Paris – Restaurant Ogata

Where it is?

Ogata Restaurant is located on a quiet side street off the narrow throughfares of bustling Le Marais, in the oldest part of Paris. On the ground floor there is a small Japanese confectionary selling Japanese-inspired sweets.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and is located on the second floor. In the evenings reservations are recommended.

The venue

The interior of the building is quite striking and unusual. It’s rather dark inside, but not gloomy. The decor is clearly in the modern Japanese style, with clean lines and simple, unfussed decorations

Guests on their own or in pairs sit at the long table which frames the kitchen. For groups of four there are also tables away from the action in the kitchen.

The staff & service

The staff are an interesting combination of Japanese and French. Most importantly, they’re very forthcoming, relaxed and friendly. They’re happy to explain the menu.

The experience begins with an unscented oshibori at room temperature.

Amuse bouche

The amuse bouche is a selection of broad beans in beef jelly, beetroot infused tofu and pineapple with a tahina sauce.

Entrée

For the entrée, my companion goes with the selection of seasonal vegetables cooked and prepared in various styles.

While I go with the lobster and cauliflower, served in a tahina sauce with watercress.

Owan – savoury Japanese flan

Then comes the Owan, which is a sort of egg flan served warm with fish roe and vegetables.

Selection of sashimi with salt, wasabi & nato

There are two pieces of three different fish for the sashimi course. The middle one is tuna. The other two I forgot to ask about.

First course – grilled Lotte with artichokes, spring onion & morels

The first course isinteresting, but perhaps a little greasy with the deep fried spring onions and the Lotte. But the taste is very good.

Second course – vegetable hotpot with black truffle & grilled Dorade

For the second course, I go with the vegetable hotpot and black truffles, which is very nice and light, making a sharp contrast to the previous course.

My companion has the grilled Dorade with fondant.

Kombachi – two variations of steamed gohan: first with pickled vegetables and the with baked Cod

To end the meal, two bowls of rice are served in sequence. The first serving is with pickled vegetables, daikon and seaweed.

The second is with two small pieces of fish & dried seaweed in a dashi broth.

Palate cleanser – Fresh Mango granita

To close the meal, we are brought a small cup of Mango granita. This is very nice and not overly sweet.

Dessert – Strawberry sponge cake

And then for dessert, we both have the creamy strawberry sponge cake, which is excellent!

Verdict

Overall, I really enjoyed the meal. It was well cooked and nicely presented. What’s more, I think the chef struck a nice balance in the way he integrated Western elements into the preparation of the very japanese dishes.

In total, the meal came to EUR348 for two persons. We only had sparkling water throughout the meal. Nonetheless, I think the price is reasonable for what you get.