In Hebrew, the phrase ‘Tekés’ means ceremony, with the implication of a celebration. In Paris, the phrase now has two meanings–the unique Hebrew one, and a second one because the identify of Tekés, a very talked-about new restaurant, which can be a trigger for rejoicing, as a result of it has introduced trendy Israeli vegetarian cooking to a metropolis that’s lengthy been lamentably well-known for its indifference to greens.
The lengthy operating exception to this generalization has been chef Alain Passard’s shudderingly costly Michelin three-star restaurant Arpege, however now individuals who love good meals and eat plant-based diets are lastly getting much more selection in Paris. And plenty of of those new locations, together with Tekés, are so good that even individuals who aren’t vegetarian will get pleasure from consuming at them.
Tekés is tucked away within the Sentier, or Paris’s previous garment district, which has now turn into a well-liked nightlife zone for youthful Parisians with a number of bars, cafes and eating places (Paris-lovers will notice that this zone has changed the superannuated rue de Soif in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, as this as soon as pleasant neighborhood has been drained of life by an infestation of identikit luxurious brand-name boutiques and costly pied-a-terre flats). I appreciated this heat energetic place instantly once I went there to satisfy a good friend there for dinner. It’s run by the identical Israeli group led by proficient chef Assaf Granit that launched the vastly common Shabour and Balagan, together with the just-opened Jerusalem street-food restaurant Shosh.
Led by cooks Cécile Levy, who previously cooked on the Norman Lodge in Tel Aviv, and Dan Yosha, Tekés’s busy open kitchen privileges cooking over charcoal and embers, and it places on an awesome present whereas producing stunningly scrumptious dishes like grilled zucchini with cinnamon labneh and flambéed eggplant.
The menu leads off with some excellent breads, together with a fantastically fluffy crown-shaped challah for sharing and a buttery sage-leaf garnished galette to tear aside and dip in labneh, after which runs to a collection of Vegan and vegetarian dishes, that are additionally meant to be shared. These are adopted by a recurrently evolving roster of Israeli consolation meals dishes from completely different Jewish culinary traditions, that are additionally meant to be shared, another excuse {that a} meal right here finally ends up being such a very good time.
I cherished my beet-root chachlik, which got here with feta cream and watercress and was each bit as satisfying by way of style and texture as any model made with meat, and my good friend was delighted by her “The Silk Highway,” a dish composed of celeriac, clementine, ginger and shushka. We have been additionally intrigued by the vegetarian hen liver, which is a composition of blended mushrooms served with a soft-boiled egg, dates and pine nuts. All of those elements arrive desk aspect and are then blended with a mezzaluna earlier than being served. The unguent umami-rich hash really does have distant echoes of chopped hen liver, nevertheless it’s lighter and more energizing than any model made with the fowl. Gnocchi (under) have been completely scrumptious, too.
Desserts are intriguing, too, together with a superb ethereal mushroom mousse with chocolate granola, an ideal grand finale to the wholesome joyous cooking of this superb restaurant.
And strolling residence after dinner, I couldn’t assist however feeling quietly ecstatic {that a} rising variety of proficient younger cooks are discovering methods to create dishes that aren’t solely wholesome and environmentally pleasant however supply a full flush of gastronomic pleasure as properly.
N.B. Tekés has top-of-the-line and most fascinating wine lists in Paris, with an particularly robust number of excellent wines from Central and Japanese Europe and the Center East.
Tekés, 4bis rue Saint Saveur, 2nd Arrondissement, Paris, Tel. (33) 07 81 42 54 74, Metro: Open for dinner solely Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday. Common dinner 45 Euros. http://www.tekesrestaurant.com
