Japanese and Italian flavors mix and mingle at Double, a tiny micro-counter of a restaurant with just 12 seats and one menu: the brainchild of Japanese Chef Tsuyoshi Yamakawa, whose mastery of pasta cannot be denied. The best seats in the house are undoubtedly the ones overlooking his kitchen, so be sure to get there a few minutes before your reservation to snag one and watch the master at work concocting the 62-euro, eight-course prix fixe.
Our meal began on a slightly sour note, when, upon asking for a wine recommendation, we were steered towards the three most expensive bottles on the menu… and given a judgmental look when we opted for something a touch more reasonable. But we soldiered on – and the dishes were worth it.
The first bite would prove one of our favorites of the night: an artichoke topped with dried grapefruit and guanciale sitting in a pretty puddle of lobster bisque. The combination of the bitterness of both the grapefruit and the ultra-roasted artichoke with the richness of the fatty pork and creamy lobster sauce was not just surprising – it was pitch perfect.
Perhaps less enticing were these little tartare tartlets topped with fig and bonito and seasoned with confit egg yolk. Figs have reached the end of their peak, and it unfortunately showed here. I did like the simplicity of the seasoning on the beef, but without the jamminess of full-season figs, it seemed to fall a touch flat.
More successful, even with shoulder-season tomatoes, was this tomato terrine with bonito and Japanese ajo blanco. The fish was positively perfect, and even in mid-October, the tomatoes were filled with sunshine. (I am very curious about where they came from!) Unfortunately, this dish did signal one predicament I find with the format here: While the first two dishes were served with one piece per person, from here on out, most of the dishes came as one plate intended to share. And while I’m all about sharing, if the dishes are designed for two people… it strikes me as odd to serve three pieces of fish!
Luckily, there were two oysters on top of this spaghetti alla chitarra with dashi butter and horseradish – my favorite dish of the night. The spaghetti was toothsome, and the sauce both richly flavored and ethereally light.
The risotto settled us firmly into fall, with dense, toothsome mushrooms topped with a trio (another one) of sweet, briny scallops coated in herby pesto. I loved the tarragon in this dish – an under-used herb, in my opinion.
The focaccia was also on point, perfect for dragging through any lingering sauce.
I used to be a big fan of pigeon, but I grow weary of it these days, given its increased omnipresence. This version didn’t enchant me as much as it might have, despite the lovely interplay of bitterness and sweetness, with celery root, chervil, beet, and grapefruit as accompaniments. It was tasty, but it didn’t wow me as much as the pasta and risotto did.
And ultimately – sorry to belabor the point –, sharing one supreme and one wing between two people was also a bit of a complicated endeavor.
Is flan on trend right now? It must be, and while it’s far from my favorite dessert, this one with hochija tea and mirabelle had enough going for it that I excused it its soft-on-soft texture.
I was an even bigger fan of the granita – and not just because I got my own portion. Ginger, lemon, espresso, orange, anise, and sumac all vied for my attention in this dessert that was a study in beige aesthetically but truly stunning on the palate.
The daring and creativity of Chef Tsuyoshi Yamakawa cannot be denied, but Double is not a restaurant I’d recommend to just anyone. The no-choice prix fixe means you cannot be picky, and above all, the shared format means you’ll need to go with someone you know quite well.
Double – 87, rue Lamarck, 75018