If you are a big fan of Netflix Chef’s Table just like me, you probably have heard of yam’Tcha in Paris. If you are obsessed with food like me and haven’t watched these delicious documentary series on Netflix, I would strongly recommend it. Anyway, one of the big reasons why I chose Paris for my travel destination this time was because I really wanted to try yam’Tcha. yam’Tcha got one Michelin star and it serves Asian inspired French cuisines by Chef Adeline Grattard. Besides her creative dishes, what makes yam’Tcha unique is its full tea pairing course designed by her husband, Chi Wah. For someone who loves food and tea, how could I not visit yam’Tcha? Are you ready to get drunk with tea?
Open Kitchen
A small backyard between the restaurant and the wine storage
Of course, there are a pair of chopsticks on the side
Welcome Tea - Taiwanese Oolong
Amuse- bouche : Caviar potato, Ravioli dumpling, Crab soup, Beet Pickle (counter clockwise)
Raw scallops with foie gras, finger lime and beets
Paired with Tie Guan Yin, Chinese lightly oxidized oolong
Pu’er Tea
Chanterella Mushroom with oca potatoes and sweet chives in chili fuyu broth
Served with a bun
Because of chili fuyu as a broth (fermented tofu), pairing with pu’er, the only fermented tea in 6 different categories of teas, was very good. This salty and spicy flavor was well balanced with earthy note of pu’er
Skate Fish in bone with shallots and black rice, caper leaves and lemon sauce
paired with Bai Bu Dan, a.k.a white peony
As fish is often paired with a glass of white wine and meat with red wine, this savory skate in the lemon foam sauce was well paired with one of my favorite white tea, Bai Mu Dan a.k.a white peony in English
Duck with eggplants and special magic vinegar paired with Wu Yi Mt. Rock tea (Wuyi Cliff tea)
Crispy skin outside and medium rare inside. Just what I want!
Because this crispy duck is served in this sweet and salty magic vinegar (I assume it is reduction sauce with Chinese soy sauce or oyster sauce), this smoky Wu Yi Cliff tea with rich in minerals was a good combination
Finally, the famous Blue cheese & Cherry Bao
paired with Yu Wu Green Tea
Wish there were more cherries inside…
The tea station at the restaurant
Finally dessert time with Jasmine green tea
Cheese Pear Quince
Lemon Sobert
My tea sommelier today. Thank you!
boutique yam’TCha
Around the corner of restaurant yam’Tcha, a small boutique yam’Tcha which offers take out for tea and 5 different kinds of bao is open. Chi Wah, Chef Grattard’s husband who curates all tea pairing is usually here
outside
5 different types of bao (3 savory and 2 sweet are being steamed now!)
Inside
The store business card
All these yixing tea pots
Hello, Chi Wah
I want this giant stapler…
The whole experience of tea pairing was very exquisite. Everything was well paired with different dishes. I was very pleased to see all other people at the restaurants were doing the tea pairing. Although I wish the tea sommelier could explain more about tea and why they chose this particular tea to pair with this dish, it was overall pretty satisfying.
After a full tasting course at the restaurant, I could neither drink nor eat more. I wish I had more time in Paris to try different types of bao and tea at boutique yam’Tcha. Until the next time.
Restaurant yam’Tcha
- Address: 121 Rue Saint Honoré, 75001 Paris, France
- Tel :+33 1 40 26 08 07
- Website : yamtcha.com
- Hours : Wed -Sat 12-1:3o pm, 8-9:30 pm (Sun -Tue Closed)
- Price : Lunch 70 euro (additional 20 euro for tea pairing) │ Tasting menu 150 euro (additional 40 euro for tea pairing) *my review is on tasting menu
- Reservation only by phone