This winter, Paul Pairet added a Parisian menu to the three he already offers in Shanghai: Nonos, nestled in the center of the Hôtel Crillon. The well-known leader of the spectators of Top chef came back there for a few days in May to settle the summer menu for his teams “and it’s true that a grill on the terrace is very pleasant”, he confides to 20 Minutes .
How did the chef adapt to the place?
Nonos was designed as a friendly place, driven by Paul Pairet’s ambition to bring the French grill up to date. “The principle is a bit ‘retro’ and has nothing to do with these ultra-short menus full of the chefs’ personal ideas”, he underlines.
Far from the culinary experiences that earned him three stars in Shanghai, Paul Pairet preferred to bring to the Crillon, a chic place par excellence, a retro touch capable of pleasing the greatest number. “When we do simple things, we expose ourselves to criticism, because there are always elements of comparison. There may have been expectations of extravagant things and this is the opposite of extravagance. But for me, simplicity is the real luxury. »
What to choose from the menu?
A grill, of course. From the simmental beef hanger (28 euros) to the Kagoshima wagyu sirloin (140 euros), you’re spoiled for choice. Paul Pairet insists on the retro charm of the slice trolley (46 euros). Or lighter: the Mama-tuna-anchovy mimosa egg (14 euros), the Lorraine quiche from Alexis (16 euros), the real Gruyère soufflé (18 euros). The latter was recommended to us by Basile, our server, and it is true that it is stunning with the addition, to the siphon, of a flowing heart. “It’s a fairly light soufflé that we add to reinforce this double texture,” explains Paul Pairet. It’s a reverse technique compared to that of the classic soufflé that we had developed for Ultraviolet (his very experimental restaurant in Shanghai) and which we have adapted here for this very light dish. We have eggs, cream and cheese, but neither flour nor béchamel. »
The dish that we could redo at home?
Hard to say. Even the “canteen” avocado, just cut in half with its skin on, looks sophisticated with its mustard sorbet and soy sauce “to liven it up”. Finally, it is perhaps the grills that we could try to redo at home if we have an exterior.
For small budgets, Paul Pairet recommends the tab: “It’s wonderful, you don’t see that much, and it’s much cheaper than a matured piece”… And the technique? Paul Pairet recommends “cooking at low temperature, but not under vacuum, dry cooking which will sometimes last almost 12 hours”. Not necessarily easy to reproduce at home, but good to know. “It’s a plus in terms of tenderness,” assures the chef. And the physical aspect it gives to meats is different from what we usually find. “We won’t have an extremely tight, rather gray exterior and a glowing interior,” continues the chef. Even our rare meats are evenly grilled, because we work them the American way. They are no less tender and tasty. And it’s a blue meat lover who writes these lines.
And then, this secret?
When Paul Pairet speaks of cooking for twelve hours, one wonders how he distributes them. “For a train of beef ribs, we start at 120°C for an hour. The outer crust will then be just reached. Afterwards, we will lower it to 65°C. And then, we will finish at 56°C which is really the precise temperature for keeping the temperature at which we want to serve it. There is a phenomenon of sterilization/pasteurization which is done on a combination of time and temperature. We understand that the probe is essential. And that a grill of this type is not recommended in a garden barbecue. But if you have an oven equipped with a rack, drip pan and probe, now is the time to give it a try! “It’s precision, but it’s not more difficult to be precise, it’s after knowledge and the will to do it. But ultimately, it is quite accessible. »
The chief’s argument for coming?
Paul Pairet is categorical: you won’t find the equivalent of his personal cuisine here, which earned him three stars in Shanghai. “Nonos is a consensual restaurant, open to everyone. And it’s not so easy to find a French restaurant with the name of a chef behind it, who agrees to do things simply. My recommendation is: go eat at Nonos to treat yourself. You will have a great time. The service is not there to impress you, but to guide you towards what you like. And afterwards, you may want to come back to discover something else. »
How to get there ?
The nearest metro station is Concorde on line 1, 20 meters from the hotel. Many buses within a radius of 20 to 100 m also serve Place de la Concorde: lines 24, 42, 52, 72, 73, 84 and 94.