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01 ARR: El Fogon

45 quai des Grands Augustins , Phone: 01.43.54.31.33

Reviewed by: Daniel from NY, review #2633

When: 2006

No heart in the food on Valentine's Day at this odd, quasi-Spanish joint.

Someone set a porcupine on my plate at El Fogon, photo by Daniel

When we walked into El Fogon, the place was already filled up with lots of other Valentine’s couples. The décor was pleasant, contemporary and inoffensive. The service was quite gracious and solicitous.

However (and this is a big “however”), the food was some of the weirdest stuff I’ve ever had set in front of me. It was a set menu for Valentine’s Day that started with a barrage of small plates. I have the menu in front of me so I’ll list them off:

La fine St.-Jacques

Gaspacho aux haricots blancs et hareng

Cornet aux celeris

Oursin

Riz croquant

Minis carottes citronnelle

Grenouilles frites a l’Andaluz

Coques a la plancha

Palourde et sole

Filet mignon aux anchois

So, I betcha ya think you recognize some of that stuff, right? Yeah, well you might be surprised how a chef can take something like gazpacho or filet mignon (both of which are in no need of improvement or reinvention) and completely screw them up all in the name of being “creative” and having “fun”. None of that stuff tasted like it was supposed to, and NOTHING was a “revelation of new flavors” or anything pleasant resembling such. It was a mish mash of poorly combined elements.

Then came the paella, which was supposed to serve as the main dish. I almost wept when the server set it on the table because, from the looks of it, it appeared to be paella. Sad to say, it was rather lame. Why? Well, it was too soupy, and clearly someone forgot to go shopping, because there wasn’t even a hint of saffron to be found. The dessert, a chocolate something-or-the-other, was adequate.

In Spanish, “el fogon” translates to “the hearth”; a name which I suppose the owners of this place chose in order to herald a homey and comfy experience for their guests. Regrettably, aside from the warm and friendly service, there was nothing particularly comforting or satisfying about this place.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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