When I arrived at Caluche, a pleasant bistro in the fifth arrondissement, I was not disappointed to find that the wild scene depicted in a colorful painting on the wall was not replicated in the restaurant. Perhaps on another occasion, I would’ve enjoyed it, but I was there to meet an old friend who was visiting from the States and, although it looked like fun, all that carousing would have made it difficult to chat with her.
The restaurant’s decor, which also featured a marble-topped bar, a large bookcase and a wall of wine bottles (which can be purchased to go), was welcoming, although I can’t say as much for the bearded server who greeted us. Throughout the evening, he seemed unhappy to be there and to be forcing himself to be minimally polite. Evidently, not a charm-school graduate. The other man on the spot was the affable owner, Benjamin Fourty, who some readers may remember from the years he spent at Café de la Nouvelle Mairie, near the Pantheon, on the lovely square where Emily of Emily in Paris fame supposedly lives.
Fourty kindly explained the dishes on the short menu to us, helping us to make our choices. Nadine couldn’t resist the oysters, in this case number twos fresh from Utah Beach in Normandy, delivered by producer Jean-Paul Guernier. They were outstanding, meaty and brimming with the briny flavor of the sea.
My starter also came from the sea, or, in this case, the ocean, the Atlantic marshes of the Charente department: crevettes impériales (penaeid shrimp), served raw with sauce vierge, dill and tiny cubes of chorizo, ingredients that did not overwhelm the delicate flavor of the shrimp. Unusual and delectable.
Nadine then had a generous serving of luscious duck breast, served “rosé” (cooking times are apparently not negotiable here, as they were specified by Fourty when he mentioned each meat dish, so you may be out of luck if you like your meat medium or well done). Tender and flavorful, it came with a grain-mustard sauce and a lovely mashup of green beans and. pleurottes (oyster mushrooms).
My portion of cabillaud (cod) was not as generous, but it was cooked to pearly perfection and served with delicious braised endives, fennel and dulse, a type of seaweed, along with a sauce armoricaine (more often served with lobster and made with tomato, white wine, garlic and fresh herbs, ).
The desserts were equally successful. Nadine had the poached pears in red wine, topped with cinnamon-flavored crumble and raw cream. It was one of the best I have ever tasted.
My chocolate tartlet topped with fresh figs didn’t thrill me at first – the figs were not as sweet and ripe as I thought they should be – but it soon grew on me with its thin layer of fine chocolate and thick and delicious shortbread crust. Neither of us had thought it possible to finish our desserts, but somehow we couldn’t stop until they were all gone, a tribute to the quality of the ingredients used at Caluche.
Nadine and I both commented at the end of the meal that the wait between each course had been extremely long, but since we were so deep in conversation, it hadn’t bothered us. Other diners might find it more annoying.
The restaurant’s name, Caluche, by the way, means “bottle“ in the slang of Anjou, wine being a specialty of the restaurant, which offers a good selection of wine by the glass.
See our Favorite Restaurants by Arrondissement page to find a good restaurant in the neighborhood where you want to eat.
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