L'Ourcine

(Absinthe service)

Sylvain Danière opened his own bistro, L'Ourcine, in the middle of a dimly-lit street without the Michelin prices. The key benefit of L'Ourcine, amongst others, is that it has not yet hit many people's radar screen so you do not have to be involuntarily updated on what your neighbor patrons are up to in a crowded floor plan like L'Avant Gout. Definitely worth a visit - there are worse risks to take with your own scarce stomach capacity in Paris.



(Calamari)

With a clean and sparsely decorated dining area, it is not overwhelmed with expecting patrons and the staffs are friendly, if a bit unpolished. Absinthe, a drink that was lumped together with opiates, cocaine, and marijuana and banned for its reputed propensity to cause madness and suicide, is available for aperitif. The absinthe service is traditional with a jar of ice water over a cube of sugar resting on a slotted "absinthe spoon" where water is drizzled over the sugar into the glass of absinthe. The sugar takes the bitter edge off absinthe and the drinks turns into a milky greenish-white known as "louche." For the record, absinthe is just a strong herbal liqueur distilled with herbs like wormwood and anise - the madness and suicide are, as the saying goes, grossly exaggerated. It is a fun side show while browsing the adoise for today's menu choices.



(Civet de Biche)

The food is meticulously made without pretension. Spider-crab-in-broth-and-foam and stuffed-calamari as appetizers hit all the right notes without fanfare. The roasted fish is a visual feast where the crust and deglazing worked magic for its texture and flavor combination. Civet de Biche, doe stew, is made with a thoughtful and delicate balance of richness, flavor, and texture. Speaking of Civet de Biche, and if you are a fan of Bambi of the Disney fame or fear the end of world is near please skip the next paragraph completely.

Ready? So, in a moment of only trying to be helpful, the waitress sincerely commented that Civet de Biche is made with "Bambi's mother". So, here you have it, if you ever wanted confirmation on whatever happened to Bambi's mom. As for those of you looking for sign of pending Armageddon, American cultural imperialism has finally penetrated the French fortification - in a well hidden bistro.

Deserts, gianduja chocolate cream and rice pudding are, praises be heard, quite excellent.



(Spider crab broth and foam)

Details
L'Ourcine
92, rue Broca
75013 Paris
T: 01 47 07 13 65

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