Restaurant Fogón is the only Spanish Michelin starred restaurant in Paris, located on the left-bank in 6ème Arrondissement. Chef Alberto Herráiz moved from La Mancha in Spain to Paris in 1997 and has specialised since then in what he does best: rice.
We went for the rice menu, which includes two appetizers, three tapas, one large rice dish to share and dessert. For those who do not like rice there is a tapas menu (twelve tapas), but I have to say rice should be the main reason to go to Fogón.
Cockle gratin in the shell
Do you remember having fish gratin in scallop shell in your school canteen? These cockles are exactly like that, but a thousand times better and with a Spanish twist.
Beef pastrami with rocket and horseradish
It's a classic combination and these ingredients usually go well together. The dish we had was served as a pretty pincho but had nothing particularly exciting. It reminded us more of Britain than of Spain.
Deep-fried calamari and artichoke salad
Mackerel pincho with pepper
Crispy sea bream on roasted vegetables
This tapas selection was excellent and made of fresh ingredients. The mackerel was particularly tender and perfectly seasoned. After this sample we wanted more! Unfortunately there was no more, but we have now a serious reason to go back to Fogón and have the tapas menu. These little dishes should really be served by dozens.
Arroz a banda sin banda
(rice cooked in fish stock)
(rice cooked in fish stock)
with saffron and calamari
Delicious, gorgeous, fragrant, firm, tender, to die-for rice. I have never had such a good rice before, even though I have eaten tons of rice in my life. I could kill for the recipe of the fish stock used to cook this one but as I doubt I would have large enough a pan to prepare my paella in prison, I ordered Alberto Herráiz' s book: Le riz en paëlla : Dix façons de le préparer.
Before
After
Catalan cream with pineapple
This Spanish crème brulée was good, with a nice crispy caramel. It was still pretty classic I have to say.
Bloody Mary sorbet
This summer sorbet was the most original dish we had at Fogón. It was a tomato sorbet with vodka jelly cubes. It had all the tastes of a Bloody Mary, but in a sorbet . Fresh and innovative, but I am not sure this dessert would suit the taste of everyone.
I will receive Alberto Herráiz's cookbook tomorrow and I am dying to try my own paella. As I doubt the Master of Rice could be matched, I will have no other choice than to go to Fogón again and again until I have tried all their rices.
Cost: 44 EUR for the Rice Menu, 48 EUR for the Tapas Menu
Rice dish: 22EUR to 30 EUR
A sample of the menu:
Chef Alberto Herráiz at work
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