As Seen Abroad: yam'Tcha Restaurant in Paris
We’re on vacation! For the first time since we started this blog, we’re traveling abroad. As we journey across Asia, Europe, and America, we’ll update with some of the fun places we visit. Yay! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read our affiliate disclosure.
While much of our trip around the world was spent dining at budget restaurants and experiencing reasonably-priced gourmet fair, we had our fair share of nice nights out as well. With three years to plan and save, we weren’t about to go to Europe and not treat ourselves to the finer things.
That’s why, while in Paris, we ventured out to a place we’d been dreaming of going to for years, and it did not disappoint: this is yam’Tcha.
Operated by chef Adeline Grattard and her husband Chi Wah Chan, yam’Tcha offers a synthesis of high-end French techniques and Chinese/Asian ingredients and flavors. We first heard about it on an episode of Netflix’s Chef’s Table and were intrigued by how they offer tea parings for their dishes as an alternative to wine.
yam’Tcha has one Michelin star, making this the first Michelin-starred restaurant we’d ever been to. I watched the booking website closely for when our preferred date opened up so we could get a table.
Located in Les Halles not too far from the Louvre, yam’Tcha is small but has a great style that feels cozy and intimate rather than stuffy and formal. Everything was meticulously planned and laid out, including our little mushroom lamp, and we received a warm welcome from several people upon arrival. The staff was very nice and explained the menu well. There is one tasting menu, so the only choice you get is whether to order a bottle of wine, wine pairings, or tea pairings. We were looking forward to the tea pairings because we don’t drink alcohol and Eriko is a tea person, so we went with that.
Once we’d ordered, we received consistent attention and a steady procession of beautiful plates for the next three hours.
Appetizers and starter plates
The first plate was a big rice cracker like the kind we eat in Japan. It was crispy and much tastier than I anticipated. Eriko says there was also something hidden under it, but we don’t remember what and didn’t get a picture so who knows. It was a great beginning!
After that came two little plates: on the left was a small dumpling, and on the right was either risotto or congee soup, depending on which of the two of us you believe. I’m pretty sure it was congee soup, but it definitely had rice and a tasty broth. These two things went really well together. Eriko looooooved the soup/risotto and said she could “eat 10 more.”
The king of the starters was the quail egg with caviar. I’ve had quail eggs and caviar separately before, and I’m not big on either of them. But it turns out that when you put them together, they create the most amazing flavor I have ever tasted. The balance was perfect, the egg a wonderful consistency and the yolk providing just the right counterpoint to the fishy taste of the caviar. This was honestly one of the best things I have ever eaten. “I can eat 30,” says Eriko.
Our table was in a spot where we could see into the kitchen, and if you have the chance to sit in this area, you should! It was fun to look inside and see 8 or 10 people working super fast. The person scooping caviar into the eggs was close to us, as well as a person arranging the first main dish that followed, and the level of concentration on display was impressive. The only downside to this area is when you make eye contact with the head chef, because I didn’t know what to do so I just grinned awkwardly and looked back at our table.
Main courses and big plates
The first dish was tuna and shiitake mushrooms with veggies and a balsamic(?) sauce. Look at those little flowers. So beautiful!
I generally don’t eat mushrooms because I think they’re gross, but this dish taught me a lesson. It turns out I do like mushrooms if they’re THESE mushrooms. The flavors were surprising and light and satisfying.
Up next was calamari in a spicy broth that was SO DELICIOUS. It wasn’t too spicy, just absolutely perfect. I did not pace myself with this one - I gobbled it up and slurped down the broth until my plate was so clean that Outkast wrote a song about it.
The fish course included an oyster hidden under that foam. I would say the oyster was my least favorite component of the night because I’m not an oyster guy, but Eriko liked it. Everything else, from the foam to the little pea pod, were enlightening when paired together. I now understand why high-end restaurants like this are special: it’s not just that they get quality ingredients and know how to cook them, but the combinations that spur your imagination and show you tastes you didn’t know existed. I felt like a whole new world was being shown to me by an expert guide.
The last big plate was chicken with a thin slice of pork, cucumbers, tasty cheese, and - honestly - the best tomatoes I have ever eaten in my life. We’d just been to friggin’ Italy, and this was the tomato and cheese combo I wanted to savor forever. The complexity in these dishes was mind-bottling, taking a few things that don’t seem like they go together and synthesizing them to create a taste that’s wholly new, each plate with multiple ideas and techniques in display while also being a complete whole - oh, and each plate was BEAUTIFUL as well.
Lesser diners would have been content with what we’d already eaten, but as Eriko says, “Everyone has a different extra tummy for dessert,” so we were ready to pile some more food into our bulging bellies.
Dessert - wait, scratch that - dessertS
First up was a bao bun with stilton cheese and cherry. They don’t have much cheese in Japan, so Eriko is not experienced with stinky or moldy cheeses. As a result , this was way too strong for her, and honestly, it was too strong for me too. Maybe if there had been more cherries, it would have been easier, but as is, you have to REALLY be a cheese person to like this. I finished mine and half of Eriko’s.
It’s tough to describe the next pair, ice cream with black sesame sauce and some sort of fruity thing, because I ate them so fast I wasn’t able to make memories. According to the pictures, I enjoyed myself. I’ll let Eriko explain what happened next:
“We thought our course was done, but not yet. Oh my! We still had a mochi dessert! I was so full but my different extra tummy said, "‘I can do it. I can eat one more delicious stuff.’ I heard my inner voice, so I finished eating this mochi dessert. Delicious!”
We were… satisfied.
The service was excellent, with busy staff coming by frequently to check on our food, refill waters, and bring new utensils. Honestly, they were TOO good. It made me realize how lazy I am. Oh, and let’s not forget about the tea!
The Tea Pairings
During each course, we were brought a small pot and two cups of tea. My man only spoke a little English, but he did his best. The tea was good, and a couple of them had quite interesting flavors. That said, most of them were rather subtle (more subtle than I anticipated) and I couldn’t really tell them apart. I think you have to really know your tea to get much information out of this or learn anything about the regions. However, a big pot of tea every couple minutes is great value, it was a fun alternative to wine pairings, and gave us reason to try out the very stylish bathrooms.
Conclusion - Is yam’Tcha worth the money?
The prices were as follows:
Unique Tasting Menu: €170
The Agreements: Food and Teas: €50
440 Euro for two people at dinner may seem like a lot, but when you break it down, I’m surprised it wasn’t more. They only have one dinner service, which means they aren’t turning over tables, and these ingredients must be expensive. Considering the amount of staff they had, and the fact that this is obviously a special occasion restaurant, I would have gladly paid more for the experience.
yam’Tcha is a truly special restaurant, and they treated us with great care. The food and service are superb. If this is one Michelin star, we couldn’t imagine what three stars would be like (stay tuned for that one). As for the tea pairings, Eriko sez:
“Their tea pairing was so fun and good so I recommend tea pairing!! I think not many places have tea pairing so you should try!”
So that’s our verdict. Go to yam’Tcha. You will not regret it.
yam’Tcha
Address : 121 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris, France
