Hakuba or Japanese fullness
It’s raining cats and dogs on this early evening in Paris. Umbrellas are out and a multitude of honking horns resound in the French capital’s skies as a sign of frustration and protest against urban planning. Traffic jams have become part of the landscape, and the surrounding tension is palpable – it’s hard to escape. But as soon as we cross the threshold of the lobby of the Cheval Blanc Hotel – the Parisian luxury hotel owned by the LVMH group – the hubbub fades and a great calm envelops us. A striking contrast that catapults us into another world; a universe so far removed from the reality of everyday life; an environment that is sparkling, attractive, bewitching, even intimidating, impressive and even disturbing. You need to take a step back and acclimatize before taking the plunge into the unknown. The gastronomic temple is just around the corner. We are the lucky passengers for an evening. The wood-panelled doors of the Japanese restaurant Hakuba are ajar. Time stands still.
Soothing serenity
Calm and serenity are the watchwords of this space formerly dedicated to breakfasts, snacks and other sweet pleasures. Naturally, the décor has been redesigned. Soothing and comforting are the order of the day, accentuated by the gentle, bewitching and protective words of a front-of-house team dedicated to the cause of the good and the beautiful. We’re on a pilgrimage, discovering sensations far removed from what we know.
The subdued lighting adds a touch of intimacy. From the very first minutes, Hakuba fulfills his role as guardian, giving us the impression of traveling in weightlessness while we are firmly anchored on earth. The carefully selected Nipponese masters are already behind their counters, concentrated, ready to exercise their art and deliver a gastronomic tale of the highest order. Hakuba represents the excellence of Japanese gastronomic traditions, perfectly mirrored by the savoir-faire of French luxury. What a spectacle!
French incursion
Chef Takuya Watanabe officiates as absolute master in this space, where some twenty seats are spread over three counters. He is a benchmark for Japanese cuisine at the highest level. Nothing is left to chance, and given the surroundings, there’s no such thing as chance. Special feature? French cuisine makes subtle inroads throughout the “omakase” menu offered by the chefs.
Sauces, cooking, seasoning, combinations, preserving…. everything intertwines in unison with the work of the man who, one floor up, shines in the firmament of French cuisine with his three Michelin-starred restaurant Plénitude: chef Arnaud Donckele who, always with rigor, humility and discretion, took part in the creation of Hakuba. He will even be making an appearance at the restaurant, and remains a worthy link between two worlds that unite everything.
Traditional flan
From the very first bite, we’re seduced by a turnip kabu, tosazu jelly on a buckwheat tuile. Just as tasty, the second bite reveals the chef’s savoir-faire with chawanmuchi, a traditional Japanese flan topped with smoked pike roe. The Japanese ballad is set in motion with barely marinated red tuna, cut with knives before our very eyes, accompanied by gourmet peas garnished with shiso, green beans and a sauce highlighting a slightly sweet Japanese rice vinegar. Then the light dims, as if to reinforce the intimacy of a unique moment. Mediterranean lily, lightly smoked, enters the scene on a seaweed consommé enhanced with tosazu flavored with katsuobushi or dried bonito. Divine!
A striking sight awaits us with red mullet fillets marinated in koji for over six hours, grilled over Japanese charcoal and then laid in a crispy shiso leaf. We are advised to add a few drops of lemon juice to the eggplant with white miso and amaranth leaves. This is followed by a selection of sushi prepared with the finest fish.
Weightless
The exceptional white and black rice dessert created by luminous pastry chef Maxime Frédéric gradually brings us back to our senses. With its precise and gentle room service, the exemplary dexterity of the actors performing a play behind their counter, and the culinary union of two worlds made to get along… Hakbua brings us closer to human excellence, that which touches us, that which makes us believe, that which inspires, that which upsets, that which lifts us up. I hope the words will be up to the task…
