dear friend "J" we decided to go to this restaurant in the 9eme, which is not far from "Pigalle" and "Montmartre", but it is a little bit off the beaten path for most tourists. My apologies, I didn't have my camera so had to borrow a camera; hence, the photo quality, so some of the photos may be a little blurred.

The interior was nothing special. It's a small neighborhood restaurant, but it has a warm cozy feel to it.

As we arrived our two friends visiting from US were already there. Since they don't speak french we were all automatically given English menus. As I mentioned before most of the times the English translations are wrong. This was no exception, It had on the English menu that they were offering "KNIFES" of fish. So I asked for a French menu and it was actually "razor clams".  The chef came out and I told him what it was and he seemed appreciative that I gave him the correct name.

For an amuse bouche we had a simple savory en croûte and an accompanying sauce. I thought the sauce was made of St. Moret cheese, which is a sort of french version of. When the waiter came back I asked him, and he said it was made with Philadelphia cream cheese, we all laughed.  None-the-less it was good, flaky and tasty.

ENTRÉE

RAZOR CLAMS.  Not on the regular menu they offered razor clams. This had to be one of the best razor clams I have ever tasted. Normally, there's grit in these clams since they're so hard to clean. But I have to say there was no grit to be found, and the sauce was to die for. It was buttery with herbs and the clams were cooked perfectly, not at all rubbery. We later asked for a spoon so we could drink the sauce. This was a big HIT.

OCTOPUS SALAD. They must've beaten the hell out of this octopus because it was so tender and succulent. The octopus sat a top cucumbers and tomatoes marinated in vinegar and citrus sauce,  which gave the entrée a nice freshness to it. Another hit.  Jack thought the octopus salad was one of the best he has ever had.

PLATS

COD FISH.  I had the Cod. I ordered it primarily because I love spinach. But what a nice surprise, the fish was so moist and the skin was nice and crispy. The accompany coleslaw of cabbage gave it a much needed texture & sour component. And, for even more citrus you could simply add the dollops of citrus on the plate. The spinach was absolutely delicious and creamy. It was a very well balanced dish.

SWEETBREADS. Our friend had the sweetbreads and he insisted I taste it. He said it was one of the best he ever did. So, I tasted it, and he was right. The sweetbreads kept its shape, had a nice firm exterior with a nice soft interior, but not mushy. The flavors were spot on with the "jus" and the accompanying mashed potatoes with the accompanying citrusy salad was a great combination. Another great hit.

DESSERTS. I had a cheese platter with Jack, although I didn't taste it one of our friends had the fruit with lemon and basil. He said it was the best dessert he's ever had. And, I trust his judgement since he use to work at some pretty high end restaurants in Colorado.

WINES: As many of you know, I'm not a wine connoisseur, however our friend is. These 2 bottles were some of the best wines I've had.

Domain Charles Pain. "versatile white-wine grape variety that has been cultivated in France for nearly 1300 years. It is most commonly associated with France's Loire Valley, and its high acidity levels mean it can be vinified in a number of different styles: as lusciously sweet, botrytis-affected dessert wines, light, honeyed sparkling wines and as full-bodied, still white wines." - wine searcher 

Domaine Robert Denognet white Chardonnay from Burgundy.  "The variety itself (although often said to be relatively flavor-neutral) is responsible for most of the fruity flavors found in Chardonnay wines. These range from the tropical (banana, melon, pineapple and guava) to stonefruits (peach, nectarine and apricot), citrus and apples." - wine searcher.

Jack, as a non-white wine drinker, ordered a glass of the Chinon on the wine list which the server said they didn't have and he suggested a Saumur Champigny which was spot on and what Jack would have ordered anyway.

SUMMARY

Since I've only been back not even a month and testing out new restaurants, I have to say this is a HIT. It's off the beaten path for most tourists, but well worth the trip. This is a neighborhood restaurant. The chef's attention to details to flavors and combining the dishes to make it well balanced in flavors and textures was very skillful. For me it was near perfect. I have no criticism about the dishes I tasted, they were all well executed. If I had any complaint at all, and it's very minor. The English translation was a bit off.

Chapeau to chef Rémi Lazurowicz, who is quite young, but very skilled. He apprenticed with such luminaries as Bruno Doucet the chef de cuisine of one of my favorite restaurants Le Regalade. 

Would we go back, in a heartbeat.

For 3-prix-fixed (42€ each), one 2-course, 2-bottles of wine, and 1 glass of wine our bill came to 256€ for 4-people or 64€ per person.