z kitchen or carte blanche for dinner in paris?
 

Have heard so much about both of them and would like to add one funky dinner experience. Are both heavily Asian influenced? Prefer one over the other? I'd appreciate any specific feedback you have. Thanks

Plambers I only know Ze Kitchen. He (WL) uses Asian spices and some Asian ingredients but cooks lots of things a la plancha as well. The flavors and aromas are compelling. I have had a few meals excellent meals here; I will look at my notes if you want any further specific details. I did a write up of my first meal here in a Trip Report from late 2006:


http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34894706

Definitely, Carte Blanche.........

Maybe you could do both. We would go back to Ze Kitchen in a heartbeat. I wouldn't call it funky, but it is tasty. I had a lemongrass sauce that I have been trying to replicate for months. Here is a photo. http://tinyurl.com/39b7tc

I've only been to Ze Galerie, and while we enjoyed our experience there, I definitely wouldn't call it funky. Trendy, maybe.

Maybe it's just me, but the Asian influence in French cooking seems to be more of a novelty to the French than it does to me (or my travel companions). I think there's more Asian cuisine in the U.S., and therefore it more often provides an influence to upscale U.S. cuisine generally. Or maybe, it's just the restaurants that I go to!

Anyway, Ze Galerie's food was very good, delightfully presented and very colorful, but not really "out there." And I don't remember thinking it was "heavily" influenced.