Keisuke Matsushima: Bringing together the Asian, the French, and Mediterrenean
Food and our perception of food is very subjective, and a very personal thing. It can be influenced with things you grew up with, events in your life, and is something that ultimately grows with you through your journey.
In our recent trip to Nice, as part of a rather significant milestone birthday celebration, what really set the scene was our first night's dinner at reknowned Japanese-born chef's self-named restaurant: Keisuke Matsushima.
The story of Keisuke itself is inspiring enough. Like all of us at dinner that night, he had recently left behind the place he had called home, moving far away. In Keisuke's case, having studied French cookery in Japan, leaving it all behind, moving over to Nice starting up his own small restaurant called Kei’s Passion. This was all before being decorated with his first Michelin Star, and moving into his current larger, yet minimalistic premises.
What really spoke to us was the dishes themselves, each one like telling a small chapter of Keisuke’s life; playing with ideas and dishes that growing up in an asian family you adore, and giving it an innovative French/Mediterrenean twist.
The Carpaccio of Sea Bream with a slight hint of soy read like fresh sashimi, accentuated with a slight richness from the aïoli. The Lamb Shoulder cooked for five hours with turnip reminded me of a dish my Dad's makes wonderfully back in Australia, but made more like a stew. The freshness of the white and green asparagus, like it was just freshly plucked from the soils from which it had been growing moments before.
These were just some of the delights of our Menu Dégustation "Laissez-Moi Faire": a wonderful journey through Keisuke's imaginative and exquisite nine courses. It was a journey that set the scene for our celebration of life, and made for a lasting impression for the rest of our trip in Nice.
Menu Dégustation "Laissez-Moi Faire" Printanier 2010
Amuse Bouche:
Salted 'Candy'-Tomato
Spiced Aubergine
Cheese Crisp with Roasted Pepper, Anchovy, and Shallot
Entrée/Plats:
Refreshing beetroot soup with crab meat (sadly no photo)
White and green asparagus with ham cheese and zuccini vinaigrette
Carpaccio of Sea Bream with soy and aïoli (Darude Royale en carpaccio, sauce aïoli et soja)
"Wolf-fish" with sauted artichoke, shallot vinaigrette (Loup de mer poêle, artichaut sauté, vinaigrette d'échalotes, jus de roche)
Five-hour cooked Lamb with Chickpea Polenta (Agneau des alpes de Hautes Provence épaule braisée en navarin, panisses)
Dessert:
Chocolate fondant with thyme ice cream
Keisuke Matsushima
22 rue de France
06000 Nice
France
+33 493822606
http://www.keisukematsushima.com
In our recent trip to Nice, as part of a rather significant milestone birthday celebration, what really set the scene was our first night's dinner at reknowned Japanese-born chef's self-named restaurant: Keisuke Matsushima.
The story of Keisuke itself is inspiring enough. Like all of us at dinner that night, he had recently left behind the place he had called home, moving far away. In Keisuke's case, having studied French cookery in Japan, leaving it all behind, moving over to Nice starting up his own small restaurant called Kei’s Passion. This was all before being decorated with his first Michelin Star, and moving into his current larger, yet minimalistic premises.
What really spoke to us was the dishes themselves, each one like telling a small chapter of Keisuke’s life; playing with ideas and dishes that growing up in an asian family you adore, and giving it an innovative French/Mediterrenean twist.
The Carpaccio of Sea Bream with a slight hint of soy read like fresh sashimi, accentuated with a slight richness from the aïoli. The Lamb Shoulder cooked for five hours with turnip reminded me of a dish my Dad's makes wonderfully back in Australia, but made more like a stew. The freshness of the white and green asparagus, like it was just freshly plucked from the soils from which it had been growing moments before.
These were just some of the delights of our Menu Dégustation "Laissez-Moi Faire": a wonderful journey through Keisuke's imaginative and exquisite nine courses. It was a journey that set the scene for our celebration of life, and made for a lasting impression for the rest of our trip in Nice.
Menu Dégustation "Laissez-Moi Faire" Printanier 2010
Amuse Bouche:
Salted 'Candy'-Tomato
Spiced Aubergine
Cheese Crisp with Roasted Pepper, Anchovy, and Shallot
Entrée/Plats:
Refreshing beetroot soup with crab meat (sadly no photo)
White and green asparagus with ham cheese and zuccini vinaigrette
Carpaccio of Sea Bream with soy and aïoli (Darude Royale en carpaccio, sauce aïoli et soja)
"Wolf-fish" with sauted artichoke, shallot vinaigrette (Loup de mer poêle, artichaut sauté, vinaigrette d'échalotes, jus de roche)
Five-hour cooked Lamb with Chickpea Polenta (Agneau des alpes de Hautes Provence épaule braisée en navarin, panisses)
Dessert:
Chocolate fondant with thyme ice cream
Keisuke Matsushima
22 rue de France
06000 Nice
France
+33 493822606
http://www.keisukematsushima.com
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