A Parisian Affair

Rashmi Uday Singh’s Good Food Guide

She lingers with a languorously haunting beauty and then surprises me with a vigorousness that slamdunks my adrenalin. I am on a perpetual high in this romantic city of my dreams. Here the world distils itself on my plate and I savour the flavour of this legendary city.

Food? Fashion? Raunchiness? Style? Elegance? Kitsch? You name it and Paris has got it. I carry on my lifelong affair here, linger at small charming cafes, sip Pernod on its pavement and watch the world go by. I luxuriate in magnificent Michelin restaurants, stay in the swankiest hotels (Plaza Athenee, Hotel du Crillon, Hotel Meurice) and come away feeling like a million dollars.

It's at the Hotel de Crillon that I not only have a sensational meal but also have a fascinating rendezvous with the chef.

'Permissive traditional cooking' at the Michelin starring 'Les Ambassadeurs' is my first introduction to the Duke of Crillon's residence-turned-hotel. I trip out on Chef Jean Francois Piege's superlative French food under the imposing Baccarat chandeliers. I love the hand-blown glass domes on the cheese boards and can't peel my eyes off the Baccarat crystal table. Chef Piege has been paid the highest compliment by the legendary Chef Alan Ducasse ("He has savoire faire and savoire vivre"). Each of his dishes is a cross between a work of art and architecture. He coaxes the most amazing flavours out of vegetables, cooks meat unerringly and pairs them with intuitive brilliance.

From the menu on the table to the artful desserts, Chef Piege excels. Everything is just so and (as expected) even though it is lunch-time, my cameraman is not allowed in because he is not in his jacket.

I don't know if our Indian jet set (with whom Hotel de Crillon is hugely popular) feel this way but I find that every time I look out of this hotel, history looks back at me. The centuries old hotel is located on Place de la Concorde, the historic square in the heart of Paris and the venue for the wedding of King Louis XVI in 1770 and then guillotined 23 years later. Since then ceremonies marking the history of France have taken place here. A drink in the Crillon bar, designed by Sonia Rykiel, a cup of tea in the Winter Garden Tea Room amid lush greenery completes my stay here. Now I can understand why this hotel was a favourite of Jackie Onassis as well as the Dalai Lama.