Passage 53 , 2 Michelin

Passsage 53 Passage de Panaromas narrow alleys and gas lamps

Located in the famous gas lamp filled Passage des Panoramas from 1800s and with only twenty seats, Passage 53 took a Michelin star the first year and a second star soon after with buckets of praises. With minimalistic design, it is an unpretentious place where the focus is on quality of food.

Chef Shinichi Sato, a Hokkaido born and Sapporo trained chef who went to L'Astrance in France and then at Mugaritz, Spain then back to Pierre Gagnaire in Paris became the first japanese chef in France to be awarded two Michelin stars.

"When Guillaume called me to ask me to be the chef at Passage 53, I knew that I would have top-quality ingredients and that if I worked hard I could start to do things my way. The Desnoyer family applied for a visa for me, and I decided to take the plunge."

Shinichi recommends that recreational chefs take their time and buy top-quality ingredients, such as fine seasonal root vegetables from Joel Thiebault and excellent meat from Hugo Desnoyer.

Joel Thiebault - Today, everyone from the Michelin star chefs to aspiring cooks craves the 1,700 varieties of vegetables he grows on 22 hectares, or 54 acres, in Carrières-sur-Seine
Hugo Desnoyer - A man who is dedicated to be the best butcher in the world, his tender three-month-old lamb from the Lozère where they graze on wild cumin, pimpernel and sweet clover. Similar to the three - month lamb you can grill in the LanZhou grasslands in central china that feeds on grass and chinese licorice plant with a sweet aftertaste. Hugo also supplies beef from Salers - a meat close to bison coveted for its beefy flavors and beautiful marbling. At 3 a.m. daily, Hugo arrives at the Rungis wholesale market where his prizes arrive from his suppliers in the countryside. He works directly with the farmers and he visits them vacations. Hugo’s quote “It’s crazy. It’s so simple, really. The cow didn’t invent anything. He only eats grass. Everyone, including farmers, are too impatient today, too much in a hurry.”

The interior is minimalistic and unpretentious. No 6 inch hand woven silk carpets but the interior is comfortable and clean to look at. The blue dishes are carefully sourced from Sweden.

White truffles from Italy, the cost for the truffle dish is 30 euro per person, we did not get the truffle dish.

Passsage 53 truffle dish, extra 30 euro per person

First course to start off the lunch fixed menu is a amuse bouche ( which literally translates to mouth amuser, usually used by chef to introduce his style of cooking, similar to the opening scene of a movie). Served in the thinnest cup i have seen. The cup is translucent and feels brittle to touch but filled with a delicious espresso foam with spiced pumpkin puree. Did not know coffee and pumpkin could go well together but i guess the pumpkin spice latte is a staple. It is Oct 31st and in the morning, chef probably thought "ah, happy halloween"

Passsage 53 amuse bouche pumpkin spice latte in a cup

Passsage 53 amuse bouche pumpkin spice latte

After a brief moment, one of chef's signature dish is brought to the table.

Lightly seared squid drizzled with almond oil. Almond oil brings a nutty taste to the dish with a cauliflower cream pocketed underneath, extremely smooth in texture, it must have been blended thoroughly and filtered through a chinoise to give it the silky smooth texture. Pickled cauliflower shavings on top that brings out the extra crunchy texture. It's a complex dish from the simplest ingredients. Good chefs excel with extraordinary ingredients. Michelin chefs make simple ingredients extraordinary. The contrasting creamy texture from the puree with the crunchy cauliflower and the chewy but soft squid is an intense introduction.

Passsage 53 seared squid with cauliflower puree and thin cauliflower flakes

Next up, perfectly cooked scallop with heart of artichoke. Well executed dish with subtle vegetable flavours from the broth below.

Passsage 53 seared scallops with heart of artichoke

Chef quietly walked into the back of the dining room mid service and stood right in the middle, shifting his gaze from diner to diner, noticing the interactions at each table and slightly nods his head.

Dinner knives are changed to the laguiole style ones, foreshadowing some kind of meat. Languiole knives are produced in a certain region of France and all of the knives from that area have this signature shape, some even with handles made from ivory.

Seared chicken with porcini mushrooms cooked two ways served on a bed of mushroom reduction. The red meat was probably cooked with sous vide and the skin was as crisp as a fresh potato chip. I wish i can sear the porcini mushroom as well as the one on the plate, caramelized outside and juicy and meaty with each bite.

Passage 53 seared chicken with porcini mushrooms

The waiter cleared away our main forks and knives, indicating for the desert courses to start.

Chocolate tart & caramel of tonka; textbook caramel on the side with the chocolate tart served on the thinnest crisp shell. Tonka is a spice that is getting a lot of attention that tastes like a blend of cinnamon, vanilla, almond and cloves. A forkful is enough to fill your tastebuds, an ultra dense choclate tart but not dry.

Passage 53 chocolate tart with Tonka caramel

Elderflower creme brulee. The best creme brulee to date. It is made from elderflower and on topped with honey sorbet. The honey is not just any honey, chef must have taken great care in sourcing the honey because it is just as fragrant as the creme brulee underneath. I wish i can buy a case of this honey to take home.

Passage 53 elderflower creme brulee and flower honey sorbet

Being someone who used to sell 20K USD espresso machines, this espresso shot is the best i had in Europe for 2 weeks. The crema is perfect and there are still black dots of coffee oil around the side of the cup. My goodness.

You can also climb up the tiny spiral staircase to the top where the kitchen is. There is also a bathroom upstairs.

Passage 53 kitchen plating, all the details

Tip:

Reservation is a must
The day before the reservation, the restaurant calls with the number booked for the reservation
Lunch is a less expensive option, but with less dishes, you can also order the full dinner menu at lunchtime
Truffle dish is an extra 30 Euro per person

Address: 53 PASSAGE DES PANORAMAS 75002 PARIS

Phone: +33 (0) 1 42 33 04 35

Hours: Lunch seats at 12-1 Dinner seats at 8-9pm , check when making reservations