Macarons: I looooooooove these sweet and colorful confections. After having coffee and pastries at the famed Dalloyau, I stopped by their downstairs shop to admire their beautiful displays. I couldn’t resist their wide variety of macaron flavors – I had to get one of each! They were wonderfully light and chewy underneath the delicately crisp exterior.
Soufflé: I should have known that with a name like Le Soufflé, the restaurant would have a lot of tourists, but it was still a decent place for large, hearty soufflés at wallet-friendly prices. I liked the cream of chicken and mushroom soufflé – although it was quite heavy for a soufflé, I enjoyed the warm, rich sauce drizzled inside the fluffy dome. For dessert, I tried the chocolate and the Grand Marnier soufflés – neither were very interesting. I’ve had much better versions of both in the U.S.
Baguette: It is so simple, yet so enjoyable - a crispy baguette with cheese. There is nothing like picking up a loaf of fresh baked bread and spreading rich, creamy cheese over it….Mmmm.
Pastries: Éclair, pain au Chocolat, fruit tart, mille-feuille…these are some of my favorite dessert pastries. I dream of their decadent fillings and flaky layers.
Pâté: After walking around the crowded Marché Buci, B and I were pleased to stumble upon Da Rosa while walking down a quiet street. It’s a hip little delicatessen with legs of cured jambon in the windows and a few tables on the side walk. Since this was supposed to be a “light snack”, we ordered a salad (which contained a deliciously fresh and sweet mozzarella), sliced jambon, and pâté. I’ve never had pâté do me in, but this was *the* largest mound of pâté I’ve ever had. It had nice rustic and meaty texture and a fatty, peppery taste.
Ramen: Yes, ramen! After several days filled with lots of wine and heavy French food, my palate was screaming for something different. The huge bowl of hot soupy ramen from Higuma offered a nice break to reset my taste buds…and the perfect hangover cure!
BITE METER:
Dalloyau - 3.5 bites (out of 5)
Le Soufflé - 2.5 bites (out of 5)
Da Rosa - 4.0 bites (out of 5)
Higuma - 3.0 bites (out of 5)
The restaurant is located inside the posh 
Warm Preparation of Asparagus and Sea Spider Crab – The frothy crab foam added a fun and light touch to the asparagus. Although I couldn’t see it, I could taste the wonderful crab flavor in the fluffy, airy foam. 
Cold Preparation of Creamed Asparagus and Sea Spider Crab – I really enjoyed eating this dish – digging into the creamy asparagus pudding and finding the sweet, succulent crab meat at the bottom…a buried treasure.
Roasted Blue Lobster in Spicy Curry Sauce – What a feast for the eyes (and lips)! I was captivated by the bold colors – never have I seen such vibrant red in lobster before. This dish also contained a myriad of different tastes and textures. One would think with so much going on, this dish could be muddled or overwhelming, but each component enhanced the other – the meaty roasted lobster, drenched in rich curry sauce, sprinkled with thin, crunchy coconut slides and tiny tapioca pearls, garnished with crispy fried Thai basil – a wonderful medley! (Btw, this was totally different than the lobster curry entree I had at 
Just when I think I am done being wowed, Sébastien wheels over a beautiful silver cart with a whole chicken. Now I’ve enjoyed many tableside preparations before, but never has chicken been special enough to be featured. (I later learned that Bresse chicken is a highly coveted breed of chickens only raised in France). Sebastien is a pro with the carving knife and deftly slices up the breast for us. 
Bresse Chicken Fricassée, Sweetwater Crawfish, and Spring Vegetables – Never have I had such incredible chicken in my life! It’s hard to describe because this was unlike any other chicken that I’ve ever had, the flavors were so uniquely clean and pure. It was served at just the right temperature, leaving the meat deliciously moist and juicy. The skin was also perfectly roasted and well seasoned. Although the crawfish and vegetables were on the side, they were just as tasty as the chicken. Growing up near Louisiana, I’ve been spoiled by a lot of fresh crawfish, but I have to say it has never been as sweet and succulent as it was in this dish. 
The dark meat of the Bresse Chicken in pureed baby peas
This is the mother of all cheese carts. There were at least 40 different cheeses under the enormous glass dome. I loooooooooove cheese and felt like a kid in a candy shop…so many cheeses, so hard to chose. [Clearly my wine consumption has affected my ability to focus the camera.] 
Aged Comté, Munster-Géromé, Fourme d’Ambert Blue, Triple Cream Brie – Although I was kindly encouraged to have as many cheeses as I wanted, I restrained myself and chose four (plus I knew I could taste the cheese selections that B picked as well). I don’t know if it was because the cheese was unpasteurized, or because it was from France, or because it was on the Alain Ducasse cart…perhaps all three, but my goodness, it was the BEST CHEESE EVER! They were also served with these magnificent olive rolls which further enhance the taste of the cheeses. 
In addition to the cheese course, we also had a procession (yes, a whole procession) of desserts. Thank goodness I always have an extra stomach for dessert.
Fried Crisps with Passion Fruit Syrup, Chocolate and Coffee Macaroons – The fried crisps were unbelievably light and airy. I only like macaroons when they are made just right, and these did not disappoint…slightly crispy on the outside and sublimely thick and moist on the inside. The coffee macaroons were especially tasty.
Wild Baby Strawberry, Panna Cotta and Coconut Shortbread Parfait – This dessert looks simple, but there was such extraordinary depth to all the flavors!! By far, my favorite dessert of the evening. Rich coconut folded in sweet strawberries and creamy panna cotta…absolutely divine. 
Wild Baby Strawberry Tart – The sister dish to the parfait with a similar flavor profile, but different textures. The baby strawberries were so cute and surprisingly sweet and juicy. 
Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Ice Cream – This dessert was good, but probably the least interesting to me. 
Chocolate Soufflé – A perfectly made soufflé…a delicate outer shell with sweet, fluffy goodness on the inside. What really stood out about this soufflé was how refined its flavor and texture was.
Although I didn’t take a picture of it, I have to mention their tea cart. It contained several live plants about 1-2 feet high. And depending on what type of tea you ordered, they would snip certain leaves from the cart and specially brew it for your tea – this restaurant is seriously over the top!!
Before we knew it, 4 hours had flown by and we were the last ones in the dining room…I didn’t want the night to end! This meal has redefined so many things for me and heightened food to a whole newlevel. I was constantly being blown away by the presentation and the execution of each course, savoring every single minute of it….all 240 of them. Thank you to the staff at Restaurant Alain Ducasse (and my wonderful husband!) for making this night so memorable.
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