3 Michelin Star Review: Epicure, Paris

Aloha, friends! It feels bittersweet returning from the summer holiday, but life goes on. This week, let me share my first 3 Michelin star dining experience at Epicure, Hotel Le Bristol, Paris 👌✨

For those who are wondering how I managed to get a spot at this upscale hotel restaurant and where the budget came from, you can read my previous blog post here.

I’ve dined in some middle-high class restaurants before and recently had my team diner at Nobu, Kuala Lumpur. I feel the food and service at Nobu are great but compared to the 3 Michelin star standard like what I had at Epicure, Paris…

It’s another level of perfection. The whole dining experience at Epicure is a fine art.

From the way the waiters and waitresses smile, they way they speak, move, to of course — the presentation, creativity and thought put when creating the food.

It’s just WOW. There were a few times I felt as if I was watching an orchestra or attending an art gallery.

For example, near my table was a group of four Taiwanese young adults. Their food arrived at the same time and four waiters opened the serving lid in an impressive, synchronised movement.

Or when the waiter explained to me what was on my plate every time the food, which looked like art on a plate, arrived.

As for the food, I’ll be running out of praises phrases soon. The great and legendary chef, Eric Frechon, (who holds four Michelin stars) surprised me with each course!

Before I go deeper with my review, let’s first have a short walk at Le Bristol’s beautiful courtyard garden 🌺💖

A Walk at the Beautiful Courtyard Garden of Hotel Le Bristol, Paris

I purposely arrived at Le Bristol around one hour earlier than my appointment at Epicure because I wanted to walk around the hotel, especially in its courtyard garden.

Also, I really wanted to meet Socrate, the hotel’s resident cat. But alas, I didn’t see him around 😅

The garden was very lush and beautiful, with a variety of trees and flowers. It would be nice to have a romantic dinner or tea time here. Le Bristol’s elegance truly made me feel like I was in Paris!

Expectation = reality 😄

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Unforgettable 3 Michelin Star Dining Experience at Epicure, Paris

I had my reservation at 7:30 pm. By the time I walked into the 3 Michelin star restaurant, some people had been seated.

The interior design of Epicure was floral, classic, classy, and exuding warmth. It matched well with the courtyard garden, which was right in front of the restaurant.

My table was at a perfect location as I could enjoy the garden view while eating 😊💐

Once again, thank you, Exness, for the generous annual travel allowance. I chose Epicure Paris’ tasting menu because I wanted to taste all of its signature dishes.

I might not return to Paris, moreover, dine in such an upscale restaurant twice. So, I gladly spent €420 for its eight masterpieces.

Actually, the 3 Michelin star restaurant served me more than eight dishes because I also got the best loaf in the world, a cheese scone, an appetizer, and macaroons 💖

Another thing that I noticed when dining in Epicure, Paris, was the utensils were carefully picked. Did you know that the utensils you use can elevate your dining experience?

I first knew this from a manga about a genius baker and chef. I still remember the chapter when he slightly scored higher than his rival because of the utensils that he chose.

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He chose to serve the juries with wooden chopsticks while his rival chose stainless steel utensils. The wooden utensils left a better taste in their mouth compared to the steel.

Since I’m an amateur in the fine dining experience, I won’t comment how the utensil materials that Epicure used affect their food.

However, I could say that I was amazed by the spoon above. Yes, that little spoon.

It was very nice to hold, smooth, and the size fits perfectly in my mouth. Considering that it was a custard dishes, the spoon’s material did leave a good feeling in my mouth!

Even its stainless steel utensils were of high quality. I didn’t feel any sharp edges on my hand and mouth. Parfaite! Perfect!

Without further ado, here are the tasting menu photos that you’ve been waiting for:

Epicure, Paris: Tasting Menu Review

EPICURE SUMMER 2022 TASTING MENU

CAVIAR FROM SOLOGNE
« ratte » potatoes mousseline smoked with haddock,
buckwheat crisp with a slightly sour dressing

LARGE LANGOUSTINES
lightly cooked with lemon-thyme, « onion-mango » condiment,
broth of the claws with citrus fruit and coriander

« CANDELE » MACARONI
with black truffle, artichoke and duck foie gras,
gratinated with mature Parmesan cheese, black truffle juice

SALMON FROM SCOTLAND
cooked at low temperature, Tandoori powder,
fennel and cucumber flavored with rice vinegar and a mint oil

BRESSE FARM HEN POACHED IN A BLADDER
hen breast with yellow wine, crayfishes, giblets candies and girolle mushrooms.
Roasted legs, fresh herbs salad, almonds and girolle mushrooms.

FINE CHEESES FROM OUR CELLAR

RETURN FROM PICKING
wild strawberries and « mara des bois » confit,
infused sorbet with leaves of Agastache, cottage cheese foam

VANILLA FROM MADAGASCAR
crispy vanilla bundle, vanilla cream,
minute maid ice cream with roasted vanilla.

Another thing that I learned from my 3 Michelin Star dining experience at Epicure, Paris was the dishes come in layers.

So, it’s good to firstly taste each layer as it is, rather than scooping all layers at once. This way, you could taste each element and when you combined all of them, you’ll be delightfully surprised with the flavour each layers brings.

When combined, those layers will create a unique and amazing taste! Only then you’ll realize that three Michelin Starred chefs are culinary geniuses ✨🥇🧑‍🍳

God, this is the BEST salmon that I have ever eaten… It literally melted in my mouth!! It felt like a smooth tau foo fah aka soy bean custard, and didn’t taste fishy at all.

The Tandoori powder gave a hint of spice but it was just at the right level. If it was spicier even a bit, it wouldn’t balance the whole flavour.

The chicken was very fresh and tender. Add the cream sauce and have a spoonful of the soup with each bite to bring out the flavour of the dish.

All right… by the time they served the cheese, I was already full. I asked the waiter for his most favourite cheeses and cut them into small, thin slices.

But still, I got these three ‘big’ slices… They were really good but I couldn’t finish them.

I’m sorry, chef! It’s not your fault, my stomach is just too small to digest Epicure’s Tasting Menu!

There’s always a room for dessert… until you’ve eaten many dishes. Please, could you stop serving me these delicious desserts? Oh, here they come, the cute jelly stuffed with lemon juice and macaroons 🍋💗

Honestly, at this stage, I had to excuse myself to the bathroom. No, I didn’t vomit but I had to walk a bit to digest… I was stuffed with all these amazing dishes and still want to taste their jelly and macaroons.

After all, who comes to France without eating macaroons??

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The Waiters Knew What I Did in Epicure, Paris…

Before I end this blog post, there’s something that I want to share with you.

When the waiter asked me what to drink, I told them that I wanted to have plain water.

Waiter: “Sparkling or still?”

Me: “Just tap water.” (putting up elephant thick-skin and a straight face)

Waiters: … 😶😶😶

Waiter: “Certainly.” (after a few seconds of silence)

Then they went to the back and I could hear them talked in French 🤣🤣🤣

I didn’t feel sorry or regret 🤣🤣🤣 I already spent a lot on the tasting menu. The €10-15 drinks, I could use for my taxi back to the hotel.

And then, when I walked out the restaurant, a waitress said they had a surprise for me. They gave me a whole new loaf — the bread that I love!! 💖💖

Aaaw, that was very nice of them! I’m not sure if they did it because they saw my Instagram post about their bread, they were being nice, or something else. Still, I was very happy and satisfied with the service.

So, should you dine in a 3 Michelin Star restaurant? If you’re in France and have enough budget, give it a go. I hope my Epicure review helps 😄