Paris / A Belated Dining Review of Cheval d'Or 🐎

✔️Cheval d'Or has been on my list since Taku Sekine's tenure, and now with a diverse four-person team taking the helm, the abundance of delicious options in Paris has almost turned choosing a restaurant into an art form. A few days ago, after hearing two friends rave about this place, I decided to finally make it happen. Haha, sometimes you just have to go with the flow! ✔️We both opted for the 9-course Menu Or. The first two amuse-bouches were so exquisite that I mistook them for the main appetizers, and I was worried that if the rest of the dishes were this substantial, I might not be able to finish. It wasn't until the scallops with Hollandaise sauce arrived that I realized I had nothing to worry about. Haha, what a relief! ✔️The restaurant's facade still features the red sign from its days as a Chinese restaurant in 1987, but stepping inside reveals a sleek, industrial minimalist decor. Both the tableware and the decorations are thoughtfully designed. There are even paper fruits and vegetables made by the chef himself at the entrance—so cute! ✔️What's presented here is definitely not traditional Chinese cuisine, but rather a poetic fusion of flavors. The most impressive part of the meal was the team's deep understanding of Chinese ingredients, rather than just adding soy sauce or sweet and sour sauce and calling it creative cooking. ✔️The crispness of the fried dough sticks, the umami of the seaweed, the richness of the shrimp skins, and a touch of Italian flair made for a delightful experience from start to finish. While not every dish was perfect (for example, the Croque Madame with shrimp skins wasn't as satisfying as Esu's shrimp paste toast), I really appreciated how Hanz Gueco, the Vietnamese-Australian chef, reinterpreted Chinese elements through French techniques from a fresh perspective. It felt more authentic than typical Westernized Chinese food. The dessert, a red bean chocolate tart with lapsang souchong ice cream, was a perfect end to the meal—sweet but not cloying, with a long-lasting aftertaste. ✔️Although the price of €108 is on the higher side, considering the chef's attention to detail and the overall ambiance of the restaurant, it feels justified. Maybe next time I'll try the €88 Menu Cuivre (four appetizers, one main course, and one dessert), as even someone with my appetite found the nine courses a bit overwhelming. 💌 Cheval d’Or - 21 #ParisianRestaurants #ParisianShopHunting #ParisianFoodie #FrenchParisianDelights #HiddenGemsInParis #ParisianCuisine #ParisianFoodBloggers #ChineseFrenchFusion #FusionCuisine #Palaisdeyiyi #HiddenRestaurantShares #ParisianFusion #FoodReviews #ParisianNicheRestaurants